Evening star., 1941-06-22

Committee on Expenditures in the
Executive Departments. Both he
/ ard Senator McCarran are ex-
pected to press for consideration of
their bills despite Secretary Stim-
| sons actions.
Secretary StimSon said that in
! March he had ordered that steps
to place our air arms under one
responsible head, and that plans be
worked out to develop an organi-
zation stated and equipped to
provide the ground forces with
essential aircraft units for joint
operations, while at the same time
expanding and decentralizing staff
work to permit air force autonomy
in the degree needed" This, he
saio. has been done.
Called Best Plan.
The Secretary declared the new
plan lis best suited to the defense
organization of this country and
to the modern use of aircraft" ar
| guing that:
{ First, military operations, wheth-
er offensive or defensive, can be
successfully conducted only with
timely assurance of air superiority
over critical areas. Secondly, the
successful conduct of war depends
directly on the controlled and CO.
ordinated application of all types of
military power against vital objec-
tives. This requires unity of COM
mand."
The new plan, he said, combines
both combat and service units, and
the entire air organization will be
under a high ranking air officer
| who will be responsible only to the
chief of staff of the Army. He
pointed out also that an air staff
has been established.
BY these moves he continued,
"the air activities of the Army, both
in the elements cooperating with
ground forces and those comprising
long range striking forces. would
in effect constitute unified force
from which trained units could be
dispatched, as elements of task
force. to the commanding officer
in charge of any theater of action,
whether he might be an Army Of
fcer, a Navy officer or an air Off
GER"
independent Air Arm Criticized.
Criticizing the plan for an indie
pendent air force, Mr.. StimSon said:
"A separate independent air force
cannot operate effectively unless
there is a supreme general stall IN
which authority over the Army,
Navy and air forces is fully vested.
Such supreme staff does not exist
in this country. In our form
of government, the effectiveness OF
Joint operations depends on Coop
Grafton rather than on centralized
control"
Another reason against an inde-
pendent air force. Mr. Stimson said,
was the necessity of having such
force do all its own housekeeping
which is now performed for the
Air Corps by other branches OF the
Army at a minimum cost.
Mr.. Stimson added that Just as
the Navy will need feet air arm,
so will the Army need specially
trained units for use with ground
groups.
There is no magic" ne said, in
the separate or independent air
force type of organization Appar-
entity referring to the British ne
said. Under some forms of govern
mental and political organization
an independent air force will Work
satisfactorily. Under other circum-
stances it will not. France had an
independent air force, closely par
alleling the British system in or
sanitation. The test of war indi-
Gated that this type of air organlza-
ton in French hands was unsuc-
ceSSful.
European Systems.
In Italy the organization OF the
armed forces parallels in many re-
spects those of Germany in that it
has a supreme general staff respon-
NlDlG W lllC ultOdlOl iboAioAA c''o
Tion has been marked by inadequacy
as to quality and ineffectiness re-
gardless of quantity.
In Britain, he pointed out, air
activities are carried out through
the Royal Air Force administered
by the Air Ministry" 1t deals with
the head of government through the
Committee of Imperial Defense. At
the outset, the Royal Air Force COM
priSed all military aviation. But in
1887 naval aviation reverted TO the
control of the Admiralty. In 1910
changing tactics of the war brought
about establishment of a coastal
air command, placed under the op-
irrational control of the Admiralty,
and in January, 194l, the army CO.
operation command was established
to assure proper air cooperation
with the ground forces.
Germany has conducted its war
through the utilization of so-called
independent air force, but "the Ger
man system provides for an absolute
centralization of authority in the
great general staff
Under the new plan the chief of
the Army Air Forces will control
the activities of the Air Force Com
bat Command and of the Air Corps.
He will determine the requirements
of the Army Air Force with respect
to personnel, materiel, etc. He will
determine also the forces financial
requirements and control funds ap-
propriated for it.
The chief of the Air Force Combat
Command will have charge of all
aerial operations, except for those
units assigned to task forces"
overseas garrisons or other COM
manders. He will also prepare