Evening star., 1953-05-20
Ridgwoy's Warning

General Ridgways congressional testimony
should have SOLDERING effect on all who are
toying with the extremely risky idea of cutting
down on President Eisenhower's request for $5.8
billion to carry on the Mutual Security Program
during the fiscal year beginning July /.
In asking for that sun-which is $18 bill
lion below the total of foreign aid recommended
in January by the Truman administration
the President has presented it as rock-bottom
minimum that cannot be cut further without
gambling with the safety of the United States
and the free world as whole. Even so, as if
beguiled by all the soft words that the Russians
have been speaking of late, more than a few
members of Congress regard it as too lavish,
and they seem intent upon slashing it.
Since the greater part of the $50 billion
is earmarked for the defensive build-up of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, such a
slash would in effect set back the Vests efforts
to develop the strength it must have to counter
the continuing threat of Soviet aggression.
General Ridgway has made clear how danger
GUS any economizing of that sort could be.
TeStifying as NATO's supreme commander-a
post he will leave in August to become our
Army Chief of Staf-he has emphasized that
our allied forces in Europe are still suffering
from major deficiencies and that our common
air power, in spite of Substantial gains in
numbers of aircraft and trained pilots" re-
mains "the weakest link in our defense"
Clearly If the United States and its 13
Atlantic allies are to achieve genuine mutual
security, they must overcome these present
weaknesses while at the same time pressing
for ratification of the treaty to organize the
projected European Defense Community and
its six-nation supranational army, including
the West Germans But all efforts in that di-
rection will be adversely affected If Congress
Slashes away at what the President has re-
quested. General Ridgway-who incidentally is
against any cut in our own Air Force that
might also mean a cut in NATO'S minimum
requirements-h left no room for doubt on
that score. Further to back up his point, he
has been at pains to declare that he has seen
no evidence of sincerity in Soviet peace talk.
Actually, as General Ridgway has testified,
the Atlantic alliance cannot afford to plan its
build-up operations in keeping with such talk.
Instead, it must gear those operations to the
fact that the Soviet military threat based on
capabilities has remained unchanged" That
is to say the Krenlin still has in readiness
among other thingS-175 ground divisions (22
in East Germany, 10000 front-line aircraft,
and $50 deadly submarines. Quite obviously,
as long as these forces continue poised for
action, the free nations no matter how soft
the words from Russia, must hold fast to their
common defensive effort. To do otherwise
would be to flirt with suicide.
Here is warning that ought to be taken
to heart by anybody who supposes that the
time is at hand when meat-ax economies can
be made with safety in enterprises like our
Mutual Security Program, not to mention our
armed forces Nothing in the international
outlook warrants such view; indeed, until the
Kremln concluSively demonstrates its good
faith, nothing will. That is the sum of the
present world situation.