Taiwan Today

In Stalin's Feet Clay, (published in the May Issue of this Review), the writer concluded that "with insufficient preparedness, poor communication and vulnerability to air attack, Stalin could not sit out a long war of attrition on two fronts; and being delivered a lethal blow at its belly, that colossal giant of Communism would soon disappear from the earth", This observation of pincering Russia on two fronts and knocking it out from south meets its agreement in General Hasso von Manteuffel's statement, as cited by C. J. V. Murphy in Life, May 28, 1951, saying that "logical direction of this counterattack is not due east across Poland and the Pripet Marshes toward Moscow, but from the south, through the Caucasus, and across the Black Sea toward Russia's 'soft underbelly'". The importance of south front was further exponented by Admiral Robert Carney when he remarked that Middle-East is considered "to be of utmost importance to our global strategy in dealing with global Communism which has its home port in Moscow and can strike out rapidly in many direc­tions ... What in one case is the main front could well become a flank. Attack through the Middle East would make Europe for all its importance a flank in retaliation to the main direction of attack ... Since the war ended the United States Navy has felt keenly the tremendous importance of the Middle East". (Sept. 17, UP.) Admiral Carney's emphasis on tremendous importance of the Middle East and flanking position of Europe interestingly coincides with the writer's. Besides, another flank is in the East, that is the line from Chukotski Pennisula to Vladivostok, the Yalu River, Dairen, Tsingtao and Suchow together with the spearhead fro Taiwan. If so, then the third World War against Stalinist Commu­nisdom will combine Crimean War, Russo­-Japanese War, and Hitler War in one total strike-out. Which war comes first or all three wars carry out simultaneously—it is a matter of high politics.

In western flank, I disagree with General Von Manteuffel's tactical defence of 'the spider web'. Neither quality nor great fire-power may meet the steamroller of Soviet troops of great number. The only way to offset Russia's numerical preponderance and mobility on land is slowly and gradually retreating to the coast. Let Soviet troops occupy more space to disperse their army and lengthen its logistic supplies. Forced to defend, the continent against possible counterattack, they have to earmark one or two million soldiers to be rusted down along the sea-coast that will reduce mobility to the minimum. And the morale will be paralysed too for as soon as they step into the higher living standard countries of western Europe, the fallacy o the Soviet propaganda will be exposed before the very eyes of the duped Soviet soldiers. Later, Allies can use their high mobile power of navy and air invading southern tip of Norway or airhead in Denmark and thrusting into Warsaw, coupling with another Normandy landing. In so doing, the numerous Russian occupation troops could be sliced off by small invasion army who will receive the surrender after a few skirmishes. To fight the Russians in spider web defence in depth is more terrible than to slice the rusted occupation troops. After capturing Russian soldiers by surrender, the invasion army may advance slowly steadily toward Mos­cow waiting for the advance of the other flank.

From the East, there will be a union army of Japanese, Korean and Chinese not less than three million strong. With the air and artillery support by Americans, the union army will fan out along the line from Vladivostok, the Yalu River. Dairen, Tsingtao and Suchow toward Chita and Irkutsk. And the Chinese National army will not lose their chance to attack the mainland until they could safely oc­cupy the Hwangho valley up to Lanchow. After the eastern flank has shrunk to the Singkiang border, the Central Asia and the Ural will be in danger.

From the Black Sea shore, it is less than 700 miles to Moscow. Beyond Crimea, lies the grassy plain; therefrom it is easy to deploy mechanized army. With the support of airborn divisions, the thrusting army could make head­ way at ease; much easier will be the advance if they can recruit the assistance from separatist Ukranians. Another soft spot along the south front is the Soviet Republics in Central Asia, which are mostly desert land and whose people antagonistic to Soviet Russians, The only barrier is Iran and Afghanistan. If they are allies, the advancing operation will start therefrom; if occupied by the Russians, they will be the easy prey to beachhead landing from the Arabian Sea. Going through old strategic road of Herat, the Central Asian de­sert and Siberian steppe are open to the invasion army. Skimming Lake Balkhash and passing by Lake Dergiz, the army will soon reach Novo-Sibirsk in the east and Magnitorgorsk in the west.

The war will only be won by final military occupation of Moscow. Roads to Moscow either from the west or from the cast would be long attritive road of heavy bloodshed, because the Russians have dispersed their industrial complex in different places of the heartland and encouraged their peoples to face the long war of attrition. In view of the reasons of Hitler's fiasco, Western Democracies must operate that war wisely in order to finish it at earliest date with minimum loss of life and money. Keeping immobilization of Russian manpower and collapse of Soviet morale in mind, on American part it is a dexterous manipulation of military power in conjunction with ideological and political warfare. Though the gigantic Russian war-machine will eventually collapse, war against Communism cannot be won in the battlefield alone.