Evening star., 1945-12-19

SUCCESS upon tQe voluntary cooper
alton of its member agencies. Dur
ing the war period of extreme ma
tional danger, there was, of course
a high degree of cooperation. In
peacetime the situation will be diff
ferent. 1t must not be taken for
granted that the Joint Chiefs OF
Staff as now constituted will be as
effective in the apportionment OF
peacetime resources as they have
been In the determination of war
plans and in their execution. As
national defense appropriations
grow tighter, and as conflicting in
terests make themselves felt in
major issues of policy and strategy
unanimous agreements will become
more difficult to reach.
1t was obviously impossible in the
midst OF conflict to reorganize the
armed forces of the United States
along the lines here suggested. Now
that our enemies have surrendered,
1 urge the Congress to proceed to
bring about reorganization OF the
management of the armed forces.
Further studies OF the general
problem would serve no useful pur-
pose. There is enough evidence now
at hand to demonstrate beyond ques-
ton the need for a unified depart
ment. A great many of the rea-
sons for establishing a single de-
partment have been brought out
already in public discussion and in
congressional committee hearings
Reasons Outlined.
To me the most important rea-
sons for combining the two existing
departments are these:
l. We should have integrated
strategic plans and a unified mil
itary program and budget.
With the coming of peace, it is
clear that we must not only con-
tinue, but strengthen, our present
facilities for integrated planning.
We cannot have the sea, land and
air members of our defense team
working at what may turn out to
be cross purposes, planning their
programs on different assumptions
as to the nature of the military
establishment we need and engag-
ing in an open competition for
funds.
Strategy, program and budget are
all aspects of the same basic deci-
sions. Using the advice of our
scientists and our intelligence Of
fficerS, we must make the wisest
estimate as to the probable nature
of any future attack upon us, deter
mine accordingly how to organize
and deploy our military forces, and
allocate the available manpoWer,
materiel and financial resources in
manner consistent with the over
all plan.
Up to the present time. the make
up and balance of our armed forces
have not been planned as a whole
Programs and budget requests from
the Army and Navy have been for
mulated separately on the basis of
Independent concepts of mission
and function. These separate pro-
grams and budgets have not been
considered together until after they
have passed out of military hands
and even out of the hands of the
Secretaries of War and the Navy
The whole job of reconciling the
divergent claims of the depart
ments has been thrust upon the
President and the Congress.
Resources Not Unlimited.
This war has demonstrated COM
pletely that the resources of this
Nation in manpower and in raw
materials are not unlimited. Tc
realize this Is to comprehend the
urgent need for finding a way to
allocate these resources intelligently
among the competing services. This
means designing a balanced military
structure rejecting a considered
apportionment of responsibility
among the services for the per.
formance Of joint mission.
From experience as a member oi
the Congress, I know the great diff
ficulty of appraising properly the
overall security needs of the Ma.
ton from piecemeal presentations
by separate departments appearing
before separate congressional com
mittees at different times. 1t i,
only by combining the armed forces
into single department that the
Congress can have the advantage
of considering a single co-ordinateo
and comprehensive security pro.
gram.
2. We should realize the econ
omies that can be achieved
through unified control of supply
and service functions.
Instances of duplication amonl
Army and Navy activities and facili
ties have been brought to the at
tention of the Congress on man,
occasions. The degree of unity tina
was accomplished during the wa
in strategic planning and in theate
command Is in striking contrast will
the separatism that prevailed in tn,
whole range of supply and servic,
functions.