Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-19
Insurance Policy

PreS1QenGS open SKIES plan can DC
applied effectively enough to give both
Russia and the United States an insur-
ance policy that "could practically guar
antee that no surprise attack would be
launched of SUFFICIENT magnitude to de-
stroy either side"
This is the carefully considered opin-
ion of Admiral Radford, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. Moreover, judging
from the testimony he and Defense
Secretary Wilson have just given to a
Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee
on Disarmament, it is an opinion fully
shared by the Nations other top military
authorities.
Of course, as Admiral Radford has
declared to the subcommittee, there can
be no absolute guarantee" But he is
convinced, on the basis of exhaustive
Pentagon studies, that the Presidents
plan has been refined and perfected to
the point where its thorough application
would rule out the danger-for the
Russians as we'll as for ourselves-of
genuinely decisive surprise atomic-hydro-
gen attack. In short, it would serve as an
international alarm system sufficiently
eff1caciouS to prevent a knockout assault;
it would do SO by making clear to the po-
tential aggressor that any such assault
would "only bring retaliation and self
destruction" And that in itself would
be potent deterrent greatly minimizing,
if not eliminating altogether, the threat
of about war.
Accordingly, as restated by Admiral
Podford tho procidonttc Y,1on coils for
three major types of action. First of all,
the United States and the Soviet Union
would have to carry out an exchange of
complete military blueprints covering
such things as the deployment of their
armed forces and the location of their
chief airf1eldS and submarine bases. Next,
the two countries would establish SyS-
tenn of continuous reciprocal aerial sur
Vigilance over each others territories
including their facilities in allied coun-
trieste verify certain types of informa-
ton and guard against violations and
evasions. And third, in line with the
Kremlin's own proposal, there would be
ground inspection teams-Americans in
Russia, and Russians in America-to keep
an eye on key railroad functions, seaports
and similar strategic points.
AS President Eisenhower wrote in his
most recent letter to Soviet Premier Bull
ganin, the effectuation of such an elab-
crate and unprecedented plan unques-
tionably would run into many big OBJ
StacleS. But the obstacles would be def
nitely surmountable, and once the project
were put into operation action could then
be taken-with proper Safeguards-to halt
the output of nuclear weapons and work
out arrangements under which all pro-
duction of fashionable materials anywhere
in the world would be devoted exclusively
to peaceful purposes. And thereafter, in
due course, the way would be open to
general arms limitation and control of
sort that would give the world gen.
timely trustworthy peace.
All this will be high on the agenda
OF the six-power United Nations Disarm-
ament Subcommittee resuming negotia-
tons today in London. An overwhelming
majority Of the U. N. has already Endorsed
the basic "open skies" idea, and the Krem-
lin itself has indicated that it may be less
opposed to it now than heretofore. Ger
tainly, if the final Soviet response is
affirmative, mankind will have good cause
to be hopeful.