Evening star., 1946-07-03
New Navy Opposition
To Merger Expected
To Flare Into Open
BY the Associated Press

A fresh outburst of Navy oppo-
sition to President Truman's
personally compromised merger
plan threatened to flare into the
open today.
The Chief Executive pointedly as
serted less than three weeks age
that he expected Navy as well as
Army leaders to support the revised
unification draft he submitted to
Congress after months of inter-
service pickering.
But closeddoor meeting of the
Senate Naval Affairs Committee
yesterday brought reports from
members that both Admiral w. F.
Bull Halsey and Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy w. John Kenney
had criticized the Presidential COM
promise
And Mr.. Kenney was invited back
for another committee session to-
day.
Open Hearings Urged.
Senator Robertson, Republican, of
New York, told a reporter that he
and Senator Byrd, Democrat. of
Virginia, had urged Chairman Walsh
to open the hearings to the public.
The Wyoming Senator added that
this procedure had been promised
II any attempt at early passage
was made.
Both Senators Walsh and Robert
son agreed in separate interviews
earlier that there is no chance for
enactment of the controversial
merger plan before the present ses-
sion of Congress adjourns.
Senator Robertson described the
Navy as still unalterably opposed to
any unification plan that will cost
it its traditional cabinet representa-
ton.
He added that Admiral Halsey and
other wartime task force leaders
also are strongly opposed to the de-
c1sion by President Truman that a
proposed new air force branch take
over "land-based planes for naval
anti-submarine war
fare and protection of shipping"
Pacific Campaigns Cited.
Admiral Halsey was said to have
attributed the loss of several de-
stroyers in the Leyte campaign to
lack of land-based naval aircraft,
citing on the other hand the support
such planes provided during the
Okinawa invasion.
Senator Walsh told newsmen that
the admiral-a member of Mr.. Tru-
mans informal council of elder
military statesmen was testifving
as an individual rather than de-
partment spokesman.
AS Mr.. Kenney and Admiral Hal
sey left the committee room they
told waiting reporters they could
not disclose their testimony.
Mr.. Truman tried to resolve the
long Army Navy feud over merger
legislation by first directing Secre-
tary of the Navy Forrestal and Sec
retary of War Patterson to list all
elements of agreement and dis
agreement.
Two Agreed on Eight Points.
The President later announced
that the two cabinet officers had
agreed on eight points but were in
some measure of disagreement on
four others. The Chief Executive
himself cast the deciding vote on
the disputed points and sent word
OF his decisions to the chairmen of
both Senate and House Naval and
Military Affairs Committees.
At the same time, Mr.. Truman
said the Army and Navy leaders
have assured me that they will
support such a plan and he asked
congressional approval "as soon as
possible"
To the two cabinet members. the
President sent letters saying 4 know
that l can count ON YOU for
full assistance in obtaining passage
in the Congress"
Mr.. Patterson quickly pledged his
"Wholehearted' help. but more than
a week elapsed before the White
House made public a letter from
Mr.. Forrestal promising support to
the ''objectives" of the Presidents S
compromise plan, adding that it was
"attainable."