Should U.S. Help Russia Re-Arm? 1946

An editorial from the June 10, 1946, issue of The Robesonian, Lumberton, considers whether helping Russia rearm her military machine might cause problems in the future. It did, of course.

According to some realistic interpreters of present trends, the appeasement policy of America toward Russia bears a strong resemblance to the policy pursued for years toward Japan, and is likely to have a similar result. It was argued then that Japan meant no harm, that we just didn’t understand Japan and must try to understand the Orientals better and all would be well. So we sold scrap iron to Japan and Japan returned it to us at Pearl Harbor and later. We are now helping Russia to re-arm and re-equip her vast military machine while we are reducing ours far below wartime strength.

And we are told that we just don’t understand Russia, that she means no harm, would not dream of attacking the western allies. And Soviet agents are everywhere, and some of the wise observers of international events are wondering if at least some of the strikes that have been plaguing and weakening this country since V-J day are not due to the subtle propaganda of these same ubiquitous Soviet agents.