Evening star., 1954-05-29
Admiral Corney's Warning

Admiral Corney's Worning
Admiral Carney, Chief of Naval Operations
has not sugar-coated anything in his New York
address to the National Security Industrial
Association. On the contrary, against the back
ground Of the Geneva negotiations and the
French Unions deteriorating military position
In Wet Nam, he has given voice to some of the
grimmest and most somber words yet heard on
the subject OF Indo-C China and its grave impli-
cations for the United States and the entire free
world.
The words moreover, are especially stgnifi-
cant and authoritative because they have been
cleared through the highest channels here in
gton-which means that they undoubt-
edly reflect the thinking of President Esen-
hover and his top military and foreign-policy
advisers. Accordingly. even though It Is far
from pleasant to contemplate such depressing
things, all Americans have reason to weigh most
carefully and most soberly the following warn
ing from Admiral Carney:
The threats to our security that have
confronted us In the past were trivial COM
pared to the threat that faces this country
today. This is neither alarmist nor jingoist
talk nor is 1t a prediction that the holocaust
will come tomorrow. It's merely the belief
of an American citizen who is convinced that
realized or sooner than we're ready to face up
to. 80. If the free world loses Indo-C China can
any thinking person possibly convince himself
that this is the last step? It would be
wfully blind man indeed who failed to see
and admit that the danger is imminent and
it's increasing swiftly.
In sounding this alarm, Admiral Carney
speaking as member Of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
has strongely emphasized his personal con-
x,ic hat fbn ~
ton will not be ended by possible "ephemeral"
agreement at Geneva or by such measures as
Thailands proposal to have the United Nations
send peace observation" team to Southeast
Asia. Much more than that is needed. For it
is sheer wishfulness, in the admiraps judgment,
to imagine that the Kremlin and its Cocoon
SpiratorS-in view of their unbroken record of
bad faith and their relentless drive for global
omination-wiu be deferred by mere talk or
negotiation from reaching forward" in Indo-
China and beyond in accord with their persist
ent and continuing attempts, by one means or
another, to take over every nation in the world"
What, then, does Admiral Carney advocate?
Although he has not spelled out the answer in
detail, he believes that our country-just as in
the case of Korea, but with an even greater
sense OF urgency-muSt be prepared now ito
make determinations and decisions" to fight, if
HeeQ De, 10 prevent Cne soviet empire from
acquiring additional gains that would tip the
international balance Of power heavily against
us. However, in keeping with the conditions
laid down by President Eisenhower and Secre-
tary Of State Dulles, he has emphasized that
action in this matter-as "of this time" at least
must be taken not by the United States alone
but by the entire community of free nations.
Further, as he has put it, IF effective resistance
that's political and/or military--is to be
organized in any part Of the world, 1t can only
be done with the whole-hearted consent of
the populations that are involved"
Thus, although he has strongly suggested
that events may soon warrant armed American
intervention in Indo-China, Admiral Carney has
plainly indicated that such Intervention would
be out of the question unless it were sanctioned
by the U. N. majority and requested by France
and the Associated States. In addition, as for
safeguarding the rest Of Southeast Asia, he has
left little or no room for doubt that the job
must be done through an alliance comparable
to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In any event, conditions to one side, Ad-
miral Carney has appealed eloquently to the
American people and all like minded peoples to
wake up to the great danger before them and
to grid themselves now-before it is too late
to meet it head on. Failing that the free world
will be flirting with catastrophe and suicide.