davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Constantine Brown
Russia, China Gang Up on u. S.
Officials Believe Reds Are Ready to Force Showdo>
With Us on Issue of Fighting or Retreoting

If the Chinese Communists
decide to attack the National
ist-held islands which we con-
slider essential to the defenses
in the Pacific.
We are still seeking a cease
fire through the U. NJ, which
was created for such purposes.
But we will not curl up and
yield before the tactics of our
enemies. We are prepared to
listen patiently to all the verbal
assaults of the Reds for the
next few days or weeks. But
If during the yackety-yack
in New York the Communists
decide to attack islands we
consider essential to the de-
fense of Formosa, the 7th
Fleet is fully prepared to re-
taliate Immediately. To do
otherwise. say the men in
charge of our destinies. would
mean a far more difficult and
costly war sometime later.
The administration has be-
come truly convinced that any
further yielding to the diplo-
matte gangSterism of the Reds
would be fatal to the United
States and eventually to the
remaining free world.
Nobody in this country
wants another war. The period
of wars with lace cuffs" has
been over for many years. Our
position is that since VI day
the Reds have been pressing
us continuously by nibbling
here and there at the free
worlds defenses. We have now
reached the point where we
can't afford to tolerate any
further encroachments without
prejudicing our own security
and defense. This considera-
ton has been translated into
the authority given the Chief
Executive last week by Con-
gress to use the armed forces
if necessary in our most sensi-
tive defense area-the West
Pacific.
Whether the present bonn
bastic statements of Peiping,
supported fully by the Krem-
lin. mean a direct challenge to
this country will be seen soon.
Evening star., 1955-02-01

On health insurance. the adj
ministration proposal is a re-
volving fund from which the
Federal Government would re-
insure private and voluntary
health insurance plans so that
they could expand to take in
persons not now covered. You
will recall that a bill embody-
ing such a program was de-
feated in the 83d Congress in
the House by a strange coali-
ton. The votes that beat it
came, on the one hand. from
staunch conservatives who
complained that it was an
entering wedge to "socialized
medicine" a slogan spread
about by the American Medi-
cal Association and, on the
other, by more moderate and
progressive m m b ers who
claimed it did not go far
enough to be any real help.
In other words, it was caught
by an enfilade from right and
left. Both parties were split.
but more Democrats voted
against it than for it.
In the way the President,
in his message this week,
sought to meet some of the
objections of the progressivcs
OF both parties, it is manifest
that his political advisers be-
lieve the wisest strategy is to
please that element.
Their principal objections
were that the measure of last
year did not help those who
needed help most. They point
ed out the lack of any pro-
vision for special attention to
catastrophe Illness" that is,
serious illness of long dura-
ton which is such a finan-
cial drain on families of small
or modest income. Missing
also, in the view of critics.
was sufficient consideration for
insurance covering costs of
medical care in the home and
at physicians Offices for per-
sons OF low income. Emphasis
has been on hospital costs.
In his message this week
the President frankly recog-
nized that many policies Of
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Constantine Brown

Washington is in tently
watching developments at the
United Nations Security Coun-
Gil in New York and at the
conference of British Com
monweath Prime Ministers in
London.
The consensus of American
political and military policy
makers, regardless of the cor
or Of the glasses through which
they look at the present in
ternational crisis and regard
less of how they have in the
past considered our policies
toward China. is that Moscow
and Peiping have agreed to
gang up on us.
1t has become clear that
the Communist leaders wish
to press for a showdown either
by forcing us into a fight or
by compelling us to back down
and withdraw our support
from the Nationalist.
The overwhelming support
given President Eisenhower
last week by both houses of
. Congress to use force if neces-
sary to prevent Nationalist
China from falling into enemy
hands shows that we will not
yield to the mailed-fist policy
of the aggressors.
AS important as the con-
gressional votes is the un-
precedented volume of mail
received by Senators and Rep
resentatives urging them to
give the Commander in Chief
all the powers he needs to see
the country successfully
through the present impasse.
According to a preliminary
survey, the kilograms and
letters exceed those received at
the time of the dismissal of
Gen. Douglas Macarthur in
1851.
Our line of conduct in tie
present crisis was fixed by the
President after long consulta-
tion with his Secretary of
State. the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and congressional leaders. AS
of this writing, the decision has
been made to set our power in
motion in the Formosa Strait
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Fletcher Knebel-
Potomac Fever

Secretary Stevens defends cuts in the size Of the
Army American craftsmanship the Reds insist fight
ing little wars-weN fight em with little armies.
Ridgway kes reduction of the Army Phone
the Pentagon from the White House. "Co. Rdgway.
please Hello. Maj Ridgway?"
aid for health The best thing the
Government health quit undermining 1t
income tax time.
Supreme Court rules that pro baseball is sport but
boxing business The justices like the at ball
game but at prize fights they stand the racket.
Secretary the only solve the farm
problem people The trouble The
only heartily today is SO she
grow up fast and go diet.
The Chinese Reds threaten to stop from evacuang the
Tachen Islands What world Now the other wants to
fight privilege giving him real
estate.
the problem. It's easy
spot industrial these days know city is thriving
when you drive through it without seeing it.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Mock Battle in Alaska Ends:
Army Gets Vital Information

More than 1000 paratroopers
of the 503d Airborne Infantry
regiment from Camp Campbell,
KY, and hundreds of tons of
supplies and equipment were
parachuted to earth during the
maneuver.
Yesterday engineers Of the
503d completed construction of
the runway of the airfield en-
tirely from snow and brush rolled
fiat and frozen hard.
Exercise officials heaved a
sigh of relief yesterday when the
maneuver involving mass drops
of paratroopers concluded with
out either serious casualties or
fatalities.
There had been some concern
over the hazards of parachuting
men into this wild, white coun-
try in extreme cold.
Long range predictions had
been for weather ranging as cold
as SO degrees below zero, but as
it turned out the mercury never
skidded more than two or three
degrees below zero.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Thomas L. Stokes

The competition offered by
a Democratic Congress-with
its eyes on the 1856 election
obviously is responsible for a
shift in social welfare program
scheduling and plans of Pres
ident Eisenhower, who likewise
is conscious of the elections
two years hence.
In one case, we see a speed
up in school-building plans:
in the other, a liberalization of
the health insurance program.
In both the President is rec
ognizing the reliance the party
places upon him to dramatize
issues that are politically
potent by his example and
leadership. This the party in
Congress is now less able to
do. since it no longer has
direction of legislation there.
On one and the same day
this week, the President rec
commended to Congress a pro-
gram of Government reinsur-
ance of voluntary and private
health insurance plans which
goes further than that he SUBJ
mitted a year ago, which the
House Summarily defeated;
and he moved up to this week
the submission of his school,
building program which origi-
nally he had announced for
February Is.
His congressional leaders
conceded that the school,
construction program hurry
up was because Democrats al
ready had seized the initiative
on the school issue. Last week
Senator Hill, Democrat, of
Alabama. recognized champion
of public schools, had opened
hearings before the Senate
Labor and Welfare Committee,
of which he is chairman. There
one witness after another who
testified on bills by Senator
Hill and others for appropri-
ations for school construction
produced unfavorable publicity
for the administration by
pointing up the delay of the
administration in submitting
its own program.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Doris FLeeson-
Gen. Ridgwoy Speaks His Mind
Army Chief of Stoff Opposes Cutting Department Funds,
Realizing That in the Showdown It's the Doughboy

services. When President Tru-
man cut the Navy, the ad-
mirals. led by Admiral Rad
ford himself, mutinied. Air
Force Chief of Staff Vanden-
berg fought cuts in his service
against his former supreme
commander in Europe when in
the painful grip of cancer.
The Army generals are
known to feel that in the end
it always comes down to the
doughboy. now especially in
view of the known ambitions
Of Chang Kai-shek to return
to the China mainland. They
are deeply unhappy over
planned reductions and Gen.
Ridgway is said to have sent
the President an impassioned
letter of protest.
The Army Is unfortunate at
this moment in having a civil
ian Secretary whose prestige
Evening star., 1955-02-01
BY the Assoeioieci Press

TALKEETNA, Alaska, Feb. /.
"A mock battle for a temporary
airstrip constructed of snow and
brush as part of the Army's giant
cold-weather maneuver, Opera
ton SnoWbird," ended yesterday
with friendly forces" still in
possession of the field.
"Aggressor forces" seeking to
dislodge defenders of the small
makeshift field near this small
community, so miles north. of
Anchorage were close to the de-
fense perimeter when the phase
ended.
Actually there was no victory
or vanquished because the "bat-
tie" in the snow-filled Susitna
River Valley was a training exer-
else carried out in strict accord
ance with the Army's script.
Officials Said,' however, much
information valuable in planning
for actual combat operations in
the numbing cold and snow had
been gained.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Doris FIeeson-

Representative verton
Brooks is inclined to be wordy
but the question he put to
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway,
Army Chief of Staff, was plain
enough. Did the general feel,
in view of Red China's threats,
that it would jeopardize the
safety of the country to go
through with the planned re-
duction of the Army by 140,-
900 men?
Gen. Ridgway's hands had
hung quietly at his side as his
immediate superior, Army Sec
retary Stevens, sitting next to
him at the witness table, de-
Tended the cut. He clenched
them as Mr.. Brooks drove the
point home, softly uncurled
them as he answered quietly:
Il think we should not re-
duce the size of the Army"
The Congress at last had an
answer on the record to prove
the widely rumored story that
Gen. Ridgway felt that the
Army's commitments were out
growing the Army's capacity.
The general has been discreet,
but what he refused to say be-
fore Senate committees had
increased congressional anxi-
ETY..
Gen. Ridgway retreated to
the safer shelter of an execu-
tive session when Chairman
Carl Vinson pursued the mat
ter. The chairman said he
thought the country ought to
know what the Army'S COM
mitments are as Of now and
whether those commitments
can be met with the new pro-
gram. He promptly acceded,
however. to Gen. Ridgway's
plea to be heard privately on
that matter.
The Army Chief of STAFF is
In a most difficult position. He
has positive views born Of long
experience, including service
in Korea and as supreme COM
mander Of NATO. He Is i'm
pervious to the quick brilliance
and glamour of Admiral Ar
thur Radford, chairman Of the
Joint Chiefs. who has pushed
steadily for a harder policy in
the Pacific.
But Gen. Ridgway's Com
mander In Chief is the coun-
try's most famous soldier,
elected in part because Ameri-
cans trust his judgment in war
situations. Gen. Ridgway hap
pens also to be one Of the
career officers who feels that
too many career officers have
been essaying the role Of Mon
day morning quarterbacks to
the President.
Army discipline seems more
durable than that Of the other
Evening star., 1955-02-01

There are still some presiden-
tial counselors who honestly
believe that this attitude of the
enemy is rs per cent bluff and
that all the noise stirred up by
the Chinese Communists will
eventually die down provided
the U. N. agrees to give them
the much-coveted seat. The
majority of his advisers think
that the men in Peiping have
now gone too far to retreat
and might take an extremely
risky chance-risky particu-
larly to themselves. But their
final decision will depend to a
great extent on what indirect
encouragement (or lack of en-
couragement) they may re-
ceive from the prime minis
ters' conference in London.
Will Prime Minister Nehrus
of India be able to convince
his colleagues that "the em-
pire's best policy" is to pres
sure the United States into
giving up its security in the
Far East by yielding to the
Communist demands? Or will
the prime ministers adopt a
halfway course by attempting
to convince America to give
up the offshore Nationalist
held islands and eventually
create a new republic in For
mosa completely separate
from the Chinese Peoples Re-
public? Sir Anthony Eden has
spoken about this solution re-
peatedly to Secretary Dulles.
His suggestion has fallen on
unreceptive ears in Washing,
ton and has been in the last
few days violently rejected by
Peiping. which insists that it
will never tolerate the exist
ence of two Chinas."
Observers have been ac-
customed in the last decade
to see Washington's eyes
turned to London whenever
we wanted to act and not
merely talk. In this instance,
it is said. the administration
is anxious to obtain Britain's
approval, but would act re-
gardless of how our British;
ally may feel. 8.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Thonos [: Stokes
A Contest Among the Liberals
Democratic Congress, Eyeing 1855, Seen Response
For Reseheduinq School. Health Proqroms

fered today are limited In
scope" and "are principally
for hospitalized illness and for
relatively short periods Of
time" He recommended that
Govern ment re = insurance
should help voluntary and pri.s
vate insurance to expand so as
to provide protection against
the high costs of severe or pro-
longed illness" and also for
coverage of individuals and
families of average or lower.
income against medical care
costs in the homes and physi-
clans Office as we'll as in the
hospital" A third form of ex-
pansion required. he said. is
to cover more individuals and
families in rural areas.
The needs in the categorieS
he picked out may be illus
trated by a survey made by
Health Information Founda-
ton of New York. 1t shows,
for one thing, that only three-
tenths of / per cent of our.
population is now covered for
major medical expense pro-
lection" For another, that
only Al per cert OF families
with incomes under $4,000
have some type of health in
surance, while 80 per cent Of
families with incomes of over
$4,000 have some sort of
coverage. Though 81 million
people. or ST per cent of our
population. over all, have some
hospital insurance. the survey
revealed that there are rela-
lively few people with COM
plete coverage. Only As per
cent of families In rural farm
areas are enrolled in some
type OF health insurance plan.
as compared with 10 per cent
IN urban areas. =
Mr.. Eisenhower did not
mention financing in his mes
sage this week, but his budget
submitted earlier carried $25
million, the same as last year,
for a revolving fund. That was
assailed last year as much too
low. The Presidents plan also
was criticized on the ground it
would operate chiefly in favor
OF insurance companies.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Gov. Leader 10 Fly Here
For Convention AppeaI

HARRISBURG. Pa, Feb. L.
Gov. George M. Leader viii fly to
Washington tonight to make a
personal appeal for Philadelphia
as the site Of the 1856 Demo-
cratic National Convention and
to confer with Pennsylvania
delegation in Congress.
The new Democratic Governor
viii return to Harrisburg Thurs
day night.
Gov. Leader will speak at
pm. tomorrow at luncheon in
the Statler Hotel. sponsored by
Representative Francis Walter,
Democrat, of Pennsylvania. On
Thursday. he will meet with
Evening star., 1955-02-01

has been fatally damaged, not
because he was attacked by
Senator Mccarthy, but by his
own failure to emerge as a
hard and knowing fighter. The
members of the House Armed
Services Committee were polite
to Mr.. Stevens, but they were
all too plainly intending to rely
on Gen. Ridgway for the Army
story with the bark off.
The veteran Armed Services
chairman. Mr.. Vinson, has
watched the United States get
into three wars for which it
was not adequately prepared.
He proposes to support the
President, but he is taking
nothing for granted from a
Defense Department whose
head, Secretary Wilson, only
last week described the For
mosa situation as "just a
ripple" in defense preparations.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Reds 'Nibb|e' Policy Explained
Former Fomoson Governor Feels West Misses the Point
In Trying Contoinnent and Coexstence as Solutions

Council seat?' That will raise
another question. Naturally,
'neutrals' will try to get them
seated In the Security Council.
And, in the meantime, they
still will keep on fighting. but
fighting not SO much as to in
volve you directly in war
they will fight in Tachen. they
will take Tachen, they will
probably lombard Quemoy,
and all that. They will con-
tinue fighting at the same
time, but not major fighting
as a war.
"Once they get into the Sc
curity Council of the U. NJ,
then they will say: We can
not agree with the idea of sep
arate government in Formosa
to have two ChinaS. For
mosa has always been part of
the territory of China. For
mosa by the Cairo agreement
is a part of the territory of
China. We cannot agree to
that-this two-China idea
Then, of course. by having
themselves admitted into the
United Nations and seated as
a Security Council member,
they deal a mortal blow to the
prestige of Nationalists any,
way. BY this time / think
that, due to some 'neutrals,'
some governments will begin
to think it is better perhaps
to have Formosa in the
United Nations trusteeship.
But Red China will still not
agree to that They will still
say. we cannot have Formosa
as a United Nations trustee
Ship And somebody will sug-
gest that perhaps it's best to
have a United Nations trustee
ship, with Red China having a
major participation in that.
trusteeship. The Reds still
will not agree even then. Then
probably some people will go
further and say: Maybe a
plebiscite should be held in
Formosa to decide whether
Formosa should be under a
trusteeship.'
@. The final suggestion will
be plebiscite?
"a. Yes. And maybe-it will
depend on circumstances
maybe by that time Red China
will agree. You see, in that
case they gain Formosa with
out a fight"
Mr.. WI feels that the West
ern world misses the point
again and again in dealing
with the Chinese Communists
on a policy based on contain
ment" or peaceful coexist-
ence." His main thesis is that
the free nations will not make
much progress until they adopt
a policy of struggle" against
the Communists formula for
conquering the world. He feels
that Great Britain must come
to see the Importance of stand
ing firmly with the United
States in the Far East. He
blames England's hesitant at
titude to some extent on her
interest in retaining Hong
Kong, but he believes that
over and above this, Great
Britain will have to side with
America eventually in any
showdown in the Far East or
be prepared to see all of South
east Asia with its valuable
resources. including British
Malaga, go to the Communists.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
Evening star., 1955-02-01
Credit Buying Peak
Hit in December
By the Asaocioted Press

Buying on credit increased
sharply in the last month Of
1854 to a new record but the M
crease in consumer debt last
year was far less than the credit
booms of 1852 and 1858, the Fed
eral Reserve Board reported yes
terday.
Total individual debt for credit
purchases increased during De-
cember by 1915 million, the Re-
serve Board said. That was
sharply higher than the $777
million increase in buying on the
cuff during December, 1858.
when the business downturn Of
l953-54 was in full swing.
But consumer debt increased
during the IL months of 1854
by only $3.50 million, compared
with $4,359. 900 900 in 1862 and
$3,710. 900 900 in 1858.
At the end of December th2
public was In debt for goods and
services a new record total Of
$30.125. 100000. the report said.
Evening star., 1955-02-01
David lawrence

Exactly what is going to
happen in the next few months
in the game being played by
Red China and Soviet Russia
in the Far East has just been
outlined by one of the best
posted men on Chinese affairs
in the world today. He is K.
c. WI, until a year and half
ago Governor of Formosa and
once the right-hand man Of
Chang Kai-shek. He sees as
the ultimate outcome the &C
QUESTION of Formosa by Red
China without a war or any
major fight because, he thinks.
the allies not only have been
entrapped already but are
likely to continue to be as the
Reds formula unfolds.
Mr.. WI in 1853 broke with
Chang Kai-shek and came to
America, where he had spent
his student days at Grinnell
College. Iowa. and later at
tended the graduate college of
Princeton University. He is not
pro-Chiang but ardently anti
Communist and speaks forth
rightly on the China situation.
The predictions made by Mr..
WI have come true in part
already in the last few days.
Last Thursday he gave to the
editors of U. S. News & World
Report copyrighted inter-
view. some of the prophecies
in which, before it could even
be published this week. have
already been borne out. He
said, for example, that Soviet
Russia would go Immediately
to the U. N. Security Council
and call the United States an
aggressor, and this develop
ment has just happened. He
said that influential groups
would call for a "two-China"
settlement. and only this week
Justice Douglas of the Su-
preme Court of the United
States has added his voice to
those of prominent officials in
Europe who believe that. by
making Formosa independent
and recognizing Red China.
the Far Eastern problem will
be solved.
Mr.. WI, however, thinks
that it's all game whereby
the Communists in China will
acquire FormoSa without a
fight. He sees no danger Of
war. because the Communists
can get their objective more
easily by negotiation.
He said in his interview that
Red China has always had a
formula of fight and nego-
tiate." He added:
They tthe Communist Chi
nese), under the guidance and
membership of Moscow, think
they can win this game in For
mosa by this flghting-a and
negotiating process.
Nov. just to analyze the
events of the last few months:
Last September they started
to talk about the liberation of
Formosa. And then up to
December they realized they
couldn't do very much by
fighting. They had been en-
gagged only in the lombard
ment of Quemoy and the ex-
change of a few air raids
that's all. It had its nuisance
value. but they couldn't do
very much. And so they finally