The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1956-01-14

By NEAL STANFORD of c. S. Monitor
Washington
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose"
writes Shskespeare-or it the Earl of Oxford? But
let's get into that argument will get
with the subject of this Intimate Message-which is
Moscow's semancs, the Kremlin's numbers game.
The Sovies claim they have their military
budget Sa per cent; reports have them claiming
a 10 per cent reduction. Whichever it makes good
headlines in the U.SS.R., alongside the United States
that Uncle Sam uppng his defense budget about
two billion dollars.
If it only true
The trouble is the Soviets citing figures that
don't mean anything Their figures need to be inter-
preted But it's practically impossible to interpret them
with complete accuracy since the Sovies won't disclose
the key However, Washington knows several ways that
the Soviet figures misleading.
For example, just for argument let's suppose the
Sovets have their military budget But earlier this
year they proudly announced they had by decree,
Substantially reduced all wholesale prices. That Of
made the ruble valua ble-made it buy sub.
stantially" more. Thus they getting bang
per ruble of archaeological progress Though that
may be so, oo), but of deflaton 1t is not only
conceivable but quite probable then, that the in
Soviet defense figures than made up by the cut
in Soviet prices that preceded IT, One washes the other
out
Then there is the question of what the Soviets put
in a military budget. They don't tell. And they don't
have congressional committees that force it out of
willing bureaucrats So their military budgets lit
tle if anything without key. Do they unpaid
slave labor for military consruction-and to what
tent? Do they include atomic and guided missile
search and development in their defense budget? Do
they count veterans pensions defense does
the United States? Do they include power and trans
portaon costs-which is government business anyway
L.
thing?
You have to have the not only to these ques-
ons but many others before the Soviet defense figures
can mean anything. But these the very subjects
the Reds guard with their lives Yet they play up the
defense figures if they proved something Accord.
ing to Moscow they prove that the US.SR is the
worlds greatest peaceover, while the United States is
the worlds top warmonger.
Any way you take these Soviet figures they are de-
ceptive. But there way they may be less deeep
tive than others Regardless of the value of the ruble,
the cut in Soviet prices here is comparison that
means somethng-at least gives something hang
estimate Presumably in the peak of the war the
Sovies running big military budget they
coud-just the United States. In 1944 the peak
war-spendng year, the Soviets put about 3S billion
rubles into military expenditures. In that same year
the United States defense budget Of $SO-odd-bl-
lion.
DEFENSE SPENDING is DOWN TO AROUND $685.
000, GOO, 600; SOVIET DEFENSE COSTS ARE DOWN
TO 102, 900 100000 rubles. THE CUT IN UNITED
STATES DEFENSE SPENDING FROM THE WAR
TIME PEAK is ABOUT TWO THIRDS; THE CUT
IN SOVIET DEFENSE SPENDING FROM THE WAR
TIME PEAK is ABOUT 20 PER CENT. THAT CON-
PARISON, BETTER THAN ANY DOLLAR OR RU-
BILE FIGURES SHOWS WHO HAS CUT DEFENSE
COSTS MOST THESE 10 YEARS AND WHO HAS
DISARMED MOST.
The Soviet 10 per cent cut in its burset is a
juicy morsel to spread round the world for
purposes-snd don't think they are not doing il "a
hours day. But the fact remains that that 10 per
cent figure means nothing-yes nothing without a
key And the Soviets refuse let anyone have the kew
So the Kremlin cite figures for its purpose
And one can be as meaningless as the other-and as
dangerous to the unwary.