Evening star., 1947-07-07
Senate Opens Debate
On Military Merger;
Saving in Plan Cited
Gurney, Confident Bill
Will Pass, Says Economy
Would Be Astonishing
By the Associated Press

today forecast "astonishingly
large" savings through unifica-
ton of the Army, Navy and Ali
Forces.
Opening Senate debate on COM
promise bill to merge the armed
services, Senator Gurney said critics
OF the plan continually ask "how
much in dollars and. cents will be
saved each year by unification."
Personally. I think the savings
will be astonishingly large because
if for no other reason, if you please
our present system is so hor-
ribly uneconomical," he said.
Urging speedy congressional ap-
proval, Senator Gurney said that
in an era of "supersonic planes ano
guided missiles with atomic war.
heads" an overall defense plan
should not be delayed.
Confident of Approval.
"It is not being an alarmist tc
point out that in the event OF an
other global war hostilities will be
initiated without prior warning, and
by an attack as complete and
devastating as lies within the capa-
bilities of the nation which launches
it," he said.
Earlier he said he Is confident
the Senate will approve the bill
which would place the services un-
der single Cabinet officer.
But Senator Robertson, Repub-
lican. of wyoming, only Armed
Services Committee member who
did not vote for the bill, planned
a last-ditch floor battle.
Dozen Amendments Ready.
Senator Robertson, member
of the Naval Affairs Committee
which underwent its own merger
last session, had nearly dozen
amendments ready to offer. In
addition, ne has introduced his
own substitute plan which he says
stresses "co-ordination and CO.
operation rather than merger"
When the White House unifica-
ton appeals first reached Congress
last year, top Navy Department
civilians and admirals were lined
up solidly against the plan. Since
then. under presidential orders to
compromise. most of them have
swung behind the pending bill.
But Senator Robertson said this
resulted from pressure" adding
that he expects some Senate support
in his opposition.
Republican leaders have the
unification measure near the top
of their must list" for APPROVAL this
month. A House committee still is
considering a companion measure,
but House leaders say they will be
ready to act if the measure clears
the Senate.
Would Set Up Single Cabinet Post,
The legislation would establish a
national security organization
headed by Secretary of National
Security. who would be the sole
Cabinet representative of the mill
tary and naval services
Under him would be Departments
of the Army Gnstead of War. Navy
and Air Forces with their own Sec
retaries. This would raise the Air
Forces to co-equal status with the
older land and sea arms but deprive
the War and Navy Departments oi
their present Cabinet seats.
The measure also would give
permanent status to a number OF
war time agencies set up by presi-
dental order. These include War
Council, the Joint Chiefs of Staft
and the Research and Development
Board.
Also established would be Ma
tionai Security Council, a Central
Intelligence Agency and a National
Security Resources Board.
. The 12-to-0 vote of the Armed
Services Committee, which recon-
mended the unffication plan to the
Senate, said:
IF prompt action is not taken
to enact this bill during the pres
ent Congress, we shall, two years
after conclusion of World War II,
find ourselves the only major power
in the world that has not mod
ernized its military establishment
in the light of the lesson of that
war"
1t added that the proposed new
organization "abides In the solid
conviction of our people, and the
basic democratic principle, that the
leaders of the armed services are
subordinate to their civilian heads,
and through them to the President,
the Congress and the people,