Evening star., 1947-03-27
Move to Undermine
Marine Corps Is Seen
Armed Forces Merger Bill
Could End Organization
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
The Marine Corps is again fighting
for its life. Despite the wonderful record
made by the Marines in World Wars
and II and the sacrifices made by its
omcers and men in some of the toughest
nghtlng that troops have ever faced, a
program OF legislative sabotage is under
way to undermine the future of the
Marine Corps.
Marine Corps officers from top to bot
tom are disturbed over what is happen
Ing and are calling on their friends
everywhere to become informed ON what
Is going on.
The problem lies in the utter vague
ness Of the proposed bill which is SUD-
posed to merge the armed services.
Almost everything is left to executive
order. The Marine Corps, which has
hitherto enjoyed the protection of a
statutory definition of its role and mis-
sion, could be abolished overnight il
the pending bill is passed.
Excluded From Staff.
The bill before Congress- which Is
supposed to reflect the administration
point of view, gives the new Secretary
OF Defense authority to modify or re-
distribute functions in the future as
ne sees Mt. AS the bill is now written.
Marine officers are excluded from sery-
ing on the Joint Chiefs of Staff or as
aides or assistants to the Secretary of
Defense. The reference in the present
Dill Is to Officers of the Navy" This
phrasing according to legal experts.
would not include Marine Corps officers
Also the Secretary of Defense has alb
solute power over the budget and could
decline to recommend funds for the Ma
rlne Corps any time he wished to do so.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia
already has announced that he will not
vote Tor the merger bill unless functions
are more specifically defined in the
statute than is done in the pending bill
1t is significant that President Tru-
man IN his message to Congress on
June Is last did include a clear and
satisfactory definition of the roles and
missions which he favored for the Ma
rlne Corps, SO the President can hardly
blame the Marine Corps for being dis
turbed by the sins of omission in the
present bill. Mr.. Truman recommended,
In Identical letters to the Senate and
House committees, that roles and mis-
sions such as he outlined be enacted
into legislation.
1t is puzzling that the Commandant of
the Marine Corps should not be given
the right to participate in conferences
OF the United States Joint Chiefs of
Staff. He was not even put on the list
of witnesses in connection with the
hearings, though individual members in
sisted on calling him for next week.
Specialization Ignored.
When Gen. Vandegrift, the hero of
Guadalcanal, testified last year he re-
1erred to secret papers in the War De-
partment General Staff containing dis
cussions looking toward the crippling of
the Marine Corps 1t seems certain
that publication of these will be forced,
and this will bring into the open some
thing which the public has right to
know-the deliberate effort to wipe out
the Marine Corps as it has been previ-
ouSly known.
The Marines, it appears, would be
relegated to the status of light units
of the commando type. This would be
a blow to the security of the United
States. Fer experience teaches tina.
the Marines are the finest kind of troops.
They are, in fact, an intelligent variety
Of suicide troops" for they take OBJ
jectives, such as were faced in Saipan
and Two Jima, In manner that has
won the admiration of fighting men
the world over.
1t isn't that other American troops are
any less brave. On the contrary, it is
not matter of bravery merely but of
specialized training and corps spirit.
To make merger on paper which de-
prives America Of the Marines-whose
units have been fighting, especially in
amphibious operations. since 17S9-is to
ignore specialization and set the clock
back in amphibious warfare.
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