Evening star., 1948-06-02
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
The biggest peacetime military
budget in the Nations history
hit the House floor today-$10,- :
196,672,25O for the Army, Navy
and Air Force.
Two separate appropriations bills
given top priority for immediate
action-provide $500 $4,000 for
the Army and the Air Force and
1886, 133,25O for the Navy for the
year starting July l.
The Appropriations Committee at
the same time released testimony
by Gen. Bradley. Army chief of
staff and Admiral Denfield. chief
of Naval operations warning of the
alarming menace" of Soviet mil
itary might and disclosing that the
United States fleet now in the Med
iterranean is there for two reasons ::
First, to serve as a warning to
Soviet Union not to try to overrun
any Of the free countries of Europe
Second, to be ready to remove
American forces if worst came to
worst.
12-Ship Task Force on Way.
Admiral Denfeld told the COM
mittee just two weeks ago that the
Mediterranean Fleet of one car
rier, three cruisers and 10 destroy
ers could be augmented quickly.
"a 12-ship task force headed
by the carrier Kearsarge left
Norfolk late yesterday to relieve
the vessels now on duty in the
Mediterranean
The alarming menace" state
ment came from Gen. Bradley, who
told the committee, that "the pre-
cipitation of armed hostilities, either
by deliberate or accidental Incl
dent, is plausible possibility" so
long as American and Russian
forces face each other on opposing
frontiers in this strained atmosphere
of distrust and tension"
Discussing the use Of American
ships in foreign waters, Admiral
Denfeld declared:
mot only is the presence OF our
ships in certain troubled spots OF
the world today a clear indication
to would-be troublemakers of our
determination to maintain the
peace: it is also the means, and the
only means we possess, whereby we
may act swiftly to prevent the over
running of critical areas by an
enemy.
Ready to Act in Emergency.
AL the ships we have in the
forward areas are manned with
sufficient men to act in any emer-
gency the reason we have this
task force in the Mediter-
ranean is to be available in the
event that our occupation forces
have to be evacuated.
I'VE have in Europe occupation
forces in Germany, i'll Trieste; we
have missions in Greece and in
Turkey, and these ships are there
to be able not only to evacuate these
personnel in case of emergency but
also as a show of force to prevent
any nation from taking any action
which they might take if our ships
we're not there"
The combined total of the money
bills is S505, 100000 greater than the
services are spending this year and
more than three times as much as
The regular l94l budgets for the
armed forces.
The committee recommended a
cut of 81 per cent. or S24l .005, ,450,
for the Navy and 9 per cent, or
SCAT 1903 900, for the Army-Air Force
from amounts President Truman
had asked
Three Billions Already Voted.
But both sums recommended are
in addition to approximately s3,000,-
100000 Congress recently gave the
services to buy aircraft.
The new funds are intended to
build up Army and Air Force per-
sonnel to a top strength of 1924 500
and the Navy and Marine Corps to
$4,000.
This compares with reported So
(See MILITARY, Page A-5O