Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-12
By SAMUEL S. sTRATToN


Berlin is fantastic city. Four
days there and I came away con-
Yinced that the status quo can be
beautiful. I returned not only
impressed by the high degree of
training of our troops in Ger
many, but also by the obvious fact
that the American policy of stand
ing firm is the soundeSt possible
policy and is in fact already pay
ing dividends.
There's far less agitation about
the Berlin crisis in Berlin than in
Washington. But this calmneSS is
no accident. 1t is based first on a
conviction that America means
what it says about standing firm.
Already Berliners are convinced
the May q deadline set by Soviet
Premier Nikita Khrushchev will
pass without anything unusual
happening.
That doesn't mean that the
Berlin crisis will be over. But. it
does mean that the firm United
States position has already forced
an adjustment in Soviet policy
and has at the very least post
poned any actual showdown. AS
far as Berliners are concerned
every extra week of living success
fully under Soviet pressure with
out cracking is another step in
the right direction.
Also behind this unexpected
calmness in Berlin, as we found,
are some of the finest fighting
troops that America has stationed
anywhere in the world.
Essential Shield
We saw these troops, talked with
them, and watched them carry out
their combat maneuyers, not only
the two battle groups located in
side West Berlin, but also the five
American divisions poised along
the Iron Curtain line in West
Germany and ready to go, if, as
they say in Europe. "the balloon
goes up"
These ground troops are per-
forming a highly essential fune-
ton in West Germany as impor-
tant elements of our so-called
NATO shield" Their job is to
keep the .Soviets from overrun-
ming Germany in the event of war
until we can bring our superior
nuclear power to bear against an
aggressor.
I came back from Berlin Just a
bit concerned about what the cur
rent efforts to economic in the
field of national defense might do
to those NATO shield forces.
Certainly we can't possibly permit
any reduction in American forces
in Western Germany now. what
ever happens to overall Army
strengths. Many of us were frankly
disturbed to learn that budget
cutting at home already has forced
some reduction in the regular
training alertS and maneuvers Of
, these forces. which is, in my
judgment. considering the cir
cumstances, a very dangerous
brand Of economy. Even our
normal rotation policy has created
some problems: for example, when
a large number of trained soldiers
wind up their two-year hitch to-
gether and move back home to
civilian life. New men are moved
in quickly to take their place, Of
course. but there is still an un-
comfortable delay before the unit
as whole can be brought back
up to the same combat-ready
pitch.
For myself. I'd feel a lot better,
and think some Of our field COM
manders would too, if we had at
least one and maybe two more
American divisions in West Ger
many as strategic reserve. II our
ground forces are going to play
any role in our defense picture,
Europe Is the place they are most
likely to play it. Five American
divisions, even highly trained. still