Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-25
Europe Isn't the Only Area Vital to Our Security
Far and Middle
East Are Termed
Just as important
BY Constantine Brown

mony and colloquy between Penta-
gon representatives and members
of the Senate Foreign Relations
and Armed Services Committees
last week are puzzled over inter-
pretations put on those hearings,
to the effect that there are i'm
portant differences between the
executive and legislative branches
of the Government.
The Senators and the spokes-
men for the armed forces agreed
that the four American divisions.
which it is intended to send to
Europe this year. are more of a
morale booster for our Allies than
a force which is able to defeat
the Russians if they attack in the
next IL months.
The witnesses and the members
of the two committees also agreed
that congressional approval would
be very important, since 1t would
show the world that the American
people are united in their deci-
sion to assist communism at home
and abroad.
Finally, Secretary OF State Ache
son and the representatives of the
military establishment concurred
with the views of the Senators
that we must utilize to the fullest
extent all other military forces
outside the Atlantic pact which,
are willing to join in the defense
of Europe. They want the 81 avail
able combat divisions of Spain,
Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey to
join with the Atlantic forces as
soon as possible.
Nobody seems opposed to the
plan that an American force
limited, according to Secretary
Marshall. at first to only four
additional divisions-is essential
to bolster the fighting willingness
of our Allies. None of the mill
tary men expressed the belief that
such a force could by itself stop
the Reds in their tracks.
Broader Picture
They all agreed that all other
non-Communist forces should be
permitted to join in the defense
setup. They all agreed that
American air and naval power can
be only an adjunct of the general
defense plans of free Europe.
Nobody vaguely suggested that we
abandon Europe.
Meanwhile, it has become OBJ
vious to all but the politically
blind that our own present task
is not confined to saving" West
ern Europe alone. In the present
conflict with the U. S.. S. r. and
her satellites there are two other
Immediately critical areas: The
Far East and the Middle East.
They are as vital to our national
security as Europe is.
A good deal of emphasis Is
placed on Europe's raw materials
and manpower. which totals 200
million. But the Far and Middle
East, with a population four times
as large as Europe's and with vast
resources of basic raw materials.
are mentioned only casually by
advocates of Europe first"
The point of view of some of
our legislators, that our RESPONSE
bility for the security Of our con-
tinent extends equally to the
Asiatic continent, is seldom heard
or fully appreciated. And yet. 1t
is fully appreciated by the mill
tary men, who cannot insist on
it's Importance because the poll
ticians in the executive branch Of
the Government do not want 1t
emphasized at this time.
These are the same political"
considerations which have pre-
vented us from fully enlisting the
support of the large available
forces of the Mediterranean coun-
tries. Gems. Eisenhower. Bradley
and Vandenberg as we'll as Admiral
Sherman have urged for some time
that we bring the Mediterranean
states into the defense setup.
These nations have a military
potential which is believed to have
slowed down Soviet aggressive
aims in Europe.
Conditions Favor Reds
| While the West is capable, with
the support Of the Spanish armies.
of fighting a delaying action
against the Red forces in the
West, the threat of a military
operation on the highly sensitive
Soviet Observation-Disclosures, Ro-
mania, Hungary and Czechoslo-
vakia, all of which are laundering
for liberation-could cause definite
collapse of any Red aggression
against the West. Thus, the
European picture appears less
glowing to some professional STRAIT
egists than it is generally painted.
The situation is far less favor
able in Asia, where Russian ag-
erosion is now in full swing.
In the Far East we are fighting
a see-saw battle with the Chi
nese Communists in Korea. They
, have poured about go OF their
best divisions against the numeri-
cally inferior United Nations forces.
These have been checked. But
so long as no diversions are created
on other fronts in the Far East,
the Chinese commander in chief
Gen. Chu Teh-will be able to use
. fresh troops out of the pool of
400 divisions he now has available.
L So long as we refuse the