From 50 Years Ago: Wrong Emphasis.

One clear fact emerges from the Western Powers’ proposal for disarmament. It is not even a plan for partial disarmament. It is basically a scheme to prevent the possibility of surprise attack by either side. Washington, if not America’s allies, seems obsessed with such possibilities. The plan for inspection of armaments put up by Mr Dulles makes no secret of Washington’s main motive or objective. Moscow has not rejected the proposal altogether. Mr Zorin has promised that the plan will be carefully scrutinised by the Soviet Union. But it is already clear that Moscow considers the plan to be inadequate. Many thinking persons will echo Moscow’s disappointment with the West’s hesitant approach to the problem of disarmament. Even so, there will be surprise that Washington, but not Moscow, should be so apprehensive of the possibility of surprise attack.

It may be possible for the Soviet Union to launch a surprise attack from the Arctic region. But it is equally easily possible for America and her allies to retaliate promptly or to initiate a surprise attack on the Soviet Union from the numerous atomic bases with which America has ringed the world. Irrespective of the world military balance, it is the Soviet Union which should have more cause for anxiety about any possible surprise attack launched from any one of the global bases fortified by America. Such Russian fears assume significance because of the American policy of arming the conventional forces of her allies with atomic weapons.