The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1946-03-16

Navy Believes it
Has Won in Army
Merger Fight

The Navy feels It has licked the
proposal for its merger with the
Army. 1t may be right, although
the top rass" OF the War De.
partment continues its fight.
Legislation toward unifying the
armed services is pigeonholed in
the House committee on executive
department expenditures. The com
mittee has held hearings on the
matter but observers close to the
group say that a bill will not be
brought out In the. near future.
In addition, II is reported that
President Truman, who endorsed
the merger, has spoken his final
piece on the issue. The Navy,
in its anti-merger battle, has urged
coordination instead Of unihcation.
A proposal along these lines may
be brought out by three-man sub
committee OF the Senate Military
Affairs Committee which Is revamp-
ing the merger bill introduced by
Senator Lister Hill (D) of Alaba-
ma.
Secretary OF the Navy James
Forrestal had planned TO resign
his post but changed his mind when
he saw the merger fight coming up.
A bitter opponent OF unihcaton,
Forrestal may quit as soon as he
is convinced the proposal has been
defeated.
Meanwhile the Navy proposes 10
make the coming atom bomb tests
in the Marshall islands an example
OF peace-time coordination.
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST AS.
SEDIMENTS, and one at which
seasoned soldiers and sailors
shrink. is connected with the forth
coming tests OF the atomic bonn.
Most officers are anxious to be
in on the big show.
The task that inspires fear In
them, however, is the assignment
of handling arrangements for press
and radio coverage of the Pacific
performance. Estimates on the
number OF writer's and commenta-
tors who want ringside seats IN
the May and July tests run up
ward of 5000, although Navy files
show only $500 received to date.
The public relations men have
TO weed down to between 125 and
$50 .eporters, writers, radio men
and photographers.
AMERICAS RAPIDLY EXPAND
ING commercial airlines at homo
and overseas are planning on tripl-
ing their passenger-carrying capac-
ity this year.
United States airlines now have
on ordo-, or on option to buy. q
feet of 1,414 aircraft with a total
capacity OF 5s.1S4 passengers.
When this fleet gets into opera
ton, by the end OF 1916, II Is ex-
pected to pile up 10 billion passen-
ger miles annually, compared with
the 1915 total OF three billion 525
million annual passenger miles.
Pan American, for instance, is
planning on two flights daily be-
tween the Pacific Coast and Homo
lulu in the near future.
American and TWA expect TO
boost their transatlantic service
within the next few months, de-
pending on the speed with which
four-engined planes come on the
assembly lines.
All lines are concentrating on
safety measures on overseas flights
to overcome the natural reluctance
of passengers to fly over water N
land planes.
THE SALARIES paid United Ma
lions Organization workers when
headquarters are established In
the United States will not be
great.
There will, however. be enough
to attract efficient workers. The
gimmick in this arrangement lies
in taxes. The general plan is that
workers will be guaranteed a GER
tain take home" pay. II he Is
British, French, or any other ma
tionality, UNO will take care OF his
taxes at home.
Thus, IL he gets $4,000 a year. II
will be clear profit. If his home
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