Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-09
By Benz PRICE
Associated Press STAFF Writer


STUTTGART. - The greatest
peacetime field army in United
States history is standing watch
east of the Rhine River
This is no cream-puff army.
1t is lean. hard and able to fight
at the sound of a hostile bolt
click.
Further, the United States 7th
Army - five full divisions and
three beefed-up armored cavalry
regiments-is the only effective
ground force eXtant today for
the defense of Central Europe in
an atomic war.
Nevertheless, a four-week tour
of United States military posts
in Europe and consideration of
the present state of Europe's de-
lenses suggests that the presence
of the It'll Army is more political
than military.
The It'll Army represents a
visible reminder to the Europeans
that the United States will not
abandon the continent to Soviet
aggression.
There are 100000 men in the
7th Army, equipped and trained
to fight an atomic war. They
face at least 20 Russian divisions
100000 mem similarly trained
and equipped and IA Czecho-
slovakian divisions Q70,000 mem.
The TocticoI Considerations
But if United States policy is
one of massive retaliation for
any act of aggression on the part
of the Soviets, then the 7th Army
is too large. 1t wouldn't be
needed.
And if the United States an
ticipated a war in which only
tactical atomic weapons would
be used, then the conclusion
seems equally unacceptable that
the 7th Army is too small.
I tried these conclusions on a
colonel in operations at United
States Army headquarters in
Heidelberg with the observation
that perhaps was being pessi-
mistic. His reply: You gre
simply being realistic"
In any case, Gen. Clyde Edd =
man, commander of United Sta Is
Army forces in Europe, said In
an interview that even if the
worst happened and war came,
I'VE can maintain our tactical
integrity"
AS the 7th Army is now con-
stituted, there is Scant doubt
that it could put up a terrific
battle, atomic or otherwise. An
enemy ground force might go
around this Army, but it won't 60
through it.
The 7th Army acts precisely
Ike front-line army during a
lull in the fighting.
All along the ass miles of
CzechoSlovakian and East Ger
man border the 7th maintains a
constant alert.
No more than Is per cent of
the men are permitted on leave
at any one time. Thirty minutes
after an alert sounds, the 7th
can muster so per cent of its
total strength, IS per cent in
two hours.
The 7th Army alert is a very
real thing. At Furth- I'm Valid,
260 miles east of here, five Amer
leans man a concrete observation
post overlooking the Czech bor-
der hamlet of Folmava. They
keep a round-the-clock vigil.
DepIoying Tonks
From the Austrian border
northwards for 140 miles, this is
the only pass through which
enemy tanks can be deployed
from Czechoslovakia. A light ma
chine gun pokes through the
posts fire port toward a Czech
border police compound. 500 yards
away.
The men who man this post
have the job of warning against
the enemy moves and then scam
pering to safety in an armored
personnel carrier if possible.
In the years the post has been
maintained, the observers have
yet to spot a Czech tank or even
an armored vehicle in the pass.
From time to time, however, they
have heard sounds across the Dor
der at night which indicate that
enemy armor is hidden nearby.
On the Czech side there are
defensive works as if they ex-
pected an attack. The Czechs
have built dragons teeth tank
obstacles and scattered Spanish
cross barbed wire entanglements
on either side of the pass.
At EisenStein, so miles south of
Furth-in-Wald, a wooden road
block just outside the railway
station warns that this is the
border zone.
Across this barrier and some
300 yards inside the Czech Ger
man frontier stands the Iron
Curtain-three rows of electrified