Evening star., 1945-10-10
Combined Stoff Chiefs
Held vituI in Future
Writer Points to Cooperation
Between Britain and u. S.

-
Writer Points to Cooperation
Between Britain and u. S.
By Dapid Laurence
Although there has been much dis
cussion as to whether or not the United
States should have single department
of national defense or permanent
institution should be forged out of the
temporary agency known as the United
States Joint Chiefs Of Staff, the most
important aspect of our wartime .ex-
perience appears to have been over.
looked. 1t is the vital necessity OF pre-
serving the combined chiefs of stan
of Great Britain and the United States.
Few people in either country know
the extent to which the armed forces
of Britain and the United States worked
together in military operations. Few
people know how splendidly the Brit
ish carrier task force worked with the
American Navy In the recent raids on
the japanese coast.
The story remains to be told of how
the British officers and crews accepted
the American system of carrier opera
| ton and even American slang in@tfeir
communication between ships In the
Far Pacific. The British Navy had not
had the opportunities for the type of
| experience which the American Navy
acquired in the war against Japan. For
| while it was suggested that the Brit
ish Navy be given a separate sector. but
| 1t was soon discovered that the British
carrier task force units could be welded
into the Sd or 5th Fleets and that. when
they had undergone a brief period of
maneuvers and training, they func-
TONED right along with American war
ships. tremendous respect for the
speed with which the British learned
the tactics OF our carrier task force
operation has been developed among
American naval officers in the Pacific.
Practical Suggestion.
IL Is being urged from both British
and American quarters that the two
nayies maintain joint maneuvers and
develop together in the coming years.
THIS Is a practical suggestion, which
does not need treaty or international
agreement, but merely an understand
ing between the military or naval staffs
OF both countries. In this way progress
can be made toward the perfection of
new techniques of warfare and new
weapons -.r-
incidentally, there is no plan In Great
Britain to establish a single department.
OF oeIense. Rather the tendency is to
encourage specialization in the armed
services. In the United States the term
single department of defense" is often
confused with overall command" or
'unlhed command" These are separate
and distinct things.
a single department of defense mere
~ means new layer of bureaucracy
over and above the Army, NAVY and
ar iolces. 1t means department with
one civilian secretary over all ARMED
services. 1t would mean one man in.
stead OF two to represent the armed
services at the cabinet table. Aside
from some obvious consultations In the
helo OF procurement and supply. which
can be easily introduced by the presi-
Gent by executive order without Great.
ing department of defense, there 4.
!. little that the Army or NAVY or air
forces would wish to do differently bv
reason of the civilian boss, Co-ordi-
nation rather than consolidation Is ths
real problem
Same Responsibility,
The responsibility for operating tn.
navy or the Army or the air forces
would still be on their respective com.
manders no matter whether a single
ciVilan ruled them all. It would sti1I
De necessary for the United States
Joint Chiefs of Staff to function. Th,.
does not mean a separate military
chque without responsibility to any
armed service. Such a setup would be
militaristic. would develop the defects
OF the German staff, and would tend tn
oemoralize each one of the armed
services.
ANY plan, in fact, which puts an ad.
miral over ground army or an artiI-
leryman over carrier task force il
doomed to failure The Army is best
quaAned to conduct ground operations.
the Navy is best qualified to fight ON
the seas, and the Army Air Forces can
supplement- both the Army and NAVY
IN long-range strategic bombing oper-
ations. But the Army will still need a
tactical air force of its own to synchro-
nlze with ground operations, and the
Navy will need its own air arm for
launching planes from ships and to
patrol the seas. Likewise the Marine
Corps will always be needed to specialize
and train men in amphibious operations.
For while the Army had some excel
lent amphibious units. these could not
have achieved their fine record with
out the help of the Marine Corns.
nucleus of officers who for years have
studied and conducted amphibious op-
erations.
There are, Of course, interseryics
Jealousies and rivalries. But If these
did not exist. morale building might re-
quire that they be created. For rivalry
even between Army divisions to reach
definite goals and the stimulus of q
competitive spirit which is an American
tradition had much to do with the at
tainment of military objectives in this
war whether in Europe or in the Far
East. =
tReprdouction Rishts Reserved}
Won1a, AyLo