Evening star., 1950-08-30
Calls for Trumun
Action to Meet
Threat of War
By Jack Bell
Associated Press Stoff Writer

SC11QOO4 d4Vs 4sCPAN41SoAA, vi
Ohio, today demanded that the
Truman administration clear ur
what he termed a complete lack
of both plans and policy to meet
the threat of a third world war
Senator Taft suggested the re-
arming of Western Germans and
Italians to help defend Western
Europe from possible Russian at
tack.
Secretary of State Acheson
faced possible questioning along
this line in a scheduled appear
ance this afternoon at a closed
meeting of the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee.
Summoned to testify on 81
billion addition to foreign military
aid funds, Mr.. Acheson also faced
questions by Senator Ferguson,
Republican. of Michigan as to
why military leaders aren't kept
fully abreast of foreign policy
Developments.
Ferguson Quotes Matthews.
Senator Ferguson said he got
an admission from Secretary of
the Navy Matthews yesterday that
Mr.. Matthews hasn't been in
formed on some foreign policy
points.
Another Republican, Senator
Lodge of Massachusetts,, told the
Senate yesterday the administra-
ton hasn't asked Congress for
enough authority or funds to build
up a combat army ''of such mani
festly effective strength as te
enable us to regain the diplomatic
initiative" in dealing with Russia
Senator Lodges demand for q
S-million-man Army touched off a
debate in which Senate Majority
Leader Lucas asserted that while
Russia might overrun Europe. it
cannot win" a world war.
Senator Mcmahon. Democrat
of Connecticut said the United
States viii make any Russian at
TACK in Europe very costly
through use of the atomic bomb.
Truman Sends Note to Macarthur.
Senator ,Ferguson's statement
2 to a reporter that the armed
services don't always know what
American detectives are came as
an outgrowth of Precedent Tru-
mans ban on Gen. Macarthur
message on Formosa and the
State Department and White
House reputation of "preven-
tive war" speech by Mr.. Matthews.
Mr.. Truman sent to Gen. Mac
arthur yesterday a copy of a
letter to United Nations Delegate
Warren Austin, setting out in de-
tail this country'S policy of neu-
tralizing Formosa but leaving its
final disposition to international
agreement Gen. Macarthur, in
the cancelled statement, had sug-
gested American use of Formosa
as a defense base.
Shortly after the Presidents
letter was made public. House
Speaker Rayburn came forward
with the sharpest administration
criticism yet of Gen. Macarthur
He said:
''I think Gen. Macarthur has q
great job to do if he stays in his
own field and doesn't try to run
the foreign policy of the United
States"
Taft Asks Series of Questions.
Senator Taft, in a weekly re-
port to Ohio voters from his
Office here. pointed up his demand
for an overall policy statement
by the administration with this
series of questions:
"Where would, a third world
war be fought and what would
it be like?
How do we finally win such a
war?
do we ultimately march to
Moscow as Napoleon and Hitler
attempted to do?
"How effectively can our Air
Force and atom bomb destroy the
aggressive power of Russia?"
Contending that the people are
''in the dark Senator Taft said
until we determine these ques-
tions it is very difficult to know
how large our armed forces ought
to be-"
The Ohio Senator complained
that no international commander
has been named for Europe's anti
Communist forces a year after
approval of the Atlantic pact.
I'm Western Europe there are
220 million people, nearly SO per
cent more than in the United
States. and surely their main de-
fense must be by their own
troops" Senator Taft said. "But
half of these people are Germans
and Italians who are disarmed.
IF Europe is to be defended,
surely the Germans and Italians
must be in the battle and nothing
yet has been done in that direc-
tion."
Star Series to AnoIyze