Milford chronicle., 1952-09-12
EUROPEANS APPARENTLY DO NOT
FEAR WAR

tEAR WAX
European journalists and others who
visit this country are often surprised at one
thing-the amount of war talk that goes on
inside the United States. This doesn't mean
that thoughtful Europeans are performing
the ostrich act, burying their heads in the
sand, and telling themselves that all is we'll
and the Soviet Union isn't so much ola men
ace after all. But the European press plays
down the possibility of war much more than
does the American, and the feeling that an
other global war is inevitable is much more
widely held here than across the Atlantic.
There may be certain fatalism in the
European attitude. War has devastated her
cities and decimated generations of young
men. 1t has created human misery to an un-
known and almost unimaginable extent so
far as most Americans are concerned So
great and awful a cataclySm many Euro
peans feel, cannot happen again. And most
certainly they feel that, should it happen,
the world will end so far as they are con-
cerned, and victor and vanquished alike will
be destroyed.
In any event, and regardless of the rea-
sons for it, the European Army plan has
fallen far short of the blueprints. The story
is well told in recent article in u. S. News
and World Report; which began, "An UNI
expected showdown is upsetting the basic
for Western Europe.
Target dates for arms build-up are be-
ing set back. Budgets for armament are be-
ing replanned and reduced. Arms output
and arms shipment are tagging.
: "War, if it should come in the year or
two just ahead, will find the West far less
prepared than plans called for just six
. months ago. Real defense, which had been
planned for 1854, now appears unlikely be-
fore 1856 or later"
The goal set for NATO was 25 fully
equipped and active divisions by December
Of this year. These were supposed to be AL
outfits, ready for anything Actually, % di-
tisions are in being, but they are poorly
trained and their equipment is inferior
Equally important, there is a severe shortage
of up-tO-date combat aircraft, and pOten-
TALLY even more serious lack of adequate
bases.
All the nations involved have contributed
in one way or another to the showdown, with
the exception of The Netherlands Britain's
rearmament program is well behind schedule
and may sag further. We have reduced our
aid to Europe. France has cut her defense
Il goals, and Italy is asking for a cut. The
start Of German rearmament is being de-
layed. Belgium has slowed defense prepara-
lions and has reduced the length of the terms
cOnscripts must serve.
What it all amounts to is that Europeans
are enormously weary of the burdens impOs-
ed by war and by preparation for war Some
OF them argue that if the Russians had want
ed war, it would have started before this,
when Western Europe was totally defense
+ less and the Soviet hordes could have rolled
to the channel and perhaps beyond without
encountering anything worthy of the word
opposition. AS u. S. News put it, "War in
Europe, any time soon, is being set down as
remote prospect by the military leaders
and diplomats who shape policy in Western
Europe Armed strength is regarded as
an argument to be used in some future negO-
tiated settlement with the Communists ra-
ther than as preparation to defend the Con-
tinent against an early armed aggression
So, curiOusly enough, there is less belief
IN the lneWtabiity of war in Europe, which
would be the immediate battle-ground, than
there IS in the distant United States All
men of good will must hope that the Euro
pean leaders are right on this tremendous
question.
CALL OURS THE TAXPAYERS DEAL
A sweeping land and resources conserva-
ton movement, initiated and carried on
mainly by private citizens, is the subject of
penetrating article in The Saturday Eve
ming Post, entitled "How TO Make Bureau
Gratis Earn Their Pay" It quotes one of the
leaders of the movement, Clayton NJ Hoff,
who says: We've had the New Deal and
the Fair Deal. Call ours the Taxpayers
Deal"
The gist Of the story is that for years
the United States has witnessed costly