Evening star., 1951-03-29
Their Wires Were Crossed

A good many people must have been little
bewildered when they picked up their news
papers yesterday and read in the same issue,
and on the same page in some papers, that
General Marshall was astonished at the relaxa-
ton in public and congressional support for a
long-term defense effort, while, at the same
time, Defense Mobilizer Wilson was saying that
this country is rapidly nearing that point of
military might at which no nation would dare
launch an attack against It,
The two statements may have been wholly
accurate as far as they went. But their net
effect coming from men who presumably know
whereof they speak, is to cancel each other out
in the public mind.
Mr.. Wilson's observation was made in COM
menting on the first quarterly report on progress
in defense production. which goes to the Presi-
dent this week end. "If were this country's
principal enemy" he said, II would be frightened
by that report."'
General Marshall however, was looking in
the other direction when Mr.. Wilson, at sepa-
rate press conference was making his optimistic
statement The Defense Secretary does not seem
to be cheered by any prospect that the Russians
would be frightened If they could see the de-
Tense progress report On the contrary, he feels
that the defense program as whole (not the
production side of it, is tagging although the
world situation Is more serious now than last
November
Unfortunately General Marshall was un-
willing to amplify this cryptic reference to the
world situation. According to General Mac
Arthur, the military situation in Korea is much
improved Other reports have it that internal
troubles are mounting in Red China General
Eisenhower is restrainedly optimistic over prog
ress in Western Europe. Yet General Marshall
says that the world situation is worsening. Pre-
sumably he has information, which he cannot
disclose, to support the statement Still, the
effect OF such comment, unsupported by any
specifications, is to detract from the force of
his other remarks.
In The Stars opinion, some of the things
General Marshall said should command serious
attention. The historic tendency in this country
on defense matters has been to blow hot and
cold. When the Nation is alarmed, as it was
after the war with the Communists in Korea
had revealed our own weakness, there was
popular demand for an al-out rearmament
effort. AS General Marshall points out, he found
himself in the position of having to resist SEN
timent for total mobilization. Now the pendulum
is swinging back In the Senate the debate on
the troops-f Europe issue drags on endlessly.
In the House the military manpower bill is under
attack, and the Republicans there are trying to
stifie the all-important provision for Universal
Military Training.
This sort of thing endangers the country
and harasses those who are responsible for our
military security We are faced with a threat
which will last for years, and which cannot be
met on here-today gone tomorrow basis. We
must demonstrate that we are capable of max
ing a sustained, well-planned effoft, but the
human falngs that hamper such an effort in
country like ours should not be. aggravated by
official statements which seem to work at cross
purposes.