Evening star., 1953-08-11
The Boyonet Still Counts

If Russia really has built or soon will build
the H-bomb, one of our most cherished, most
comforting and possibly most self-deceptive
assumptions necessarily goes out the window.
It is to this general effect: We cannot hope
to match the Communist world with military
manpower. The fanatical millions at their dis
posal would make it suicidal for us to attempt
to fight on the ground outside this continent
with land armies. Our hope therefore lies in
acquiring and maintaining overwhelming SUI
periority in new weapons-the A-bomb and the
H-bomb-to the end that Russia with its huge
land forces would be afraid to start q war and
faced, If it should do so, with the prospect of
total destruction. $50 81
This, for a time, was a valid assumption.
But it began to lose its validity when we first
learned that the Russians had conducted an
atomic explosion. And If the Russians have
manufactured an H-bomb, or il they will be
able to produce it within few years, the
assumption becomes almost wholly invalid.
The reason is simple enough. No doubt we
have many more A-weapons than the Russians
And If we wish to make the effort, 1t is quite
probable that we can continue to have more
A-weapons and more H-weapons. But the point
will be reached when our margin Of Stockpile
superiority will become meaningless. For on
the day when the Russians have produced
enough atomic and hydrogen weapons to de-
stroy every important target in the United
States it will be of little advantage to us to
have three or four times as many weapons. We
would need more weapons, for profitable tar
gets in the United States are relatively con-
centrated while in Russia they are relatively
dispersed. The point is however, that there
will be no assured security in mere superiority
in number of weapons, once the Russians have
Stockpied enough to destroy the targets they
want to destroy in this country.
Suppose, when that point Is reached, the
Russians move with conventional ground forces
into, say Iran, or the Chinese with Russian sup
port into Indo- China. Would responsible Gov
ernment in this country strike with A-weaponS
or H-weapons against the Russians knowing
that they had the capacity to retaliate in kind
against our own homeland? Or would the Gov
ernment conclude that the conquest of Iran or
of some other country was not enough to justify
action which almost certainly would result in
the deaths Of millions of American civilians,
the destruction of most of our cities and per-
haps irreparable damage to our economy?
The answer would seem to be more or less
self-evident. Once both we and the Russians
have ample stores Of these frightful weapons,
plus the capacity to deliver them, q kind Of
stalemate will be reached For neither side,
except in extremity, would be willing to accept
the risk of using them. And this in turn could
easily mean that the slogging foot soldier with
the weapons that served him in World War II
may once again emerge as the supreme arbiter
of battle. There is always the chance, of course,
that means of defense will be developed which
will make it impossible to deliver the weapons
of mass destruction But until that time arrives
we ought not to assume that chronological
superiority win serve to keep the Communist
world in check. If we assume that it will, we
may be in for a very rude awakening.