The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

A REVIEWER'S NOTEBOOK JOHN CHAMBERLAINLAURENCE W. BEILENSON mustfeel like the man who sees an automobilebearing down on a blindman and suddenly loses his voice.He wrote a book not long agocalled The Treaty Trap, whichtried to tell our statesmen thatnations which depend on treatiesfor safety invariably discover thatpromises in international life onlylast as long as they prove convenient.In spite of Mr. Beilenson'swarnings the quest for writtenassurances of detente, or arms limitation,or defined spheres of influence,goes on.Meanwhile, as communiques areissued and treaties are signed, thenations continue to break theirword in almost routine fashion.Save for those who are w~ak, allof them are guilty, whether theyhappen to be communist, capitalistor "middle way" socialist. In hissecond book, Power Through Sub-vers'ion (Public Affairs Press, $8) ,Mr. Beilenson explores the longand lamentable history of the variousways in which nations havetried to weaken each other as theypursue the game of balancing thepower. Curiously, this is the firsthistory of its kind. But who, as weseek a "generation of peace," willread it? Must Mr. Beilenson'slarynx fail him again as the automobilemoves toward the blindman?Various "Blades" of SubversionMr. Beilenson begins by clarifyingthe ambiguous words he isforced to use. He speaks of thevarious "blades" of subversion. An"influencing subversion" will usethe blades of propaganda, agitationor offensive terror to get anothergovernment to follow certainpolicies without actually trying tooverthrow it. A "decisive subver-316