Evening star., 1946-03-22
A1Forces vs.. Navy
Enmity Seen Rising
WHr Calls on Gen. Spaatz to
eny or Explain Reports
BY David Laurence

WKr 1alis on Zen. SpaatZ to
pny or Explain Reports
BY Dapid Laurence
Prldent Truman may urge and Con-
gresanay even some day legislate Q
mera OF the armed services, but 1t
will useless move unless some way
Is foP to remove the bitterness which
aparfly is increasing as between the
ArmAir Forces and the United States
Navyh certain important segments Of
persdnel.
Nap circles have resented for some
time the derogatory remarks made
aboufhe Navy by various Army Air
Forc$enerals in the field even during
the v. These were reported to Wash.
ingtolfrom time to time. But the sensa-
ton pw is the speech alleged to have
been hade on the night of March IA
by ~. Spaatz, commanding general
OF II Army Air Forces, at private
dinnt given by the Aviation Writers
Assdhtion.
G}. Spaatz is being quoted as having
launhed TRADE against the Navy,
que5oning why the United States
shof have Navy now. He is reported
to 1--WE said that since the Russians
hav4ittle or no navy and the Japanese
navynas been sunk and Germany never
did ave much of navy, the navies
OF II rest of the world are negligible.
He 4 said to have remarked also that
the hvy has no enemies to fight any
moreexcept the Army Air Forces.
Other Comments Reported.
Ger Spaatz is credited with having
declafd also that there was no need
OF fparate air force for the Navy and
that kir forces from carriers would be
a wfte of taxpayers money. Some
comnents were reported to have been
made by the general about the impos-
sibiliF of launching atomic bombs from
carriFs. The Nays technical men say
the eneral is mistaken and that it is
possible to build naval carriers which
can jperate the same weight of planes
as tle B-29 and that atomic bombs can
be fopped even now at great ranges
from existing carriers.
Bit the main point is that some ono
ought to take these high officers and sit
then down together in room and
teadl them that their business of dis
parsging an armed service isn't good
from any viewpoint-not even from the
practical side, for if unification is to be
achie'ed at all it must be with a spirit,
OF cooperation and not destructiyeness.
The Army Air Forces has done a
magnificent job. Nobody in his right
mind has ever disparaged the marvellous
work OF the air forces from land bases.
but can't the Army Air Forces generals
concede also that maybe Admiral Hal.
sey's Sd Fleet with its carriers did
help to defeat Japan or that the
which are part of the Navy.
did help to get the bases at Two Jima
and Saipan and Guam from which the
Army Air Forces launched their attacks
including the atomic bombs?
Glory Enough for AL
There was glory enough for all In the
last war, including the infantry and
services won many a
mile of terrain in cloudy, snowy weather
when planes couldn't help them. II
Sen. Spaatz did make the remarks
attributed to him, he owes an apology
% the Navy. and nothing would be more
to the ultimate achievement
II unified armed service than If some
me who had made mistake apolosized
or 1t and admitted he might have been
wrong.
Gen. Spaatz is an able commander.
lie succeeds an exceptionally able COM
nander. Gen. Arnold. But If the new
commander of the Army Air Forces said
What Is being attributed to him in the
eports that are coming out about that
Aviation Writers Association dinner. he
las made his own participation in future
meetings Of the United States Joint
;hiefs of Staff of questionable value. A
orthright denial that any such state
nents were made would be reassuring
nd, If something like it was said. an
explanation of what was really meant
would be in order so as to bring har-
nony where today there is disunity
lmong the high officers of our armed
ervices.
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