Evening star., 1946-10-28
Armed Forces Cuts
Laid to Pork Barrel
Savings Are Seen Diverted
For Political Benefit
By David Laurence

By Dapid Laurence
Although the White House has de-
MED that any further cuts" in the
money available to the armed services
"are under consideration at this time"
beyond those ordered in President Tru-
mans letters of August 2 last, 1t turns
out that the denial is just a technical
quibble.
Both the War and Navy Departments
are in a state of CONSERVATION over the
new slash in their funds and also over
the unprecedented power usurped by
the Bureau of the Budget in endeavor-
ing to deny to the Army and Navy the
money appropriated to them by the
Congress for this fiscal year.
Economy Is al-important, but when
the administration cuts the Army and
Navy and uses the savings to help Con-
gressmen win elections in certain dis
tricts where "pork barrel" appropria-
tions have just been allocated, it makes
serious situation for the country and
one that demands from the White House
q full explanation of what Is going on.
Regardless of whether the President
calls it further cuts" or now interprets
his August letter as meaning more
cutting than the high officers in the
armed services understood 1t originally
to say, there are big slashes under con-
sideration which may close down many
of the civilian shipyards on the At
lantic and Pacific coasts, may cut the
entire Marine Corps in half and cause
the discharge of many volunteers re-
cruited at big expense recently by vari
Gus branches of the armed services.
Defenses Will BE Weakened.
The defenses of the United States will
be considerably weakened. Construc-
ton of ships will be stopped at stage
IN the process of their completion which
will cost the Government far more to
finish at a later date.
The quibble about the further cuts
comes to this: In his August letter,
the President ordered cut in the money
appropriated already by Congress. The
reduction of $3.50 900 900 was specifically
| mentioned for the Navy and about
$1,000, 900 900 for the Army and the Army
Air Forces. In the Presidents letter.
! however, mention also was made of
sums estimated at approximately $780,
| 600 900 in cash available to the Navy
which would not be spent this year but
! which could be used for certain COM
mitments. Whatever the disputed Ian
| guage was governing this second item
of $3.50, 900 900, another letter from the
| President came to the War and Navy
Departments about two weeks ago which
clarified the intent of the Budget Bu-
| reau, and now there is no doubt that
the cuts are extensive. Why shouldn't
both letters be made public at once?
1t is all very well for the White House
to say there are no further CUTS and
! technically there are none, but those
persons in the War and Navy Depart
ments who read the August 2 letter
got q very clear impression that all
that had to be cut in this fiscal year
were the first $3.50 900 900 in the Navy
and 81 ,0OO, 100000, in the Army budgets.
Cuts May Be Doubled.
|
will have to cut about 81 800, 900 900, ant
the Army cut may run nearly twice the
! original 81 ,000, 900 900.
| There is some evidence. too. that both
| the military and naval budgets for the
| present fiscal year now are expected to
absorb the increased expense Of the
recent rise in officer and civilian en-
ploye pay effective July l last. Plainly
when these new items. not originally
contemplated in the budget, are i'm
posed now it makes a further cut in
| evitable.
The big question before the country,
| however, Is whether the President Is
justified in making secret cuts of the
funds of the armed services beyond
those authorized by Congress and to
make these cuts just before election
without giving full information to the
| public.
The Nation wants economy but not
the kind that fattenS up political bene-
Ats. To use public contracts to make
votes in certain areas while at the same
time diminishing the efficiency of the
Army and Navy as instruments OF our
foreign policy is public scandal.
Many thousands of workers do not
know it as yet, but they will be thrown
out of their jobs in civilian shipyards
Immediately after the election If the
present cuts are insisted upon by the
armed services, and the latter will have
no choice.
1t seems strange that the President S
statement last week speaks of certain
Limitations of Congress which have to
be respected in connection with rivers
and harbors bills and public works, but
no respect apparently is paid to the
| authorizations made by Congress for
our armed services.
It is understood that planned maneu-
| vers Of the armed services will have to
be curtailed. More serious than this is
the encouragement to the nucleus of
officers who are trying to maintain in
the troubled postwar period the eff
cheney of American forces needed to de-
fend the United States and to contribute
adequate strength to the United Nations
Security Council. .....
/ Reproduction Rishts ReservedJ
Question for Wanderers
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