Evening star., 1948-01-10
Act Unifying Services
Found 10 Need 0nIv
Minor Amendment
By John A. Giles

unified the armed services, has
proven almost administratively per-
feet and will require only one
amendment of minor Importance
at the current session Of Congress,
1t was learned today.
But the defense establishment has
. heavy legislative budget, including
appropriations and universal mill
tary training, which is likely to
elicit long and heated discussions
on Capitol Hill.
Passed last July after months Of
private and public wrangling and
high-powere lobbying by the serv-
ices, the unification act was praised
today by an assistant to Secretary
of Defense Forrestal for the "flexi-
bility and general workability."
Mr.. Forrestal himself commended
the act in an executive session with
the House Armed Service Commit
tee at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Change Involves Pay.
The only change contemplated Is
one which will allow maximum pay
ment of $50 instead Of $35 a day to
members Of the advisory commit
tees and special consultants. The
Army and Navy are allowed to pay
q maximum of $50 a day to such
personnel under separate laws.
The No. item on the defense
establishments legislative budget, Of
course, will be to obtain what the
planners think are adequate ap-
preparations.
But of major Importance will be
q demand for universal military
training. A united defense front, in
sharp contrast to the wrangling over
passage of the unification act, will
be led by MIR. Forrestal IN the hight
for such law.
Alternative May Be Asked.
A principal argument for uni
versal training will be the hard fact
that the Army, if recruiting con-
tinues to decline as it has done for
the last several months, will not
have sufficient men to carry out the
Nations foreign commitments. II
passage of universal training cannot
be obtained, some form OF selective
service may be asked.
The defense Establishment also
is tremendously interested in pas
sage of the Marshall plan as a de-
dense measure, it was learned. The
reasoning there is that. by building
I'D foreign countries to fight COM
munism, the end result might we'll
be less of a possibility Of need for
armed defense of the country later.
It is not known just when the
Congress will receive the defense
establishments recommendation
via the White House-for increased
nav for uniformed personnel. AT
present a civilian commission ap-
pointed by Mr.. Forrestal Is review
ing the recommendation OF the
toint Army-Navy Pay Board in the
light of present living conditions
and other factors.
Extra Pay Studied.
The commission not only is going
into the matter of increased pay,
but also is studying the matter OF
extra pay now received by pilots,
submariners and parachutists. Extra
flight pay" given airnen has been
attacked in Congress.
Congress also will receive q rec
ommendation for changing the
military retirement law, which Army
Secretary Royal has said should be
revised. The matter Of tax-exempt
disability pensions has come, In for
much criticism since 1t was revealed
that Maj. Gen. Bennett E. Meyers,
now under indictment. was retired
for physical reasons. A recon-
mendation is likely that the part OF
the pension which is tax-free be d.
rectly proportionate to a mans
physical disability and that the bal
ance be taxable.
Consolidation Delay Seen.
Congress is not likely to receive
any recommendations at this ses-
sion for consolidation of the several
armed forces reserves and the Ma
tional Guard. A group headed by
Assistant Secretary of the Army
Gordon Gray now is making a study
Of the possibility of consolidation,
but its report is not expected to be
in Mr.. Forrestal's hands before April
or May at the earliest. Any pro-
posal to change the present status of
the National Guard is likely to bring
about powerful political explosions
on the Hill and In the States.
None Of the defense legislative
program has been laid before Con-
gress yet. At the meeting with the
House committee Thursday, Mr.
Forrestal. Chairman Arthur M. Hill
of the National Securities Board,
Executive Secretary Sidney M
Souers Of the National Security
Council and the military leaders
reported on progress made since last
September, when the National Sc
curtty Act actually became effective.