Evening star., 1947-09-29
Merger Likely
OF Boiling Field
And Anacostid
Duplicate Facilities
Factor in Fight to
Unity Armed Forces
By John A. Giles

conferences looking toward
joint use of Army, Navy and Air
Force facilities. which might
lead to the merging of the Air
Forces Boiling Field and the
Anacostia Naval Air Station, are
expected to begin shortly, 1t was
learned today.
The duplicating facilities at Boil.
ing and Acknowledgements only
by q boundary 1ine-were held up
as an example of the need for mer-
ger in the prolonged congressional
debates on the armed forces unfit
cation measure.
The two military transport serv-
ices-the Army Transport Command
and the Naval Air Transport Serv-
ice-whose routes parallel each
other in many parts of the world,
also are expected to come in for
study looking toward possible mer-
ger.
Forrestal Quoted.
Defense Secretary Forrestal, at
his first press conference last week,
said that wherever it is practical,
where it doesn't diminish the char
acter Of the service 1t is obvi-
Gus" that duplication should be
eliminated.
He added that, before taking anY
action. he would get "the facts and
the recommendation" OF the mill
tary leaders. The Unfication Act
itself provides that he shall take
appropriate steps to eliminate dupli-
cation and overlapping 80
The preliminary conferences on
elimination of duplicating air ia
cilities could start from at least two
premises:
!. The general directives from the
top military leaders of the services.
issued shortly after the President
signed the National Security Act,
that investigations get underway to
carry out the provisions of the law
2. The Navys so-called Towers re-
port, made by that services General
3oard and signed by its chairman,
admiral John Towers.
Towers Report Recalled.
The Towers report is one on naval
shore establishments, their use,
state Of repair, etc. 1t does not deal
directly with the question of joint
usage but Admiral Towers said today
that it could be the basis of studies
on possible joint use of bases.
The admiral pointed out that his
board had had no directive to make
any specific study of integration of
facilities. The report was submitted
to the Secretary of the Navy several
weeks ago and has not been made
public.
A spokesman for the Secretary of
Defense confirmed that among pre-
liminary studies on the agenda of
the services is the matter of elimi-
anton of duplicating and overlap
pingsfacilities. No recommendations
or matters for final decision along
this line have yet reached Mr.. For
restal, he added.
{ Savings Seen as Large.
The Air Forces position is that
two adjacent fields could be COM
bined provided that the combined
installation would have sufficient
hangers and buildings. Thus, one
control tower and one set of run.
ways could be eliminated at great
savings to the taxpayer.
An Air Force spokesman said that
1t was felt that actual operation of
such facility would be either under
Air Force or Navy command and
that each case would be settled in
dividually.
He added that the Air Force felt
that wherever sufficient buildings
existed-hangers, quarters and ad-
ministration-on facilities near each
other those fields could be combined
with virtually no initial cost.
There are more than 200 Air
Force and Navy air fields in the
continental United States.