Evening star., 1951-01-08

Full support for Gen. Eisen-
hower's mission in Europe was
urged today in a statement re-
leased by the Committee on the
Present Danger.
Advising against withdrawal
from Europe, the committee said
America should back North At
lantic Treaty aims by promptly
creating balanced armed forces
of great strength and by giving
the people of Europe a sense OF
our unity with them"
The committee, whose goal Is
to keep the United States alerted
to the precarious world situation.
issued the statement after week.
end meeting in Washington. The
committee is composed of a group
of outstanding citizens from all
parts of the country and includes
DR.. Vanneyar Bush. DR.. James B,
Conant, president of Harvard; Dr.
Harold w. Dodds. president OF
Princeton; former Secretary OF
War Robert p. Patterson and
Tracy S. VOORHEES,. former Under
secretary Of the Army.
Text Of Statement.
The text of the statement fol-
lows: &
Today General Eisenhower Is
scheduled to arrive in Europe to
endeavor to create. and then to
command, the free worlds forces
there.
AS he begins this supremely
important task. our people here
are asking themselves how best to
defend the United States. how to
prevent a major war if possible,
how to win it If it comes.
On these problems the Com
mittee on the Present Danger
ventures. completely without par
tisanship. to present its deeply
held conviction: AS he undertakes
his new mission to Europe, Cen
eral Eisenhower must be given
full support by the American
people. We must do this by Great
ing balanced armed forces Of great
strength. and by giving the
people Of Europe a sense Of our
unity with them.
Certain facts are beyond dis
pute:
A menacing despotic power.
bent on conquering the world. has
twice in recent months in Korea
resorted to aggressive war. But
those attacks do not prove that
Russia - which clearly directed
both - will launch a major war.
Much less do they prove that
Russia is ready to start such a
war at this time.
Europe is the next great prize
Russia seeks. If Europe falls, the
Ruhr with its coal and steel, the
Atlantic ports with their ship
yards, the whole industrial COM
plex with 100000. 900 people pos
sessing great scientific and tech
nical skills, will be absorbed into
the Communist empire against US
Loss Of Strategic Areas.
The fall of continental Europe
would remove any assurance that
Britain would again be an unsink-
able aircraft carrier and advance
base. 1t may well mean the loss
Of the Middle East, the sMediter-
ranean and Africa. In such case
Russia would have the oil she SC
much needs, and the worlds
richest source of uranium-whici1
lies in the Belgian Congo-would
go to Russia to make atom bombs
for use against us.
We learned belatedly in the
first World War. and again in the
second. that successful defense of
the United States must be made
in Europe. So in entering into the
North Atlantic Pact. we sought to
prevent a third World War by
serving notice that an assault on
Europe means war with the
United States. And we fortified
this position by keeping our
troops in Germany and Austria.
as we'll as by the Berlin airlift.
Military Problem.
Fortunately our best course to
prevent war now is the same as
that required to win it If it comes
to make aggression unprofit-
able by restoring the power of
the democracies. How the United
States should do its part in this
is in large part a military prob
lem requiring the highest profess
sional knowledge and experience.
On this question our responsible
military leaders are of one mind.
Only few days ago. General
Eisenhower expressed his faith
that Americans can accomplish
anything" if they have unity
behind their purpose. And he
said that the defense Of Europe
can be made successfully IF there
is unity among Americans and If
their allies understand this" The
depth of his conviction that the
defense Of the United States must,
If possible. be made in Europe is
proved by his sacrifice in under
taking his new task.
Many Americans are troubled
by the thought that we will send
La rna addifi0nal forcaS "a E1Iro.,a