The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-03-20
Dulles Explains Eisenhower's
"NewLook" military Program
BY JACK BELL


to fights the key to President
Eisenhower's NEW look" military
program.
The secretary of state, testifying
yesterday before the Senate For
eign Relations Committee, also put
into focus his ideas about presi-
Dental powers to take the country
into war without prior action by
Congress.
Dulles said, in effect:
1. The President has the right
under the Constitution to act Gin
the interests of the United States"
2. How he shall act in an en-
Urgency is a matter for his judg-
ment, and in deciding he may
take into account the fact that
there are treaties, like the North
Atlantic Pact.
5. Congress would be consulted
h there were time.
4. In any case, Congress, the
public and the President are likely
to be in agreement on any defense
action taken.
S. 1.-THE heart Of the thing is that
we can make aggression so ex-
pensive to the aggreSSor that It
would not be worth while"
After the three-hour question and
answer session in which Dulles par
ticipated, Sen. Mansfield (D-Mont)
who did much of the questioning,
said he was still confused about
the policy of massive retaliation"
mentioned earlier by Dulles and
other administration spokesman as
1 key point IN the nations new
military planning.
His explanation Of the Presidents
discretionary power" was ap-
plauded as Every heartening"
last night by Lester B. Pearson,
Canadian minister of external af-
fairs, who had said in a speech
here Monday that his government
and other North Atlantic Pact Al
lies must be consulted before the
United States decides to retaliate
against any foe.
Pearson said in Chicago Dulles
statement was what we had hoped
we would hear"
"Of course" he continued, 1--WE
know that if there is an attack on
the United States, there are not
going to be any consultations. But
we had always believed that Mr..
Dulles meant in the first place that
there would be consultations
If a situation arose involving the
North Atlantic Treaty"
Dulles had told the Senate COM
mittee earlier no foreign govern
ment had complained about his
speech Jan. IL outlining the new
military attitude of the United
States.
The "new look" military pro-
gram has been under fire from
such Democrats as Adlai E.
Stevenson, the party's 1882 presi-
dental nominee. Stevenson Sug-
geSted that Dulles announcement
of it might encourage the Com
munists to "nbble away" the free
world in small bites, none so big
that the United Safes would under
take to stop it with the sort of
retaliation that would start an
atomic world world.
Dulles said the military policy
Il mot a new policy at all so
far as / am concerned" and in
volved no abrupt, revolutionary
change" in the military lineup
but rather a buildup of air and
new weapons strength.
He said selectivity was the key
TO achieving security at less cost
than merely meeting the enemy
where he attacks"
As an example, he said that it
the Communists resume agrees
sion in Korea, the military will
ask the President what policies
would govern retaliation.
One way to meet the attack,
he said, was to build up great
ground strength in Korea. Another
way, he said, would be to knock
out airfields and industrial capac-
ity beyond the Yalu.
He said that in the administra-
tons conception, what should be
created to meet new aggression
in Korea was a force that was
completely moble-one that with
in hours could be equally available
for use half way around the world,
rather than a great force" that
would be tied down in Korea.
Pressed as to what the United
States would do if Communist
China moves to the attack in
Indochina, Dulles said that under
present conditions it would not use
atomic weapons there. He said il
would rely primarily on air and
naval power.
But he maintained his previous
position that the United States
would not be confined to acting
alone in Indochina, but might
select other targets, if the Chinese
Communists went into that coun-
Try.
Dulles told the committee that
the President should consult Con.
gress before moving to help q
North Atlantic Treaty Organiza.
ton (NATO) country which had
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