European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1950, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Feature so Creon sphere is a Challenge that con i fronts the american people in their National Security thinking that has never before existed in our history. And it must be met before we can be assured of an adequate National Security program. We must readjust our philosophy from one of winning wars after they Start to one of preventing them before they  the inescapable emphasis of history becomes increasingly clearer neither Ich Renly wins in modern War the Victor Only loses  of War is not achieved in products must eventually withdraw to markets where they  a monopoly the history of fanatical expansionist movements shows that they have eventually diminished in vigor and have had to Retreat. In much the same Way i feel that communism will lose its aggressive Ness. This is our great Hope. But until vf9 can be assured that this has occurred we cannot be assured of peace. In the meantime communism need no deflect us into its own path of violence and despair. Instead it should Spur us to intensify our efforts toward producing a the Challenge to us All by Oen j. Law ton Collins chief of staff . Army pacifism or in isolationism. In fact our pre word War h experience has shown that these Yri open invitations to War whereas our postwar experience in which we is renal turned our forces while Boj Ferins the economic and military potential of the West Ern world has done much to prevent War. For Many years our people though that the elimination of War followed the elimination of the machines of War. Sowe strapped our guns and Sank our ships Only to have to build More when War was thrust upon us. We actually thought War could be Seg Ishi Terl out of existence or that it could be outlawed by common consent. And fora generation we uttered deluded protests against War that failed to acknowledge its causes. I believe that the prevention of War i largely a practical question of applying sound business principles in our conductor National and International affairs. We have a product the democratic Way of life which we have been perfect ins for Many years and which has prove to be the Best on the Market. Now 3 competitor has entered the Market with Tho offer of a phony substitute communism. In this Competition for the hearts an minds of men each Side is endeavouring to make its own Way of life so attractive thai i will Appeal to most nations of the world. \ 7 towed in this Light the communist menace does not appear so fearsome. For we know that the development of Competition in business can have the  stimulating the improve ment of older products. True the communist ideology has been promoted a times with fanatic Zeal. But if the false doctrines of communism can generate such mistaken enthusiasm in Ite sales men How much More should we of the free world work to improve and Demon Strate the superiority of our Way of  i do not. Wish to deprecate the danger that communism presents. Therein no doubt that we Are faced by a nation whose leaders Are committed to a Long Rance program of aggressive expansionism. But i fee that too Many american shave succumbed too readily to the communist clap trap that democracy  cannot live together in one world and that therefore War is inevitable there is a false dilemma in this conclusion that either we must Force our Way of life upon them or be coerce info accepting theirs. I do not believe that americans really wish to change the communist Way of diff Al we want is for the Peoples of the world to have a free Choice based upon accurate information in selecting her governments. Hmm Ever just As the vendors of inferior the stars and stripes feature Section Herrit it i prints the text of an important speech by Gen 3. Lawton Collins . Army chief of staff delivered at. The an Nual twice Finger of the Public relations society of America at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in new York stronger More effective democracy wit hits Promise of an increasingly abundant life and greater intellectual and spiritual growth for the individual. For in a democracy All of the people and not just a favored few establish policies and make decisions in our democracy and i use the word in its True sense since it has been warped to mean anything from mob Rule to autocracy it is very properly the people through their influence in free elections who fix vital policies and who determine our National course in world affairs. Their performance of this function has become More important now that the Mantle of world leadership has fallen upon our shoulders. For now the single ballot of the individual american has its i Percus Sions in the assemblies of the world. Our National decisions Are Nomore or less than the summation four freely expressed individual decisions which in order to be Wise Mustbe based upon factual information. At no time in our history has it Bee More important to the future welfare of our nation and of free institutions every where that the american people be Well informed on the world s problems. On Yin this Way can they through the govern ment which they control perform therole of world leadership that they have accepted. Here in the United states the task of insuring that the Public is properly in formed is the responsibility of the leaders of the various elements of our society and none is prevented from expressing his views. Contrast with this the restrictions upon the free Access to information imposed in Many parts of the world by an ambitious and unscrupulous minority which by insidious propaganda and in Trigue seeks to usurp control of the entire world. To prevent a resurgence of free Dom this minority blindfolds its subject from facts about the outer world. T the american people want and Are entitled to the facts. But they want to draw conclusions for themselves an that is their privilege. All of us who Bear the great responsibility of keeping the people informed must insure that what is said and printed is undisputed by honest. For if we do other Wise we become guilty of the fault we decry in the communists whose corrupt and perverted propaganda so Many people in the world today Are forced to endure. With the leadership of the free Peoples of the world thrust so forcibly upon our democracy we must never permit our responsibilities for disseminating the truth to be subverted. A and As we Lead the Way in honesty and truth in Public information we Hope that those responsible in other areas of the world will follow and that someday leaders everywhere will afford their Peoples As part of their daily lives Correct information As to their relations to other Peoples the limitations upon their own rights and their duties to respect the rights of others As Well As the truth of happenings in world affairs. For my part i deem it my Persona responsibility that the 630,000 citizen soldiers in our army today Are kept general Collins. Honestly and completely informed. Our troop information and education pro Gram is doing a splendid Job of Raisin the level of information among our servicemen and , As experts in the Field of Public relations might be interested in a by product of our information program for our troops. It is the advertising of America and its ideals to foreign nation als in their own homelands by a method which i suspect is unique in the history of Public  have within recent months inspected our troops both in Europe and the far East. They and their dependents constitute an army of Good will 300,000 Strong which is doing credit to our Flag. To keep these isolated americans properly in formed the armed forces radio service a project which was directly inherited from the army during the War beams Short wave broadcasts to the armed forces overseas. A though All programs Are designed Only for the members of our armed forces and their dependents naturally others listen also. And because they know these programs Are beamed to our armed forces they attribute greater Validity to the broadcasts. Surprisingly enough this eavesdrop Ping audience amounts to approximately 2,000,000 persons and has been enthusiastic in expressing its appreciation for the programs it was never intended to hear. Through our troop information an education programs we have made our soldiers the Best informed in the world we feel that this is necessary since As citizens of our democracy often i Remote parts of the world they must have Access to information to continue Intelli gently to discharge their responsibilities As citizens. Also if while they Are i service we have been Able to increase their Faith in our democracy then we feel that when they leave the army As some 150,000 do each year we will have developed better citizens As Well As sol Diers and have therefore enhanced our Over All National Security. But while we in the army feel we mus keep our soldiers informed we also Foci an obligation to keep the people of  informed about their army for exists today a greater Community of interest Between the civilian and military elements of our nation than Over existed before. W e must therefore maintain a. Close feeling of understanding betwee Nour military and our civilian communities. With this in mind the army has adapted to its needs the sound Public relations techniques that have been developed by our civilian Public relations profession. But Over and Abo Veall such techniques we Are convinced that if we run a Good army we will not Only have Good relations with the Public but we will also be doing our full share inthe prevention of War by a steadfast dedication of our strength we have with the help of our friends of the Western world maintained peace in the world for More than four  have declared our interest and sup port of the other Peoples of the free world by our participation in the United nations and the North Atlantic  Are giving our resources generously in such programs As the Marshall plan and the military assistance program. And we have also maintained our own military strength by moves such As these we have Laid the foundation of a Well constructed positive plan for using our total resources political economic psychological and military to preserve peace. They Are indications that we have come a Long Way in meeting the Challenge that i see facing the american people. If we Are persistent in sticking to the programs that we Are carrying on so successfully of aiding the Peoples of the world who Are fighting the cold War against communism to regain their eco nomic and military strength while at the same time conserving a sound Balanc Between our own economic and military Power we can prevent  then is the Challenge to us All