| Show Our Wealth Is Not Inexhaustible The Committee for Economic Development Development Development De De- De- De through its research and policy committee has come out in favor favo r of oC continued economic as well as mili mili- military military tar tary aid to western Europe While thus recognizing the need for forgiving forgiving forgiving giving continued support to our European European European Euro Euro- allies this group of American business business business busi busi- ness leaders appended to this recommendation recommendation recommendation two signi significant ica t warning points First Firs the committee noted the importance importance importance im im- of western European countries making the maximum possible contribution contribution contribution contri contri- to the defense effort It is only natural for our good friends on theother the theother theother other side of the Atlantic to regard rich Uncle Sams Sam's Sams wealth wealth as inexhaustible and to expect the U. U S. S to carry most of oC the load Its It's human nature to let Ulet George do it if we can get away with Jetting letting George do it Its It's really up to George not to let somebody make a sucker out of him Second the committee warns that next to the failure to rearm the costliest costliest costliest cost cost- liest error that the United States Stales and its allies could make in the next few years would be to act as though rearmament and security were synonymous The contest contest contest con con- test between the Soviet Union and the west is ultimately a contest of strength not of arms alone strength embraces not only armed might but in addition all those less measurable elements such elements such as greater productivity efficiency equity in the distribution of income political and economic stability and social cohesiveness and spirit which spirit which are the thereal thereal thereal real sinews of national power These two points add up to one vital conclusion It is simply that American economic capacity is not unlimited We Ve cannot carry the whole burden of opposition opposition opposition op op- position to communism alone We Ve must have the whole whole hearted hearted cooperation of oC the rest of the free world And we must not go so far overboard on the matter of mere military strength that we forget other aspects of national strength This contest with communism is not nota a contest of arms alone We Ve must have a strong and stable economy an efficient and united and dynamic society if weare we weare weare are finally to win uin this struggle It is a fact that Lenin believed com com- could compel the capitalistic countries to spend themselves to de- de According to a recent Washington Wash Wash- ington article Stalin's ns agents i in n Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington expect that the outlay for rearmament rearmament rearmament rearm rearm- ament which we will be forced to make to meet Communist harassment and threats all over the world will force our country into bankruptcy About a month ago a correspondent writing from Tangier the intern international city on the northwest tip lip of Africa quoted the shrewd dealers in gold and currency there as follows The Kremlin Kremlin Kremlin Krem Krem- lin is deliberately driving the United States into disaster and the Washington government is playing Moscow's game unwillingly unwittingly with the vast program of rearmament rearmament rearmament re re- re- re armament and the gifts to foreign states While this may be bc an exaggeration it is certainly true that we could spend ourselves into destruction destruction and and it would be sound Russian strategy to try to force or mislead us into doing it It is a threat which we should consider as we consider the threat of Russian armed aggression We Ve must indeed as the Committee for Economic Development says build western armed strength to counter the Communist menace We Ve must be militarily militarily militarily mili mili- strong But we must keep that armed strength in balance with our economic economic economic eco eco- capacity and we must be sure that our strong military ramparts are arc backed up by economic and social ramparts ramparts ramparts ram ram- parts at home which are equally strong |
