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a world government with a federal and democratic constitution and that the
Russians were to refuse, possibly on the grounds that the Sotiet regime and
Soviet principles would be threatened by such a world authority.
We would then
have to proceed to threaten Russian cities with an atomic attack and be ready, if
) the Soviet government did not yield, to follow up our threat with actual atomic
bombardment.
The Russians, their cities being defenseless, might conceivably
bow to our threat and join the world federation under duress.
We could not,
however, expect our threat to induce them to allow troops of foreign nations or
foreign government agencies to take control of their territory and resources.
What then would we have achieved?
Even as a member of the world federation, the
Soviet Union could resume her efforts to attain atomic power.
Nothing but con-
tinued coercion or threats of coercion would stand between us and the catas-
trophe which we would have set out to render impossible.
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An actual atomic attack on the Soviet Union--if ong.dare st ntemplate as
oy)
ruthless a step as that--might appear to offer better chances for a permanent
elimination of the danger of atomic war.
If it led to a crushing defeat and
consequent unconditional surrender of the Russians, victory would bring in its
wake complete control of their territory and resources, a control similar to
that which we now exercise over Japan and Germany.
But would we and the nations
which had associated themselves with us know what to do with the Soviet Union if
we had her in our power?
Would not the danger we were setting out to ban re-
appear in a more threatening form as soon as our occupation armies were withdrawn?
The Germans have showm what a vengeful and embittered people will do if
and when they are offered an opportunity to pay back the humiliation which they
believe they heave suffered. More recent experience has also shown how little
the American people are prepared to undertake the task of prolonged military
control; as a natter of fact, none but a fascist regime would want to train and
indoctrinate tens of thousands of men for the purpose of holding down the revolt
of a country of the size and potentialities of the Soviet Union.