THE QUESTION OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

The author, a leading economist and government adviser on national defense, has written an important book dealing with questions the public has been wont to ignore, particularly in these days of international thaw. Mr. Morgenstern contends that our present system of national defense couldn't save us if the Russians attacked. Our missile and bomber bases, situated permanently in well-known areas, would be wiped off the map before we got a chance to retaliate. To make our position invulnerable and our ability to retaliate certain, he proposes that we move our bases off land and put them on the oceans in what he calls an ""Oceanic System."" Our ballistic missiles would be fired from submerged nuclear powered submarines that would move about. We could also use nuclear-propelled seaplanes, supported on the oceans from submarines. Then he says that we must have a vigorous advance in scientific effort to keep us ahead of the Russians, a strong but diversified capability to carry on limited war if necessary, and a realistic civil defense effort which would include the building of a sub-economy which could operate if our cities were atomized, plus fall-our shelters for the population. Mr. Morgenstern comes to these conclusions after a rather full and objective analysis of the defense situation as it exists in the nuclear age. Again, this is one of those books--there is a library of them now--which should be read by every congressman and cabinet member. (Perhaps the Reader's Digest could perform a service here.) One also begins to wonder why the writers of these books aren't running the government, instead of the men who should read them.