Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-11
Russia Seen Waiting
For Chaos in u. S.
Writer Says Our Bankruptcy
Would Be Soviet Victory
By Fronk R. Kent

For long Time now there nave been
two schools of thought among men in
Washington supposedly better informed
than the average citizen concerning the
international crisis that exists because Of
Russian behavior in the United Nations
and elsewhere in the world.
One school firmly believes third
world war inevitable; that this will be
precipitated by new Soviet aggression
this year against Yugoslavia: that unless
we and our allies are able to check this
advance of the Red armies all Western
Europe will be overrun and the worst
conflict in history ensue The other
school contends there will be no war;
that Russia has not and does not now
plan an about war; that her strategy
has never included such thing; that on
the contrary. it is exactly the thing she
does not want
It is interesting to note that while re-
Gently there have been many converts
from the "war-is-inevitable" group to the
other. we are Fundamentally proceeding
on the assumption that the first group is
right. The reason is clear-we just can
not afford to take the chance Our great
trouble is utter lack. of certainty about
Soviet intentions.
On the other hand Mr.. Stain and his
friends do not have to have spy system
or an intelligence service here to know
our plans, strength, weaknesses and
problems. All they have to do Is read
the newspapers and listen to the radio.
They have complete certainty as con-
traSted with our complete uncertainty
and that is great advantage. Being In.
teiligent men, they know that neither the
British nor ourselves will fight unless war
is forced upon us.
II, 1t may be asked, the Soviet rulers
are so sure they are in no danger of
attack from the free nations of the
world, what then is the point of their
ceaseless and violent propaganda de-
nouncing us as "warmongers'' and in
sisting that the United States is deter
mined to bring about third world war?
Those of the second school, who hold
that the Russians do not want war; pro-
vide the answer-first, that the Russians
do not want war with US primarily. as
DR.. Vannevar Bush says, because they
know our present superiority in atomic
weapons would destroy them. This is
the great deterrent. If this were not SO
and they wanted war it would be idiotic
Tor them not to start the big fight now
instead OF waiting and watching while
our mobilization gets rolling and we
get stronger and stronger as the months
go by.
From either their standpoint or ours,
II the Soviets mean war this waiting
policy makes no sense. It only makes
sense if they plan to make the whole
world communiStic, not through military
conquest but by promoting economic
chaos. That explains everything the
Russians do and have done. The argu-
ment is based on the axiom that out of
economic chaos communism almost in
ev1tably comes. This, it is argued is
why Soviet policy in the last five years
has been SO threatening and provocative
as to force us into the expenditure Of
many billions, the imposition of enor- :
nous taxes and an added strain on the
Federal fiscal structure which no one
knows whether we can bear or not On
the assumption that these immense OUT
pour1ngs are the only way to insure
peace we cannot stop to consider the
size OF the debt or the depth Of the
deficits. In year and half we will
be far more powerful than the Russians.
but we easily may have spent ourselves
into national bankruptcy, which would
be victory for them
We would then appear to be the most
gigantic suckers in all history. Still,
we have got to become strong enough
to conquer even though we never have
to fight. But if this idea Of Russian
strategy is sound. nothing makes sense
except the taking of every possible step
to guard Federal finances against col
lapse.