America Guarded By Military Help

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1949, Page 5

America Guarded By Military Help

WASHINGTON, Fri. (11.30 a.m.).—The First Security Defence Secretary (Mr Louis Johnson) told the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee today that the military assistance programme would have been essential to America’s military security even if there had been no North Atlantic treaty.

Mr Johnson said the military aid programme was conceived and developed separately and slightly in advance of the formation of the treaty.

programme to employ the equipment America was tc provide. Unless the forces of Western Europe were properly equipped they could not carry out their critically important role i nder the North Atlantic Pact, nor could the United States expect them to resist “if by our failure to assist them, they know they are the first to be abandoned to occupation by an aggressor with no more than a promise of subsequent liberation.” SENSE OF URGENCY He concluded: “We must act now if we are to avoid the loss of lives which would be the cost of such liberation.” The United States Army Chief of Staff (General Omar Bradley) told the committee that the rise of a “new aggressor bent upon absorbing the exhausted victors of World War 11. given a sense of urgency to our plans for defence.” FIVE-POINT STRATEGY General Bradley listed the following “assumed factors” in outlining a fivepoint overall strategy for the defence of the North Atlantic area:— (1) The United States would be charged with strategic bombing. (2) The United States Navy and Western Union naval powers would conduct essential naval operations including the keeping of sea : lanes clear. Western Union and other nations would maintain their own harbour and coastal defences.

“They fit together because both were products of the same grim set of circumstances,” he said. Mr Johnston told the committee that the security of certain nations outside Western Europe was also vital to American security and to the peace and freedom of the world. “Therefore military aid should also be continued to free peoples of these countries, who have demonstrated their will and ability without help, to resist aggression against their frontiers,” he said. The changing tactics of the “cold war” the varying pressures that were still being put on nations in parts o! the world and the speed of modern war all demanded equal flexibility in the rapid allocation of American aid a i strength. “The military vacuum in Western Europe constitutes an obvious and dangerous temptation to a potential aggressor hungary for Europe’s growing productive capacity,” he said. FIRST PRIORITY “Since European economies can, and ultimately must, fulfil the majority of the equipment needs of the Western European forces, we should continue to give first priority to the European recovery plan," Mr Johnson continued,

“However, to assure some increase now in strength of our lines of collective defence in Europe, we must in the meantime supply our friends with some of their immediate deficiencies in essential equipment." He wanted to make i absolutely clear that no United States troops would be sent abroad under the military aid

(3) It was recognised that the hard core of ground pow'er in being would cone from Europe, aided by other nations as they could mobilise. (4) England, France and closer countries would have the bulk of a short range attack bombardment and air defence. The United States would maintain a tactical air force for its own ground and naval forces and United States defence. (5) Other nations, depending on their proximity or remoteness from the possible scene of conflict would undertake appropriate specific missions

Explaining America's responsibility for strategic- bombing, General Bradley said: “We have repeatedly recognised in this country that first priority of joint defence is our ability to deliver the atomic bomb.