Evening star., 1945-12-19

the department on such vital mat
tiers as basic military strategy and
policy and the division OF the bud
get. Furthermore, the key staff po-
sitions in the department should be
filled with officers drawn from all
the services, so that the thinking
of the department would not be
dominated by any one or two OF
the services.
Rotation Of Chief Urged.
AS an additional precaution, it
would be wise If. the post of Chief
of Staff were rotated among the
several services, whenever practic-
able and advisable, at least during
the period of evolution of the new
unified department. The tenure Of
the individual officer designated to
serve as Chief of Staff should be
relatively short-two or three years
and should not, except in time
of a war emergency declared by
Congress, be extended beyond that
period.
Unification OF the services must
be looked upon as long-term job.
We all recognize that there will pe
many complications and difficulties.
Legislation of the character outlined
will provide us with the objective.
and with the initial means whereby
looking leadership in the
department., both military and ci-
william, can bring real unif1cation
into being. Unification is much
more than a matter of organiza-
ton. 1t will require new viewpoints,
new doctrine, and new habits OF
thinking throughout the depart
mental structure. But in the CON-
parative leisure of peacetime, and
utilizing the skill and experience Of
our staff and field commanders who
brought us victory, we should start
at once to achieve the most efficient
instrument of national safety.
Once a unified department has
been established, other steps nec-
essary to the formulation of
comprehensive national security
program can be taken with greater
ease. Much more than beginning
has already been made in achieving
consistent political and military
policy through the establishment OF
the State War Navy Co-ordinating
Committee With respect to mill
| tary research, / have in a previous
message to the Congress proposed
| the establishment Of Federal
research agency, among whose
| orvorocihi1tfinc ShnlIlI ho tho
motion and coordination of funda-
mental research pertaining to the
defense and security of the Nation.
The development of co-ordinated,
i Government-w intelligence sys-
TEN is in process. AS the advis-
ability of additional action to insure
|, broad and co-ordinated program
!. Of national security becomes clear.
:. I shall make appropriate recon-
mendations or take the necessary
: action to that end
The American people have all
been enlightened and gratifled by
: the free discussion which has taken
place within the services and be-
fore the committees of the Senate
.. and the House of Representatives.
! The Congress. the people and the
President have benefited from a
Qualification of the issues that could
have been provided in no other
way. But, however strong the op-
position that has been expressed by
some of our outstanding senior Of
,, f1cers and civilians, I can assure
the Congress that once unification
, has been determined upon as the
!, policy of this Nation, there is no
officer or civilian in any service who
will not contribute his utmost to
make the unilcation success.
: make these recommendations in
/. the full realization that we are un-
dertaking a task of greatest diff
Guilty. But 1 am certain that when
} the task is accomplished, we shall
have a military establishment far
! better adapted to carrying out it's
: share of our national program for
achieving peace and security.