NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY


this country and be tantamount to notifying Russia that we intended
to press war in the near future. Would this force Russia to retreat
from the satellite countries and other areas of influence, or would it
force them to take direct military action on them? Is this the kind of
national policy which we want to present to the world? What relative
emphasis do we place on the abilities of our allies and the rest of the
free world?
   b. Do we anticipate that Russia will be sufficiently capable of suc-
cessfully attacking the U.S. by 1954 to require us to 1have a program
for complete preparation for defending the U.S. and successfully
striking back and delaying Russian advances to permit our mobiliza-
tion and the maintenance of advance-positions in Europe, Africa, the
Near East and otherstrategic areas?
   If .so, do we prepare the country to accept limited controls and
increased taxation. What would be the effect on our relations with
Russia? .Our allies? 'The. rest-of -the. world? To what extent do we
rely on the abilities of our allies and the rest of the free world?
  c. Do i.we. estimate that Russia's..strength is increasing to a point
which is dangerous to our security and that the U.S. should- improve
its own defense and attack capabilities and those of our. allies in order
to keep pace with Russia's increasing strength?
  This would probably mean a rounding out and firming up of our
militarys structure and could probably be done without domestic con-
trols and would probably not create a much greater fiscal and economic
problem than now-exists.
  D. Do we want to change the trend towards economy at the expense
of national security programs and present a firmer and-stronger mili-
tary -posture-accompanied by a more intensive program. for
approaching our international problems?
General
  1. (Page 321) What is the "sharp disparity between our actual
military strength and our commitments" ? What are our commitments ?
  2. Do we-have a so-called "war plan" or "mobilization plan"?
If
not, what is being done to develop one? Is such planning being related
to the potential strength being planned for our allies? How is such
planning being related to peacetime forces and equipment, current
procurement and training programs and war reserve materiel? Are
industrial production facilities being related to planned requirements?
  3. At what point do we intend to use military force to protect our
"basic values"?e (Page 122 What authority, short of'a declaration
of
war, do we have for using force_? Should our resources go to assist

  1 See p. 261._
  2See p. 244.


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