Evening star., 1941-08-01
Gen. Marshall Given
Blank Check by New
Army Money Bill
]. Appropriation Allows
So
/ Free Hand to Meet
Mechunized Needs
By NELSON NJ. SHEPARD

Military officials disclosed today
that the pending national defense
appropriations bill gives Gen.
George c. Marshall, Army Chief
of Staff, unlimited authority to
order as much equipment for the
mechanical forces during the next
year as unforeseen turns in the
international situation may re-
quire for American or Western
Hemisphere security.
The authority is contained in a
generally overlooked clause of the
bill, as it passed the House, which
an Army spokesman said places no
ceiling on the amount of any deficit
Gen. Marshall may create, if nee
essary, to build up an armored force
second to none. The House Appro-
priations Committee confirmed this
interpretation of the clause.
In other words" said the Army
sspokesman, the sky is the limit,
but the exercise of this power to
yplace unlimited amounts of orders
sfor equipment, over and above the
sspecific sum authorized in the bill
'would be determined by military
policy"
Marshall Responsible
Furthermore, the Army spokesman
pointed out that the clause means
I that Congress has decided to provide
itself with a perfect alibi' if Army
policy with respect to- the armored
forces goes wrong in the future.
ut places the responsibility square
ly upon the shoulders of Gen. Mar
shall and the War Department.
this spokesman added.
AS things now stand, present mill
tary policy is aimed at creating a
pool of critical armored force equip
q ment sufficient to match, if not
exceed, the number of German
panzer divisions.
( Of the $3,486034,036 provided in
I the bill for the Ordnance Depart
I ment, the War Department ad-
mitted today that $1,000, 100000 has
; been "earmarked' for this pool OF
mechanized equipment.
= There have been drastic revisions
Of the earlier estimate of S25 5000 00C
cost to equip fully an armored di-
vision Of 10000 men with tanks
scout cars, trucks, mobile artillery
and weapons. The latest officia
estimate now ranges between S40,-
100000 and S50,000.000. That being
: the case, the $1,000, 100000 now in.
? tended to build up this first pool
would be sufficient to equip upward;
/ of 90 to 25 armored divisions.
That number would be in add.
ton to the eight divisions and q
separate tank battaIions, now or
ganlzed or to be aCtiVated as tht
: necessary equipment is producet
from factories. There are now foul
armored divisions; one more is Il
be activated in about a months
time and the others will follow a.
speedily as possible.
Free to Meet Needs.
But the clause in the appropria
tions bill gives Gen. Marshall 6
free hand in ordering for future
needs during the next year. Moth.
9 Ing but the uncertainties of thu
immediate future, officials said
could warrant the bestowal of such
discretionary authority.
The clause, on page Al of thu
House bill, directs: THAT the chic
of ordnance and the chief of an,
of the other branches concerned
shall enter into contract prior Il
July l, 1912, for procurement O.
such equipment, spare parts anc
d accessories as may be required fo
such additional armored force di
/ visions andIor other units of such
! armored force as may be directed b,
! the Chief of Staff"
The blanket authority is intended
(: 10 be balm to military officials VIII,
may have to resort to hasty ant
drastic action.
In realization of the answer which
Congress sets up for itself, an off
e1al said the War Department i
fully aware Of the consequences O
any failure on its part to NEE
future needs of the armored forces
we could go to Congress a yea
from now and ask for more fund
: TO meet an emergency" he ex
! planned. But it is easy to imagin
Z the committee asking why the Arm,
had failed to meet such contin
= gency after Congress had placed un
! limited discretion in the hands O
! the Chief of Staff"