Evening star., 1951-04-29


champion of freedom and the
LEADER in Furnishing aggression.
The Krenlin is no respecter Of
lsofties. To appease would be the
lsurest path to atomic disaster.
That does not mean. of course,
that the truly strong move on the
lglobal scene today is necessarily
the brasl move.
The sort Of cutting edge we
need now-to get through these
lperilous months when our mill
|tary readiness is SO tragically
short Of our potential--is the
firmly held and courageously
welded scalpel. not the wild swing
of the meat ak.
u. s. Must Speed Preparedness.
Few observers who know the
score doubt that the ultimate tar
get of the ruthless and patient
world-revolutionary imperialists is
the heart of strength in the free
world, the United States. There
is at least a dangerous chance,
in the event they decide they can
not achieve their ends by other
means. that they may strike at
their ultimate target first.
The best way we can reduce the
odds that this, will happen is to
rush our strengthening process at
the swiftest possible pace, swifter,
even, than the tremendous pro-
gram that is now under way, and
to limit If we can the tragic con-
fiict raging in Korea within its
present bounds.
We must stay there, until an
honorable peace can be made, be-
cause to do anything else would
be recreant retreat which would
destroy the faith of free peoples
in our 'steadfastness and permit
the Reds to proceed unopposed
with the military and other Or
ganization of a continent of more
than a billion souls.
Warns Against General War.
Since we had to lead the United
Nations into Korea or surrender
Asia. and since we must stay there
until we can honorably get out,
we must do everything necessary
to keep casualties down to the
lowest possible level, by any coun-
teraction needed to offset any
Communist action which suddenly
should increase our casualties.
This would include bombing
enemy bases, wherever they might
be. If absolutely necessary to check
a swarm Of air power thrown at
our men. But it would not include
running the risk of plunging our
selves into general war, at mo-
ment when we are, not prepared,
by an irnpulsive and perhaps un-
necessary strike which might it
self turn loose great air and sea
power against what today is a
comparative sanctuary" Of our
own.
Such q strike, as the Joint
Chiefs Of Staff have unanimously
advised the President, would be
the way to increase casualties, not
reduce them. It is the way to
make an immediate plunge into
Ia much broader war much more
likely. rather than to avoid it.
Russia Is Able to Attack.
1t is often contended by those
currently advocating rash action
in Asia, who singularly include
some who cried out against our
contribution toward strengthen
ing Europe on the ground that 1t
would precipitate Russian aggres-
sion before we are ready to stop
lit, that the Kremlin will not en-
ter the war until it is ready"
The implication is that what we
do makes no difference: That we
might touch off the fuse but the
powder barrel would refuse to
blow up.
Such a judgment overlooks the
fact that readiness-to-fig here
and in Russia, is comparative. The
Russians have hundreds of B-29-
TYPE bombers which could reach
any part of our Nation with
atomic weapons today. a Nation
unready in both military and
civilian defense.
It discounts the fact that while
our; own atomic airpower has been
a sufficiently quieting factor to
deter aggression against us so far,
we have set into motion a chain
Eof events which in less than two
years will have made ourselves
and our Allies SO strong as vir-
tually to insure that a Soviet
strike then would be clearly an in