The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-03-09

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General Marshall was issued with
a view TO the
launching Of an immediate Often
slve against the Axis. Consequently
therell be little delay in a start on
the test.
The readiustment called for Is
pretty radical. and yet It's some
what IN the nature Of 8 coulpro-
mise between conflicting armed in
teiests.
One group Of planners has long
urged a unification of our land and
sea forces under a single direction.
This group has included aviation
in It's calculations since that's be-
come an important factor IN large
scale strife. OF course the pres
dent, as commander-in-ch al
ready is supreme over all three
arms, but advocates Of merger Of
them have wanted them consoli-
dated into a triple combination,
with one and the same cabinet head
responsible for the whole thing.
Army and navy professionals
have opposed such an arrangement,
or the ground that their respective
units operate better independently
of one another
Aviation enthusiasts have been
clamoring for distinct setup, too.
Hitherto flying hasn't had a status
OF It's own; the army has had its
aviatorial adjunct and the navy
likewise has had one. That's the
correct system, our land and sea
authorities have insisted. Not that
they underestimate the plane
value TO either Of their team OF
services, but only as an adjunct
IN each case. not as separate arm.
Object to Coattalls
The aviators, on their side, have
argued that land armies and sur
face battleships are practically OBJ
solets today. They haven't actually
proposed the total abandonment OF
such old-fashioned warfare mech
anisms. but aviation could very
well do without either of them, they
say, and, why keep II tied onto
such out-of-date coattails?
Well, the latest presidential order
neither abolished the army or navy.
nor did II combine them. Thus the
consolidation missionaries are dis
appointed.
Il did semi. divorce aviation from
the arny's department, tn gu & h.
That is, while it didn't give the
flyers an Independent cabinet rat
ing, which would have required an
act OF congress, 1t did give them
an independent commander, so far
as land, but overhead, lighting Is
concerned
The unincation folk, meaning
unihcation Of military subdivision,
10 be sure, won a partial victory.
In that grounding warriors and air
warriors, inland. both are subject
to orders from Gen. George c. Mar
shall, army chief Of staff. Lieut..
Gen. Lesley J. McNair. grounding
commander, and Lieut.. Gen. Henry
n. Arnold, inland aviation chief
alike viii report 10 him. So will
Mai. Gen. Brehon b. Somervell,
ground and inland air chief. though
his supply chieftainship, important
as It Is, isn't quite as romantic as
a leadership of outright physical
belligerency.
Oversee aviation, however, didn't
get a divorce from the navy.
In that respect the total-consoli-
datonists and the aviators failed to
score.
The consolidators got part OF
what they wanted - consolidation
OF the national land fighters forces
and inland a1ation's, but they
slipped up or the navy part Of their
desired merger. both as TO surface
ships and overseas flying.
The syiators won out on their
demand for separate commander
inland, but they're still tied to the
( navy at sea.
Tie navy, alone got pretty fair
break.
Time Win Tell
Aviation is the futures prime
/ problem. II It's az effective as &,
says II Is. it's due, sooner or later
to establish itself as an arm ex.
clusively It's own.
II believes IL will chuck all earth.
/ " and oceanical fighting units into
the discard before the end u the
current var. II viii have q chance
10 prove or fail to prove It's case
quite speedily.
President Roosevelt, with hi,
army reorganization order, q
working up 70 it ilidding fast.
Consolidation Of all commando
Is being tried also, by the way
Cermanys experimenting with i
now. Its army, It's aviation corp
and whatever navy it's got are +.
single unit. When It speaks OF IL
war department it means WAf
DEPARTMENT-the whole thing
We're approaching the matte
by degrees.