Letter from Robert Brennan to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
(Pol./46)

The clearest evidence of the change in public opinion here with regard to Russia is the fact that whereas six months ago everybody said war is unthinkable, today people are merely wondering when the war will come. Recently I spoke to an experienced official in the State Department about this matter. He said that it was only a matter of time and went on to tell me that his nephew, who is just back from the Pacific, regretted that the United States did not hit the Russians with all they had when they still had it.

A friend of mine, an officer in the United States Army, who has had experience for many years in Asia, in a letter to me says 'all our people here' - meaning the military - 'are just longing to get a smack at the Reds - and this comes from nothing they hear from Washington but from their contacts with the Reds in China, Korea, Japan and other areas'.

In official circles the general opinion seems to be that the Russians are playing for time hoping to be able to catch up with the United States in modern weapons.

The enclosed three articles from the New York Times by Mr. Brooks Atkinson, formerly dramatic critic of that paper, written after six months sojourn in Russia reflects the general pessimism over the Russian situation. You will note that Mr. Atkinson says that between Russia and the United States 'the most we can hope for is an armed peace for the next few years.'

Mr. William Bullitt, former United States Ambassador to Russia, in a book published today openly advocates the use of the atom bomb to stop further Russian aggression.