"IF WE FAIL TO MEET IT HERE AND NOW. . ."

In his testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, the most articulate man in Washington was at his most eloquent. Excerpts from the statement of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara:

FOR many years after the last great war, the world scene was dominated by two giant power blocs, one a voluntary alliance of free nations led by the United States, the other a conquered empire ruled by the Soviet Union. In the free world alliance, the United States was the leading member because of the predominance of its economic and military power. In the Communist camp, the Soviet Union was the undisputed ruler not only because of its predominant economic and military power but also because it controlled the international Communist apparatus and was willing to back it up with military force when necessary.

Over the Years. Some time in the last five or ten years this situation began to change. On the free world side, the nations of Western Europe, as well as Japan in the Far East, began to get back on their feet politically and economically, and today the United States is no longer the only important economic and political power. On the Communist side, the absolute control of the Soviet Union has been successfully challenged, and now not only Yugoslavia, but also China, Albania and, to a lesser extent, other Communist nations of Eastern Europe are following policies directed to their own national interests. Long-frozen positions are beginning to thaw, and in the shifting currents of international affairs there will be new opportunities for us to enhance the security of the free world and thereby our own security. But there will also be new problems which will have to be faced, particularly how best to maintain the unity of the free world during this period of flux, while old positions, attitudes and relationships are being reexamined.

Our foreign policy has been remarkably consistent over the years. We ourselves have no territorial ambitions anywhere in the world, and we insist that all nations respect the territorial integrity of their neighbors. We do not seek the economic exploitation of any nation. Indeed, since the end of World War II, we have given other nations more than $100 billion of OHM wealth and substance--an effort unparalleled in the history of mankind. We do not seek to overthrow, overtly or covertly, the legitimate government of any nation, and we are opposed to such attempts by others. In short, we seek a world in which each neighbor is free to develop in its own way, unmolested by its neighbors, free of the fear of armed attack from the more powerful nations. A Distinct Advantage. Unfortunately the Communist governments do not share our objectives. I do believe that, like their predecessors, the new leaders of the Soviet Union fully appreciate the perils of general nuclear war and the danger of local wars escalating into nuclear war. I also believe that the lead ers of Communist China are reluctant to challenge the full weight of our military power. But both the Soviet Union and Communist China continue to support what Mr. Khrushchev euphemistically called "wars of national liberation" or "popular revolts," which we know as covert armed aggression, insurrection and subversion. We must face up to the fact that the Communists have a distinct advantage over the democracies in this type of conflict. They are not inhibited by our ethical and moral standards--political assassination, robbery, arson, subversion, bribery are all acceptable means to further their ends. They are quick to take advantage of any breakdown of law and order, or of any economic or natural disaster.

We still have a long way to go in devising and implementing effective countermeasures against these techniques. For us, the task is an extremely difficult one. This is the kind of struggle which ultimately must be fought and won by the governments and peoples directly involved. It is not solely a military problem. It pervades every aspect of human endeavor and concern--political, social, economic and ideological. The road ahead will be difficult, and continuing sacrifices will be required of our people, both in money and in lives. But the challenge must surely be met. If we fail to meet it here and now, we will inevitably have to confront it later under even more disadvantageous conditions. This is the clear lesson of history which we can ignore only at our peril.

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