Evening star., 1952-09-21
PiecemeaI Red Gains
Greater Threat Than
Attack, CED Reports
By jones E. Roper

The Committee for Economic
Development reported last night
that the greatest threat to Amer
lean security during the next few
years is the possibility Of piece
meal Communist gains rather
than a deliberate attack.
The committee. q business
mems group. said further losses
to Communism could undermine
the free worlds morale.
This deterioration could lead
in a few years to q serious dan
ger of general war and even to
a situation in which we might be
in danger Of losing a war with
the Soviet Union." said CED.
This, rather than the delib-
crate initiation Of general war by
the Soviet Union appears to be
the greatest and most probable
danger to our aims during the
next few years."
80 Worked on Report.
This appraisal Of Americas
global situation came from the
CEDs Research and Policy Com
mittee under the Craftsmanship
of Meyer Kestnbaum. president
Of Hart, Schaffner & Marx.
Thirty-eight business and indus
trial leaders helped prepare the
report.
It said Russia's goal Is world
empire. Opposing this, the re-
port. said, is the American pro-
gram Ito build a just and stable
peace, and to help create the
world political and economic order
on which peace depends"
provided our military prepa-
rations are adequate and provided
we strengthen our allies and
friends" the report said. cit
seems reasonable to assume that
the Soviet Union will not, during
the next few years, deliberately
choose general war as the pre-
ferred means Of achieving its aim.
Much more likely is a Soviet
policy Of continuous political ac-
ton, propaganda. localized ag-
gression and subverSion. designed
to demoralize the free world.
Path for U. S. Suggested.
CED suggested that the way to
deter the Soviet from starting
either little wars or a big war
was for the United States to:
/. Give clear-cut guarantees
that the United States will fight,
if necessary. to defend strategi-
cally vital areas"
2. Build great power to dam
age by strategic bombardment the
SovietS' industrial capacity and
to make American industrial
power relatively much less vul-
nerable."
3. "Create and maintain United
States and allied forces large
enough to hold essential bases in
Europe, Asia and Africa during
the initial phase Of a possible
war;,
4. Expand and convert indus
trial capacity, train workers, and
do the many other things neces-
sary to create a broad United
States and allied mobilization
base" ;.t
S. do the research and devel-
opment necessary to keep ahead
of the Soviets in the technolog-.
ical race"
On; Economic, Political Front.
The economic and political
steps proposed by CED were more
controversial. They included:
l. Maintain a high and stable
level Of employment in the Unit
ed States, without further infla-
tion."
2. Strengthen the political,
economic and military organiza-
tion of the Atlantic Community"
3. "Liberalize American import
and commercial policies"
4. Strengthen governments in
Asia Gncluding the Middle East)
to improve their administrative
capacity and to supply them with
the technical assistance and the
foreign capital they need for eco
nomic growth" r
CED believed the American
economy can well stand the bur-
den of present military expendi-
lures if the Government makes
sure that waste is eliminated, and
If the people are willing to accept
"a somewhat slower growth inl
living standards" It also warned
that other free nations have to
do their part.