Defences Of West Held To Be “Dangerously Inadequate”

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 7

Defences Of West Held To Be “Dangerously Inadequate”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.)

NEW YORK, October 5.

The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Ridgway, tonight said that he rejected as unjustified and dangerous the idea that potential aggressors were not ready for war, and he also said that Western Europe’s military strength was dangerously inadequate. • . The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation still stood in peril, he claimed.

General Ridgway delivered a recorded address at the eleventh anniversary dinner of Freedom House at which he and Mr James Conant, President of Harvard University, received the organisation’s annual awards.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation commitments for 1952 would not be met in full, said General Ridgway, but the extent of the shortcomings could not be staged accurately yet. Commitments for next year still had to be negotiated, but the forces of the North Atlantic Treaty nations were continuing to grow in strength.

“As the responsible military com-, mander, in our present situation I reject as unjustified and dangerous the promises that potential aggressors do not want war, are not ready for war, and will not precipitate a war —that we are in for a long cpld war and therefore should decrease and delay our build-up. : “I am less concerned with intentions than with the capabilities of potential aggressors. “The present power ratio between the Soviet capability for attack and purs for defence is still distinctly dangerous to our security, and will remain so until that ratio is substantially altered in our favour.”