WORLD DESIRE FOR PEACE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26124, 29 May 1950, Page 7

WORLD DESIRE FOR PEACE

General MacArthur’s Views PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 27. General MacArthur believes that war is not imminent because “the people of the world neither desire it, nor muld they be willing to permit it." says a dispatch published by the “New York Times” to-day. General MacArthur said that the lack of desire of people for war was “a basic reason for rny belief that war is not upon the doorstep.” Another basic reason was because of the changed nature of war. “The scientists of the world have developed to such an extraordinary degree the processes and ways of accomplishing mass killing that war is no longer rationally a means of settling international problems. Its destructiveness has now become so great that there can be no winner. Both sides lose. It is almost a form of mutual suicide.” On neither side was there psychological preparation for war. General MacArthur said: “The Russian masses are probably just as opposed to a shooting war as the Anglo-Saxon masses. Therefore many incidents have taken place during the last few years which in the past would have led to war. but which have been passed over." The United States had no thought of

an aggressive war. but was preparing defensively in case of tragic emergen s-y. General MacArthur added: ‘lt is quite possible that the Russians are preparing in exactly the same way. Russian propaganda indicates their belief that we are preparing an aggress vp action. I think it is foolish to assume that the Russians wish to start aggressive war. Russia is doing so well under the present no-shooting war that she would probably and logically wish to continue the existing successful system. It is a rare thing m sport or anything else when a man changes a winning combination.”