Evening star., 1951-01-14

unified instrument of defense. Gen.
Eisenhower returned to the conti-
nent and supreme commander OF
the Atlantic powers for Europe.
The Western world is sicken-
ingly weak in the face of the clear
and present danger but the pic
ture is not all black. The sea and
air power of the English-speak-
ing world is formidable. and so
are their productive capacities. In
addition there are believed to be
is million tough fighting men in
Spain, Yugoslavia and Turkey,
and further considerable contin-
gents in Greece, Sweden and
Switzerland. Americas European
partners of the North Atlantic
treaty have combined organized
reserves of is million and unor-
ganized reserves of million.
The total combat land forces Of
the North Atlantic treaty powers
now stationed on the European
mainland consist of only 10 scat
tered divisions. still functioning
under five separate national
commands.
The Soviets, on the other hand,
have ITS divisions under arms in
Europe-30 of them in Germany
alone-and the satellite armies
total so more divisions, or 235
in all.
Sixty Divisions Planned
Present North Atlantic treaty
power plans call for the forma-
ton of unified European defense
force of approximately 60 divi-
sions. Of this total, the United
States and Britain would provide
10 or IL each, France 20, Western
Germany the equivalent of 10 and
the other treaty powers the
balance.
The North American treaty
powers are dedicated to the
proposition that they must and
will make the maximum effort
to stay free. How effectively are
the free powers working out their
individual and collective defenses?
Are Americas partners doing
their share? Is the United States
doing its share?
| Irreconcilables among the iso-
lationists say-as they have
always said-that other powers
are not doing enough and that
America is doing too much.
Some of the specific facts which
would be necessary in order te
Establish a basis for making valio
comparisons are subject to change
without notice. Others are mill
tary secrets. Even if all the facts
were available. there still would
be no yardstick for measuring and
evaluating them.
One yardstick which is some
times employed is the proportion
of national income or gross ma.
tional product which is devoted to
defense. Another is the proper
ton of men under arms to total
or total male-population.
But the basic wealth and re-
sources of the North Atlantic
powers differ widely. and so do the
casualties and material damage
they suffered in World War II. Is
a country of modest resources
which incurred horrible blood
letting and devastation during the
last war to devote the same pro-
portions of its remaining men and
wealth to preparations for a new
conflict that are devoted by a
rich nation which came out of the
last war relatively unscathed?
Thumbnail Reports
Some of the treaty partners
have altered the values of their
currencies at least once during
the past five years. Some attach
different values to their currencies
now, in accordance with the man
ner in which it has been acquired
land the purposes for which it is
spent. Which of these values is
to be used in calculating measures
of sacrifice now?
The truth of the matter is, as
President Truman said in his mes
sage on the state of the Union
that none of the partners is doing
as much as it needs to do, and
that all must do more-much
more.
| Complete data are. as noted,
lacking. Subject to this and the
other qualifications cited, however,
the following thumbnail reports
give some indication of the meas
ures which most of the other
North Atlantic treaty powers are
taking in the common defense:
Canada.
Canada now has $4,000 men
under arms, including a special
task force of 10000 set up for
operations in Korea. Canada also
sent three. destroyers to Korea
almost Immediately following the
outbreak of hostilities there last
June. Four hundred men are en-
gagged in operating the Royal
Canadian Air Force airlift to
Korea.
RCAF pilots in the strength of
one squadron are serving in Eng
land, flying British planes.
The RCAF is training de-
tachments of other North Allan
tic treaty air forces in Canada, as
it did during World War II.
The Canadian defense budget
for the current fiscal year totals
$987 million, an increase of 80 per
cent over outlays for arms budget
ed before the Korean conflict
broke out. OF this total, $500
million is earmarked for contribu-
tions to the mutual defense prep
arations of the North Atlantic
treaty powers. Canada has al