Evening star., 1941-06-05
1856 More Planes
Will Give Air Corps
TotoI Of 10000
p, the Associated Press.

W l41C 44OOSS ~ 40 @APEA 49,
tions Committee today with a
blunt notice that the huge fund
was insufficient.
During secret testimony on the
measure, made public today, Under
secretary of War Robert P. Patter-
son solemnly told the committee
while discussing the vastly expanded
plane program that:
I'VE have in the War Department
feeling that there will be a mill
tary need of all the planes covered
by this program
The Undersecretary did not am
plify that statement for the record
but said it was estimated con-
airplane productive capacity was
5000 monthly and that the Nazis
already have embarked on pro-
gram of utilizing the facilities of
conquered countries which would
increase her plane capacity to be-
between 1000 and 5000 monthly.
Sends Total to 80 Billions.
In recommending the 100000
900 outlay to finance the Army's
greatly expanded activities for the
year starting July /, the committee
said it would bring the total Of
defense appropriations, contract au-
thorizationS and recommendations
since last July l to S30,115,0 ,142-
exclusive of the $1,000, ,000 900 pro-
vided for the lease-lend program
and the S6OOO,OOOOOO required to
complete the two-ocean Navy.
Despite these gigantic outlays, the
committee said that, barring a
slackening of the defense program s
tempo, the pending bill would not
be adequate for the coming fiscal
year because costs already were
higher than when the estimates
were prepared. The committee
pointed out that of the total recon-
mended S9,826 SOC, ,492 was in cash
and s183,145 ,695 in contractual au-
thority.
1886 More Airplanes.
Some of the major allotments in
the bill included S2,650,0OO,OOO for
1885 additional warplanes, includ-
ing bombers. pursuit and cargo
ships; 81 1,208 900 900 for pay of the
1.418 ,000-man Army. S45 100000 for
the purchase of 5000 barrage ball
looms, $92,00O,00O for seacoast de-
fenses, chiefly to begin a complete
modernlzation of those defenses
along the Atlantic and Gulf coast:
SPAS, 900, 900 for spare engines and
parts for bomberS, S51,O00,0O0 for
continuation of the development of
the new Atlantic island bases, S276,-
100000 for new military post con-
struction, S402 100000 for the ac-
QUESTION of additional critical and
essential" weapons and other equip
ment and $750,000,000 for the main
tenance and operation of plants and
equipment.
Apropos of modernizing coast de-
fense installations Gen. George c.
Marshall, chief OF staff, testified
that ''our concept of our seacoast
defense requirements has been
changed as a result of the change
IN status of the French fleet and
as to the future possibility of
less active English fleet in the At
lantic"
Special Contingent Fund.
Gen. Marshall testifed-on April
28-that the Army tentatively was
planning at that time on demobiliz-
ing the National Guard on COM
pletion of its year of Federal serv-
ice, starting about September Is,
and that about $4,000 men would
be maintained in the Regular Army
during the coming fiscal year. He
said, however, a final decision on
whether to hold the National Guard
in service beyond the scheduled year
would be made some time in June
and would be determined largely
by the international situation.
The Appropriations Committee
put S25 100000 in the bill as a Spe-
cial contingent fund for Gen. Mar
shall's use in meeting constantly
arising situations" and also includ-
ed a provision to give broad power
to place orders for equipment for
whatever additional amored divis-
ions or units he deemed warranted
by world affairs.
THE committee confesses to the
general contagion of enthusiasm for
these potent contributions of the
machine age to modern warfare"
the group said, in explanation.
Budget Estimates Raised.
Virtually complete equipment for
six arrnored divisions already has
been provided, the committee said,
and some headway has been made
toward supplying Critical" items
for two more.
Mai. Gen. Adna r. Chaffee, chief
of the Armored Force, told the COM
mittee in a detailed analysis of the
development and use of mechanical
weapons that the only defense
against operations such as dis
played by the German panzer divi-
sions in France and the Balkans
was by "armored units of equal or
superior power"
Partially to remedy the situation
created by rising costs, the COM
mittee added $648, ,15S,934 to the
sums recommended by the Budget
Bureau.
Among the major increases was
$3.50, ,528,500 to liquidate all out
standing contracts in connection
with plant expansions undertaken
to expedite production of defense
equipment. The committee noted
in that connection that Congress
had provided total of 81, ,464, ,286 900
in both cash and contractual au-
thority for that work and that prac-
tically the full amount would be
needed before the close of the cur
rent fiscal year.
The committee also added S2e,-
'293,000 to permit the Army to hire
-