Evening star., 1951-11-22
CHAPTER Z.

| N4A%AA = AAS -
\ I have yet to see any one VIII
has been able to describe clearl
Just what a third world war woul
be like.
| One thing seems to be certain
1t would not be like World War
or II. Air forces and the atomi
bomb would play a greater par
than ever before, but no one Cal
measure exactly what thei
strength would be. Certain prin
ciples. however, appear to be fairl
clear.
Our first consideration must b
the defense of America.
It seems obvious that the i'm
mediate problem of defending thi
country depends upon control O
the sea and control of the air.
Whether war can be ended b.
air power alone may be open t.
question, but certainly sea and al
power can achieve complete pro
lection while other forces are be
ing developed to meet whateve
goals may seem to be desirable il
a third world war.
Reasonable" Army Necessary.
OF course, an Army Of reason
able size is absolutely essential
We must have it for the defensi
Of the American continent ant
our island possessions. A LIANT
army is necessary for the defens,
of airbases. further defense O
islands near the continental shore!
and for such occasional extensions
of action into Europe. Asia o.
Africa as promise success in Sc.
'lected areas.
But it need not be anything likt
as large an army as would b.
necessary to begin tomorrow {
land war on the continent of Eu.
rope or the continent of Asia.
The fact that the Air Force ha:
deteriorated is due solely to tn.
shortSightedness of this admins.
tration and the Pentagon policy
which. in substance, refused any
increase in Air Force unless cor.
responding increases occurred ir
the Army and Navy.
Until the Korean war the Pres.
ident still insisted on holding the
Air Force to 48 groups. The power
of the land generals was suffi.
cient to hold down the Air Fore,
unless the budget could provide {
corresponding increase in lant
forces. Now the increase is to b,
balanced by an even larger in.
crease in the land forces.
AF Held Best Defense.
Not only is an all-powerful ali
force the best possible defense fol
the United States. but it is alst
the best deterrent to war. Tht
Russians are not going to be de.
tered by land armies until sucl
armies are built up to a strons
defensive force able to throw bacl
armies Of Russia and it's satellites
and they can always attack be.
fore that point is reached. The,
know that the destruction of theil
principal communications, base.
and industrial developments BY
atomic bombs may make it infin.
itely more difficult for them tt
succeed in any war.
Every consideration. therefore
OF American defense and also o1
the insurance Of peace depends
upon the development Of an all
force more efficient and more f.
fective than the world has ever
seen.
A superiority in air and sea
forces throughout the world can
achieve other purposes than mere
defense. It can protect all island
countries, Africa and South
America. 1t can furnish effective
assistance to all those nations
which desire to maintain then
freedom on the continent. It car
achieve balance of power under
which more peaceful relations
throughout the world can con-
stantly be developed.
Must Not, Abandon Others.
While defense of this country L
our first consideration, I do not
agree with those who think we
can completely abandon the rest
of the world and rely solely upon
the defense of this continent. Ir
fact, the very thesis of an effec-
tive control Of sea and air by the
free nations requires that we de
interest ourselves in Europe anc
the Near East and North Africa
and the Far East, so that Com.
munist influence may not extene
to areas from which it is still DOS.
sible to exclude it by many meth.
ods other than land armies.
1t seems to me that our battl,
against communism is, in fact, :
worldwide battle and must b,
fought on the world stage. Wha
I object to is undertaking to figh
that battle, in the first instance
primarily on the vast land area
Of the continent of Europe or tn
continent of Asia, where we ar
at the greatest possible disadvan
tage in a war with Russia.
The first principle of militar,
strategy is not to fight on tn
enemy's chosen battle-ground
where he has his greatest strength
We could not have better lessor
than has been taught us in Korea
Reasonable" Alliances Backed.
1t seems to me that by reason
able alliances with Britain. Aus
tralia and Canada the control O
sea and air can establish a powe
which never can be challenged b,
Russia and which can to a grea
extent protect Europe, as it ha
never been protected now for fiv
years through fear of what Sc,
and air power can accomplish
lagainSt Russia