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CONPADENTIA
TRUMAN
-41-
ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS SERVICE" AND
the
While it is true they consider that capitalism has
the seeds of its own destruction, I understand their
doctrine to be that when capitalism sees it is about to
be destroyed by those seeds that capitalism will go into
an imperialist war, and that they have demonstrated be-
fore in the case of Finland they will take aggressive
advance action in an effort, as they see it, to prepare
themselves for an unbalancing capitalistic imperialistic
war. So I would say in our world strategy we should con-
sider aggressive action by the Soviet Union as one of the
definite alternative possibilities.
Looking at the over-all objectives of our country on
a world basis, it seems to me that clearly they are to
advance the standards of living and the freedom of peoples
throughout the world and to do that in a world at peace.
We are going to have peace for a generation at least un-
less Russia commits aggression but in my judgment I see
very little possibility that there would be any war on
this earth of any consequence in the next generation un-
less Russia commits an act of aggression and, therefore,
this great problem of peace in the atomic period focuses
down to our very key consideration of what will affect
the policies of the leaders of the Soviet Union and I
believe that so long as they are uncertain about the
future of Asia and of Asia's attitude, they are not likely
to commit aggression and that they are at this time giving
great concentration to.
After starting with their first advance or infiltra-
tion methods which is so evident throughout Asia and
not just in China not from a standpoint of drawing
from it a military potential - I do not feel that in a
generation anyone will draw from Asia any great forces or
any military potential to play a part in aggressive action
toward some other continent. But I do feel that the
question of whether or not forces in Asia, limited in
their military effectiveness though they may be, need to
be contained by one side or the other might be crucial
in a future war and therefore might be crucial in a
decision as to whether or not a war should be attempted
and that is why I feel that from the many indications of
concentration of policy on the part of Russia in the last
two years that Asia is No. 1 and they are now concentrat-
ing in the early stages in their attempts to consolidate
that vast area.
Moving on from that, it therefore follows that very
high on the American policy should be to prevent Russian
consolidation
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"ocrText": "CONPADENTIA\nTRUMAN\n-41-\nARCHIVES \"NATIONAL RECORDS SERVICE\" AND\nthe\nWhile it is true they consider that capitalism has\nthe seeds of its own destruction, I understand their\ndoctrine to be that when capitalism sees it is about to\nbe destroyed by those seeds that capitalism will go into\nan imperialist war, and that they have demonstrated be-\nfore in the case of Finland they will take aggressive\nadvance action in an effort, as they see it, to prepare\nthemselves for an unbalancing capitalistic imperialistic\nwar. So I would say in our world strategy we should con-\nsider aggressive action by the Soviet Union as one of the\ndefinite alternative possibilities.\nLooking at the over-all objectives of our country on\na world basis, it seems to me that clearly they are to\nadvance the standards of living and the freedom of peoples\nthroughout the world and to do that in a world at peace.\nWe are going to have peace for a generation at least un-\nless Russia commits aggression but in my judgment I see\nvery little possibility that there would be any war on\nthis earth of any consequence in the next generation un-\nless Russia commits an act of aggression and, therefore,\nthis great problem of peace in the atomic period focuses\ndown to our very key consideration of what will affect\nthe policies of the leaders of the Soviet Union and I\nbelieve that so long as they are uncertain about the\nfuture of Asia and of Asia's attitude, they are not likely\nto commit aggression and that they are at this time giving\ngreat concentration to.\nAfter starting with their first advance or infiltra-\ntion methods which is so evident throughout Asia and\nnot just in China not from a standpoint of drawing\nfrom it a military potential - I do not feel that in a\ngeneration anyone will draw from Asia any great forces or\nany military potential to play a part in aggressive action\ntoward some other continent. But I do feel that the\nquestion of whether or not forces in Asia, limited in\ntheir military effectiveness though they may be, need to\nbe contained by one side or the other might be crucial\nin a future war and therefore might be crucial in a\ndecision as to whether or not a war should be attempted\nand that is why I feel that from the many indications of\nconcentration of policy on the part of Russia in the last\ntwo years that Asia is No. 1 and they are now concentrat-\ning in the early stages in their attempts to consolidate\nthat vast area.\nMoving on from that, it therefore follows that very\nhigh on the American policy should be to prevent Russian\nconsolidation"
}