Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-17
Service Merger Foes
Find Little 10 Praise in
Revised Truman Plan
BY the Associoisd Press

a too little and too late" labe
on President Truman's revised
unification plan today.
In general, they took the attitude
that the concessions the President
and the War Department made tc
the sea arm on such points as the
Marine Corps and the Joint Chiefs
of Staff were insufficient to over
come previous objections.
And with only four weeks remain
ing before Congress plans to quit
work for the year, they said the
prospects of final action at this
session are extremely remote.
Senator Robertson, Republican,
OF Wyoming, in comment typical OF
those who have been critical of
earlier merger proposals, said Mr.
Truman's plan still has the insur-
mountable defect of the Secretaries
OF the Army, Navy and Air Forces
not being cabinet members"
These three sofficers would be
subordinate to the Secretary of Ma
tional Defense under the admins
tration plan. Senator Robertson, a
member of the Senate Naval Affairs
Committee, told reporter: II am
fearful of one-man control"
Open Hearings Urged.
The Wyoming Senator said he was
glad to see that Mr.. Truman "de-
cided to leave the Marines in being, ~
and that the Army had bowed to the
Navy in favor of the present Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
Aside from the decision to retain
the Joint Chiefs instead of setting UP
a single military commander to be
rotated among the services, the en-
tire new merger plan differs in few
major respects from the proposal
MIR. Truman first submitted to Con-
gress last December.
Senator Robertson said he thinks
the Naval Affairs Committee has
the right to hold open hearings and
go into this whole matter thor
oughly."
That committee recently called
several top-flight naval officers to
closed-door sessions to hear the
Nays opposition to the merger bill.
Chairman Walsh refused to COM
ment, but others besides Senator
Robertson indicated they would like
to air the matter in the open.
Backed by Service Chiefs.
In sending his plan to the chair
mon 0f tho Gcnofo orJ uN,,.a NE;l;
tary and Naval Affairs Committees
late Saturday, Mr.. Truman said the
program had his unqualified in
dorsement." He added that Secre-
tary of the Navy Forrestal and Ad-
miral Nimitz. chief of naval oper-
ations, had promised to support it
along with Secretary of War Pat
terson and Gen. Eisenhower, Army
Chief of Staff.
On the IL basic principles" for
merger outlined by Mr.. Truman. he
had to resolve disputes between
Secretaries Forrestal and Patter-
son on four of them. On only one
of the four did the Navy get full
approval.
That point concerned the future
of the Marine Corps as "a con-
stituent part of the naval service"
to conduct limited land operations
in selling or defending advanced
bases and prosecuting a naval CAM
paign. The Army had opposed the
use of Marines in actions involving
sustained land fighting"
Charges Seem Minor.
Otherwise Mr.. Truman sided with
the Army against the Navy on the
matter of single Department of
National Defense, on the three CO.
ordinated branches within that de-
partment and on granting the Air
Forces control over long-range
reconnaissance and antisubmarine
warfare now conducted by the Navy.
Emphasizing the minor changes
to be required in the pending mer-
ger bill, Chairman Thomas of the
Senate Military Affairs Committee
said they can be handled by amend
ments to be proposed from the Sen
ate floor. Senator Thomas's COM
mittee wrote the bill after lengthy
hearings and prolonged closed-door
sessions He said he expects passage
this summer.
While the bill was sent to the floor
weeks ago, no strategy decisions
have been made for it's handling.
This fact, coupled with continued
opposition among Navy supporters,
added to the general doubt that any
merger measure will be sent to Mr..
Truman for his signature this year.