Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-20
Warming From Moscow


to discount as mere bombast or bluff
what Defense Minister Zhukov and Dep
uty Premier Mikoyan have said about the
Soviet Unions ability to heap atomic
hydrogen devastation on our country
with planes, rockets or mighty guided
missiles"
Essentially the same point has been
made In the past by other Soviet spokes-
men, but never so emphatically or so con-
f1dently as now For the Zhukov and
Mikoyan addresses to the Communist
Party Congress have unqualiiedly, and
almost exultantly, warned the United
States to remember that 1t no longer
enjoys the protection once accorded 1t
by the expanSes Of the Atlantic and Pa
ciflc. In short, with incidental propa-
ganda aimed at driving wedges between
us and our allies, they have served notice
that II we should ever 60 to war against
the USSR, all our great cities would i'm
mediately become targets for annihilating
attacks. And the attacks would be car
ried out not merely by manned Russian
bombers, but also by unpiloted long-range
devices. including presumably the So
called "ICBM" or intercontinental bal
listic missile.
However, although it certainly is too
solidly based to be minimized, this warn
ing-which in effect amounts to Soviet
style version of our own Governments
policy Of massive retaliation" to deter
major Red aggression-ought not to
cause any undue excitement or consterna-
ton in the free world. Why, for exam
pie, should Americans be startled to learn
that they are no longer safeguarded by
the oceans? Or why should 1t come as
a shock to hear that the Russians would
be capable Of smashing at our cities in
the event of war? The fact is, of course,
that these obvious and undeniable reali-
ties have been reckoned with-and
in all the defensive planning and opera
tions that have been undertaken for
years past by the United States and its
allies
BY coincidence, almost simultane-
ously with publication Of the Zhukov and
Mikoyan speeches, a House Appropria-
tions subcommittee has released some
highly pertinent testimony given recently
by Air Force Secretary Quarles. Although
disputed in part by such other experts as
Trevor Gardner, Mr.. Quarles' views are
reassuring. He believes, for one thing.
that the United States Is probably well
ahead of Russia" In the guided missiles
race as a whole, and he argues per-
suasively that the Kremlin, even II al
ready equipped with 1,500-mile ballistic
weapon (Which he apparently doubts,
has achieved no significant advantage In
the present military balance. Further, In
terms of both offense and defense over
the next i've or ten years, he holds that
our country will definitely be second to
none as far as the "ICBM" is concerned,
and his judgment is that our air strength
will meanwhile remain formidable enough
to deter the Soviets from starting global
war.
Accordingly, assuming that Mr..
Quarles is right, the -Mikoyan line
even though 1t may seem ominous In
some respects-should cause no excessive
alarm. Indeed, to the extent that 1t may
reflect a genuine Soviet awareness OF the
utter unprofitability of atomic hydrogen
warfare, it can even be interpreted as
holding out the hope that the Kremlin
may yet be willing to negotiate decent
and enduring peace with the free world.