Massive Manpower
If the West had had more men under arms the Indo-Chinese story might have known a very different ending. It had been estimated that anything between six and ten divisions would have been necessary to hold the Chinese-supported Viet-minh advance and nothing like that number could have been found and rushed to the spot without creating grave dangers else- where. The lesson is plain: America and Britain must increase their armed strength so that they can meet any future aggression on the periphery in the only way that counts. For the leaders of the Republican Party it has meant a recog- nition of the fact that the doctrine of `massive retaliation' is not in itself the answer to all strategic problems unless it is fully backed by massive manpower. Two months ago there was an article in the Spectator pointing out that if present plans went unchanged the United States Army would be reduced by 300,000 men in a year's time. But the tide is turning quietly. On Saturday the Assistant Secretary of Man-Power and Personnel at the Pentagon announced that the Administration had approved a plan for compulsory military service for ' all qualified young men.' If President Eisenhower can get it accepted by Congress early next year, there will be 3,047.000 men on active military duty within a year's time—nearly 250,000 more than the Pentagon had allowed for in its plans last year. The scheme also provides for four other military man-power pools, the most important of which is a ready reserve which would he rather stronger than the regular force. The increase is to be prin- cipally for the Army and Marine Corps, and in announcing the plans Dr. Hannah said bluntly that they had been approved because ' we require more strength in the Far East.' The lesson has been learned.
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