Evening star., 1952-05-10
Foot Soldiers and the Atom

FOOt OOIOIeTS 0H0 Ine ATOM
One of the most authoritative assessments
to date of the atoms effect on ground warfare
can be found in the address delivered in New
York the other night by Army Secretary Frank
Pace, jr. Although generalized in its language
the address makes clear that our land forces
infantry and armor-are in the process of re-
casting their thinking, planning and training to
adjust themselves to the far-reachng implica-
tions of strategical and tactical A-weapons
AS far as the Army is concerned these weap-
ons-some Of them already available and others
In the makng-include, first of all, tactical
A-bombs that can be used against enemy forces
in the field. In addition, there is the atomic
gun, which exists now in prototype form. This
instrument, in Mr.. PAGES words, can function in
every kind OF weather, night or day. Weighing
about IS tons, 1t is nonetheless highly mobile in
terms of either land or amphibious operations.
Comparable IN accuracy to a conventional artil-
lery piece (at long ranges it is even more ac-
curate), it is chiefly significant for the fact
that 1t offers ground troops close-support fire.
power immeasurably deadlier than any ever
before employed in warfare.
Over and above all this, according to Mr..
Pace, our country is developing for the Armys
use guided missiles and rockets equipped with
atomic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that will have not
only the accuracy and tremendous power of the
A-gun but also much greater range. Our ground
forces, moreover, are so certain of being
equipped in due course with such formidable
quantities of these missiles and rockets that
special units to handle them have been in train
ing for some time past, and the scope of this
training is now being increased. In that re-
spect, Mr.. Pace has been at pains to assure the
Nation that every effort is being made to guar
antee that our land power, like our sea and air
power, will keep fully abreast of technical ad-
vances to insure that the potentialities of nu-
clear armaments are exploited to the utmost.
1t is too early, of course, to foresee all the
ultimate effects of these weapons on ground
warfare. Nevertheless, as Mr.. Pace has said,
their vast significance is already apparent in
several important respects Thus, wholly apart
from the sea and air, they offer to land forces
those Of other countries as well as our own
"a means of achieving defensive frepower un-
dreamed Of few short years ago." and this in
turn promises to make life much harder for
aggressors. True enough, dispersal requirements
and kindred problems will be as troublesome
for defenders as for attackers but the latter will
be at a particularly dangerous disadvantage If
they mass great concentrations of troops ana
materiel for offensive operations like river
crossing assault or an amphibious landing-a
consideration that places very large question
mark over the real value of Russias big numer-
ical superiority in infantry divisions.
However, although there is more than q
little reason to believe that the advent of tao
tical atomic ornaments has sharply reduced the
significance Of the Kemlin's huge land armies
as now organized-nothing could be more foolish
than to suppose that the foot soldier and most
of his conventional arms have become obsoleS-
cent. While not mentioning the possibilities of
the hydrogen bomb, Mr. Pace has been emphatic
in warning that our arsenal, even though it may
contain truly fantastic" destroyers, contains
no such thing as an absolute weapon" capable,
in and Of itself, of winning war. Nor is any,
thing of the sort likely to be developed in the
fofeseeable future-which means that victory,
if there is another great confict, will still require
the use not only of air and naval power but Of
ground forces as well.
In sum, despite the revolutionary effect of
A-weapons, land strength is still a factor Of
vital Importance. Mr.. Pace has done well to
stress that point. The atom has not outmoded
ground forces. On the contrary even though
the gigantic Soviet armies do not have to be
matched man for man, the security Of the
United States and its Allies undoubtedly depends
in very large measure on building up sufficient
number of highly skilled troop divisions with
enough superiority in mobility and firepower to
deter or defeat aggression. This task cannot be
done with pushbuttons. The foot soldier, though
his role is changing, Is as essential as ever.