Evening star., 1948-05-13

military, have reached the conclusion that
the overall program for the services on the
basis Of 4 66-group Air Force will give us the
maximum return for the military tax dollar"
Slower Approach Was Planned.
The 66-group plan was offered as = means
OF staying within reasonable budgetary limits
for the military establishment and at the same
time rs . method Of doing first things first"
In expanding the Air Force. Army and Navy.
The 66-group plan would step up the present
S. groups by forming 10 additional groups,
each with 30 B-2s bombers. These B-2ss would
be taken from storage and "activated and
modernized." The eleventh extra group would
be new fighter outfit.
Army manpower would have to be increased
to 10000, the Nays would be 100000, Ma
rines 10000. and the Air Force 453,0O0: . total
Of 1.795,00 The total today is about 1884 900.
The 7o-group plan would call for a 837 00o-
man Army, 556yss2 Navy, 111,ooo Marine Corps,
and $4,000 Air Force; a total of 20o6. .ss2.
The 66-group defenders, asserting there is
nothing sacred about the fetish Of numbers"
or the figure 40" claim their plan would:
Immediately furnish greater air power.
Make good use Of B-29s which, far from
being "mothball" fleet or obsolete, are among
the best in the world today.
refueled in the air, they could extend their
range.
Give assurance that "for the period just
ahead we would be buying the most useful
weapons" and that for the more distant future
there would be no letup in long-range plan
ming. research and tooling of the aircraft in
dustry at realistic" pace.
Prevent the Air Force from being loaded up
with too much equipment too soon or ending
up with large supply of obsolete or obsolescent
material.
Avoid . drain on the Nations productive
capacity 1T . time Of heavy infiationary
pressures.
The 7e-Group Advantages.
The 70-group school Of thought lists these
further arguments to support their position:
The first phase of any future war would be
determined in the air. For the first time the
continental United States could be hit without
warning.
The United States must have an Air Force
up to the minute In any year-to ward OIL
such an attack and to retaliate swiftly.
The United States must keep pace with other
nations, especially Russia. in production and
development Of latest-type planes particularly
jet fighters and bombers.
Military aircraft production fell to 800 last
year in this country. The 70-group procure
ment plan would be much faster and more
effective than the 66 or IS group programs in
enabling plants to tool up and turn out. Be-
cause of the time required for this, . start
must be made at once.
The 66-group plan would leave the United
States without effective aircraft in storage in
1851 and with only about AZ air groups COM
pletely modernized in that year. National
Guard aircraft would be obsolete by that time
The 70-group plan calls for $500 Air Force
active combat planes, with s10o others In
storage in about three years. The Air Force
now has about $500 in 55 groups, but many are
not first line. 1t has 1900 in storage.
That is not the Nations present total air
power, because it does not include naval avia-
tion and planes in National Guard and Reserve
operation. But it Is stressed to point up the
danger Of attrition unless there is modern
replacement" and unless procurement and pro-
duction efforts are expanded now with an
eye to 1852.
In reply to charges that the 0-group plan
would cause rapid and dangerous expansion Of
industrial production, its champions explain
that the program provides for steady" not
. speed-up schedule.
During the .194s fiscal year the output would
be 2911, with 4.09e in 1850, 4,5s9 in 1851. $500
in 1852 and leveling Of at that total there
after