“NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY 301

despotic or corrupt or both. And they are not going to become the
friends of a major power simply because of that power’s military
strength. Rather, their friendship is to be had at the price of support
of moves which will improve or, fuhing that, replace their present
governments.

Finally, the point which is touched upon in NSC 68 and then lost
sight of in preoccupation with the USSR itself, is that were it not for
the recent successes and possible further successes of the Russian-
controlled international Communist movement we would have small
reason to fear the imperialism of the USSR. To illustrate: The U.S.
is stronger militarily and economically in relation to the USSR than
was the case just before World War II. We hardly gave Russia a
second thought then. What makes for the difference today? A most
important difference is that today many peoples are striving actively
to better themselves economically and politically and have thus ac-
cepted or are in danger of accepting the feadership of the Communist
movement. .

Just what types of political and psychological actions have we
proposed to meet this situation?

¢@ NSC 68 is based on the assumption that the military ] power of
the USSR and its satellites is increasing in relation to that of the U.S.
and its allies. In view of the vast preponderance of U.S. and allied
assets In every respect except that of manpower that assumption
needs more documentation than is contained in NSC 68. In particular
no attention seems to have been given to the question of the possible
drain which recent developments may have placed on Soviet military
strength. Tightening of controls at home and in particular in the
satellites would tie down military manpower and equipment. The
furnishing of military technicians to China in any number would
constitute an important drain on the USSR whose supply is relatively
limited. Put another way, it is hard to accept a conclusion that the
USSR is approaching a straight-out military superiority over us when,
for example, (1) our Air Force is vastly superior qualitatively, i 1s
greatly superior numerically in the bombers, trained crews and other
facilities necessary for offensive warfare; ( 2) our supply of fission
bombs is much greater than that of the USSR, as is our thermo-
nuclear potential; (3) our Navy is so much stronger than that of
the USSR that they should not be mentioned in the same breath; (4)
the economic health and military potential of our allies is, with our
help, growing daily; and (5) while we have treaties of alliance with
and are furnishing arms to countries bordering the USSR, the USSR
has none with countries within thousands of miles of us.