Synopsis H, "The Great Debate" and Troops to Europe, December 1950-April 1951
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OCR Page 1 of 15SYNOPSIS H
(Page 1)
S.
"THE GREAT DEBATE" AND TROOPS TO EUROPE
US
SERVICET
December 1950 - April 1951
Hoover begins the
The so-called "great debate" is regarded as having begun on
debate
December 20 with a speech by Hoover. He noted that after
comparing the military forces of the non-Communist and Commu-
nist world "we must arrive at certain basic conclusions. "
These were:
If (A) We must face the fact that to
commit the sparse ground forces of the non-Communist nations
into a land war against the Communist land mass would be a
war without victory, a war without a successful political
terminal Even were Western Europe armed far beyond any
contemplated program, we could never reach Moscow (B) Equally,
we Americans alone with sea and air power can so control the
Atlantic and Padific Oceans that there can be no possible
invasion of the Western Hemi sphere by Communist armies
(c) In this military connection we must realize the fact that
the atomic bomb is a far less dominant weapon than it was once
thought to be. (D) It is obvious that the United Nations have
been defeated in Korea by the aggression of Communist China.
There are no adequate forces in the world to repel them. !f
Hoover then proposed "certain principles and action. (1) The
foundation of our national policies must be to preserve for
the world this Western Hemisphere Gibraltar of Western civi-
lization. (2) We can, without any measure of doubt, with our
own air and naval forces, hold the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
with one frontier on Britain (if she wishes to cooperate) ; the
other, on Japan, Formosa and the Philippines. We can hold
open the sea lanes for our supplies. (3) To do this we should
arm our air and naval forces to the teeth. We have little
need for large armies unless we are going to Europe or China.
(4) We could, after initial outlays for more air and navy
equipment, greatly reduce our expenditures, balance our budget
and free ourselves from the dangers of inflation and economic
degeneration. (5) we can continue aid to the hungry of the
world. (6) We should have none of appeasement. Morally
there is no appeasement of Communism. We want no more Teherans
and
Yaltas (7) We are not blind to the need to preserve
Western civilization on the continent of Europe or to our
cultural and religious ties to it. But the prime obligation
of defense of Western continental Europe rests upon the nationa
of Europe. The test is whether they have the spiritual force,
the will and acceptance of unity among them by their own
volition. America cannot create their spiritual forces; we
cannot buy them with money. If
DGA replies
In his press conference of December 22 DGA offered what was
in effect a reply to the Hoover thesis. He said that "there
have been views expressed that we should not use our resources
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