Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-16
Some Hope in 1t

AS indicated by Secretary of State
Dulles, the Western powers must greet
with large measure of reServe-even
If with some mingled feelings of cautious
optimiSm-the Kremlin'S announcement
that RuSsia'S armed forces will be reduced
by IL million men between now and next
May l.
Worth noting, for example, is the
fact that the announcement itself is
loaded with Misunderstanding disarma-
ment propaganda obviously designed to
diScredit and weaken the United States
anditS allies before the eyes of the world,
especially in the so-called "neutralist" or
"uncommitted" countries. Further, in
view of the Kremlin's build-up of nuclear
and thermonuclear striking power, the
projected cuts (whoSe verification is not
assured) apparently do little more than
reflect the atomic modernization OF
Soviet military might.
In that sense, and not counting the
European satellite divisions or Red
China's huge armies, there certainly is
little reason to suppose that the reduc-
tionS-whens and if carried out-will
lessen the Kremlin's war-making poten-
tial against the West. On the contrary,
in Mr.. Dulles words, large numbers of
the men to be demobilized can readily be
shifted to factories producing atomic and
other weapons, and thus they may actu-
ally contribute more to Russia'S armed
power than if they remained in uniform
and just stood around doing guard duty.
However, regardless of these and SIM
liar reservations it would be serious
miStake-particularly from the stand
point of world propaganda-to shrug of
the Soviet announcement in completely
negative spirit. Although it's precise sig
nif1cance Is far from clear, it surely means
something something better than If the
Kremlin had made no such statement at
all or had instead proclaimed an inten-
ton to expand its military establishment.
The development, of course, does not
justify the slightest relaxation in our
American and allied defensive efforts at
this time, but nevertheless it looks like
a promising step in the right direction,
and Senator Walter George has offered
wise counsel in declaring that it fought
not to be hastily dismissed without care
full evaluation."
In any such evaluation, two impor-
tant possibilities, among others, deserve
consideration. One of these is that the
post-Stalin Soviet regime may have de-
cided on the new military cut after hav-
ing firmly concluded that it is in no
danger of being attacked and that any
attempt on its part to strike at the West
would be suicidal folly. And the second
possibility is this: That serious discon-
tent and unrest among the Russian
people-who have long been suffering
from farm deficiencies, lack of consumer
goods, and shortages of productive man
power-may have neceSsitated the de-
mobilization move so as to supply the
labor needed for big expansion of what
Moscow calls peaceful" industrial and
agricultural output.
If factors like these have constituted.
latest development in changing Russia,
the world at large may well feel encour-
aged. For in that case, especially if the
men of the Kremlin face domestic sit
uation urgently demanding a marked
increase in nonmilitary production, then
patient negotiation should be able to
promote slow but sure progress toward
vital political settlements, effective arms
control and a genuinely trustworthy
peace. Whatever else may be said of it,
the Soviet announcement tends to
support hope on that score.