Evening star., 1946-06-20
7.bi||ion Budqei
For Army Goes
To House Floor
Us Million for Atom
Study Slated in Peak
Peucetime Allotment
BY the Associofed Press


A $7,091 ,034, 700 Army budget
biggest ever in peacetime anc
with $175,0O0,0O0 tossed in TO,
atomic energy Development
went to the House floor today.
1t was almost twice as large as
the last prewar allotment, voted
IN 194l.
Nearly balancing the extra cash
granted the Army's famed Manhat-
tan project which produced the
atomic bomb, the Appropriations
Committee trimmed $3.50 000, 900 from
Budget Bureau estimates for Army
supervised relief and Government
activities in occupied countries.
The Budget Bureau had recon-
mended $500,000,000 for the relief
military government program and
10000, 900 for atomic development
The committee revised the amounts
to $350,00O,000 and 1915, 100000, re-
spectively. The Army had asked
s397,000.000 for the Manhattan
project.
Ill Million Reduction.
Otherwise the committee generally
followed the Budget Bureaus recon-
mendations for War Department
funds for the fiscal year starting
July l. Net changes in the big
measure represented reduction of
s117,172,729.
The committee approved in full
the s1,199,500,0000 allotment for the
Air Forces after hearing Gen. Carl
Spaatb, AAF commander, relate
plans for an Air Force adequate
to detect and repel any surprise
attack, to launch crippling
counteroffensive and to back up
the land and sea forces.
Gen. Spaatz told the committee
the minimum postwar air force
needs 10 combat groups backed by
a. pool of at least one Air National
Guard squadron in each State.
Will Purchase 1,046 Planes.
The Air Forces cash allotment
included 1888, ,776,454 for the pur-
chase of approximately 1,046 mod
ern planes and gliders. At the end
OF April Of this year the Air Forces
had $4,000 planes.
The committee boosted the atomic
service fund-part of which will be
used to pay for contracts into the
1eal year 1948-after hearing Army
tyads outline plans to maintain
development activities at their pres
ent level and to press vigorous
tesearch into peacetime possibilities
Of the newly developed power
source.
Both Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Army Chief of Staff, and Maj. Gen.
Leslie r. Groves, who heads the
Manhattan Project, cautioned
against sharing the A-bomb secret
1t this time.
Explains Cut in Relief Fund.
Explaining why it cut funds for
Army relief and Government activi-
les abroad, the committee said the
over amount should be adequate in
yiew of the probability that favor
,ble crop conditions abroad would
-educe the need for large cash out
ays for food.
Funds approved by the commit
zee, subject to House action when
he bill is considered tomorrow, con-
emplate an average Army strength
If 1,279,OOO for the coming fiscal
ear. with total of 100000 on
June 80, l947.
Backing up these active forces
would be National Guard of 240,-
100 officers and men, an Air National
Guard of 1856, organized reserves
II 1858 900, and Reserve Officers
raining Corps of 7,100 students.
National Guard Allotment.
For the National Guard, the COM
littee recommended $4,000, 900;
OF the Organized Reserves, $56, ,000,-
90, and for the ROTC. $16,872 900.
For other Army research pro-
srams, in addition to the atomic
,nergy project, the committee ap-
proved s261, 100000.
For permanent construction work
1t Army bases in Alaska, the Mari
mas, the Philippines, Hawaii and
0kinawa it granted the full budget
,stimate of S195 100000.
The bill was accompanied by pub
ication of 1000 printed pages of
testimony taken during its consid-
eration. Witnesses ranged from
Secretary of War Patterson and
Gen. Eisenhower down through the
over civilian and military echelons.
Eisenhower Sees Russian Amity.
During his brief appearance, Mr..
Eisenhower told the committee he
was convinced of the desire of "the
common man of Russia" for the
Soviet government to work it out
10 that we are friends"
Many hours of the committee S
orotracted hearings were devoted to
discussion of the so-called Little
oentagon'-an Army hospital in
donolulu-and to the Army's en-
ertainment programs.
The committee criticized the hos
oital project as ''too elaborate" and
laid estimates of its cost have risen
rom s16,OO0,O00 to S33,00O,O00. 1t
ordered that construction not be
started on new buildings until fur
her study has been made.
Since the end of hostilities, the
committee commented in its formal
'eport, Army entertainment has
tended toward the bountiful side -
It suggested that in the future such
activities be confined to simple and
conservative functions and a rela-
lively small number of official
t,,ocfc