Can Anyone Strike Back?

A recent analysis of U.S. military maneuvers in twelve Southern states made by U.S. News and World Report comes to this ominous conclusion: “The side in the next war that waits for the enemy to strike the first blow before retaliating may very well face defeat in the few hours or minutes before its own power can be brought to bear.” The casual observer, reading this statement, will be considerably upset by it, but will probably remark that “after all we can strike the first blow.”

Difficult as this reaction is to understand, especially in view of Communist attacks in Greece in 1944 and 1947, the Czech coup d’ état, the Berlin blockade, and. aggression in the Far East (involving 150,000 American casualties), it is, unhappily, a widely shared point of view.

AB

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Anthony T. Bouscaren

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A recent analysis of U.S. military maneuvers in twelve Southern states made by U.S. News and World Report comes to this ominous conclusion: “The side in the next war that waits for the enemy to strike the first blow before retaliating may very well face defeat in the few hours or minutes before its own power can be brought to bear.” The casual observer, reading this statement, will be considerably upset by it, but will probably remark that “after all we can strike the first blow.”

Difficult as this reaction is to understand, especially in view of Communist attacks in Greece in 1944 and 1947, the Czech coup d’ état, the Berlin blockade, and. aggression in the Far East (involving 150,000 American casualties), it is, unhappily, a widely shared point of view.