Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-10
Letters to The Star
Argues for Intesration of Defense
Services in Peacetims

Argues for Intesration Of Defense
| Services in Peacetims
| To the Editor Of The star:
I have read the letter Of Comdr
Walter Karig, U. 8. N. R., published ir
your editorial page OF December 4, and
purporting to represent the views Of 8
disinterested civilian.
I, too. am a civilian in uniform
shortly to become a civilian In fact. AS
such, I believe Comdr. Karig's short
sighted viewpoint deserves some refuta-
ton.
To me as civilian, I am not worried
in the technical phases of a single or
separate department for the various SER
vices, nor in the somewhat puerile argu-
ments as to whether the official or
oflcials to head the services are to be
elected or appointed, whether he or they
will be 4 political "pie-dispenser" or
astute statesmen, or whether one man
handling the administration OF the ma
tional defense will become a military
dictator. Conceivably one astute states
man is better than three partisan poll
ticians. Of he agrees with you, he is
an able statesman; If he doesn't, he is
= reprehensible politician) Honest and
capable men as well as stupid and prejs-
diced men can both be elected or ap-
pointed to almost any governmental
position today. AS long as our system
OF constitutional checks and balances
between the Executive, the Congress and
the Supreme Court continues to exist. I
do not fear military dictatorship.
What am interested in is what it cost
me as taxpayer in the conduct of the
last war, what 1t will cost me and the
rest OF the country to maintain a
proper national defense during peace
and in the event Of another war. I
have no service pride that will overcome
my greater concern for the welfare
Of the United States as a whole, and I
am sure that the same attitude prevails
in the Congress and in the Nation at
large
I have read the Eberstadt report,
which was prepared at the direction Of
the Navy, and I desire to state that 1t
is very ably prepared, thoughtful and
frank document which deserves the at
tention of every citizen. That the Navy
would publish such a document Is q
tribute to its leaders, for many of the
passages are a severe indictment Of the
loose bureaucratic system employed by
the Navy. The report is replete with
instances of incoherence, duplication
waste and overlapping in the admins
tration of our naval affairs, which its
leaders have recognized and are doing
their best to eliminate. The lack of a
standardized nomenclature for parts and
equipment, for example, never permitted
the Navy to conduct q proper inventory,
so that, as result, 1t never could know
what 1t had or what it needed with
eXactitude. How 1t could justify its ap-
propriations in the light Of these condi-
tons still is an unsolved mystery. I am
quite sure that ghosts Of inefiiciency and
waste similarly exist in the closets OF
the Army and Air Forces, and believe
that responsible Army officials are fully
cognizant OF this fact. When interserv.
ice waste and duplication are added to
intraservice waste and duplication, the
figure in cold dollars must be in billions
believe that the passionate claims of
each service, personality clashes. and
ho q
loyalty and tradition have done much
to obfuscate the impelling necessity for
overhauling our national defense ma
chinery on more economical basis. The
duplication Of airports, air transport
hospitals, supply depots. forms, admins
wise common supplies and a host OF
other examples lead me logically to be
q Arm believer in Indignation, the elimi-
nation Of duplicate functions, facilities
personnel and equipment, and the
Standardization of organization, equip.
ment, nomenclatures and techniques te
the maximum extent consistent with
strategical or tactical military necessi.
ties.
These are facts that several studies
and TIE testimony of prominent military
and civilian witnesses for thousands Of
pages amply have demonstrated. All the
services are agreed that unity of COM
mand is essential in combat, that 8
complete merger of all arms into int.
grated efficiency is essential in combat
if needless loss of life, material anc
money Is to be avoided and victory
achieved. II 50, the sooner We gear oul
service officers in peacetime to int.
grated efficiency and tactics, to a sub.
ordination of pride Of service for thu
greater good Of universal efficiency II
all branches Of an integrated, smooth
functioning machine, the better position
we will be in both militarily and economi
cally. AS long as each goes its own sepa.
rate path, there will be constant rivalry
for credit and appropriations and con.
slant studies continually called for at
minimum to do something to eliminat.
the waste of valuable time, facilities
men and money arising from needles.
variations and Emergencies in ever,
field Of military or naval endeavor.
COL. JAMES p. GOODE,
Air Corps.
Urges Support of Downey Bill
To the Editor of The Star: