Evening star., 1950-11-19


But what is certain is that prevl-'
GUS reports of the former eco
nomic cooperation administra-
tor, Paul Hoffman, and the more
recent report of Gordon Gray, the
former Army Secretary, will be
given a thorough going-over.
Congressional leaders, including
a number of Democrats. want to
find out for themselves, rather
than through administration
channels, what actually is needed
by the nations which are still
drawing substantial amounts for
their economic recovery and how
far Congress is disposed to go in
voting new appropriations for
military preparedness of the West.
That there will be some i'm
portant cuts in the ECA program
seems certain. The economic re-
covery of Western Europe has
gone faster than was expected
originally. This is to the credit
of our associates across the At
lantic, who worked hard and used
intelligently the billions of dollars
appropriated for them by the
American Congress.
Some important amounts will
be necessary, henceforth, for the
conversion of a number of their
industrial plants for the manu-
facture of war materials. While
American factories will be re-
uuired to produce a large quantity
of military equipment for defense
against Soviet aggression, indus
trial countries like Britain,
France, Italy and Belgium will
have to speed up their own arms
manufacturing industries.
Harmony Lacking
When the Marshall Plan was
put into effect it was fervently
hoped that this no longer would
be necessary. Russia's aggressive
policies cannot be CLOSED over as
propaganda and intimidation. We
are fighting a shooting war in
Asia at present and hope that our
North Atlantic pact associates will
be able to step up their own et-
forts to provide their still small
forces with a part of the equip
ment which may soon be needed.
But one of the major tasks OF
the 82d Congress will be to join
it's efforts with those of the ad-
ministration to create some order
out of the confusion which reigns
today among our Allies in Europe.
The sad fact is that at this hour
of danger for all free nations there
| is complete lack of harmony be-
tween the members of the Atlantic
pact as to how they should pro-
ceed to forestall the Russian
menace.
The war plans of Moscow are
clear to all those who do not wish
to let themselves be blinded by pas
passions and prejudices. The Polit-
buro has set Asia ablaze. There
are shooting wars in Korea and
Indo China. The impending con-
quest of Tibet will bring the ham
mer and sickle flag dangerously
close to the borders of India, a
nation totally unprepared militar-
lily to meet any kind of aggression.
This means that the bulk OF Amer
ica's military forces and a large
portion of Frances armed forces
will remain engaged in an all-out
war in the Far East for many
months to come.
Our best military minds are
convinced, although they are not
allowed to say so publicly. that the
shooting war in Asia. which origi-
mated in the Kremlin, is only a
curtain-raiser for bigger and more
important activities in other parts
of the world.
Few military thinkers believe
the popular fiction that Russia
will not dare start a war in Europe
because of the atomic bomb. Be-
fore any such operation is started
| it is necessary-from the stand
point of the Soviet wnion-that
Americas ground, air and naval
forces becomes seriously involved
in Asia.
This is the reason for the ''be-
lated intervention" of the Chinese
Communists in Korea and the now
successful Indo-China offensive
of the Wet Minis, with the sup
port of the Russians and Chinese
Once we are sucked into Korea
and possibly farther north-and
the French and British are fight
ing desperately to maintain them
selves in the Southeast Pacific, the
Russians expect to have their own
way in Europe.
Military Realistic
The armies to be built under
the military aid program are only
in the blueprint stage. We have
only a limited interest in what
the French and Benelux countries
might provide as ground forces by
1858. We are interested in what
forces can be made available to
resist an aggression across the
Elbe and the Rhine in the near
future. possibly not later than
next summer. And for such
purpose the Allies cannot muster
more than 10 divisions at most.
We have been requested, and
had promised, to send Germany
at least five American divisions
before next spring. But when
this promise was given it looked
as If the Korean war would be
over before Christmas. This esti-
mate had to be revised. The
troops now being trained in the
United States may have to be
rushed across the Pacific.
No American government. re-