Evening star., 1948-12-16
Hoover Unit Finds Defense Setup Luckinq
CONTINUED From First Page.)

and procedure AIMED at curing
them," the report says. For con-
venience they are roughly divided
into six main fields as follows:
Il. Central authority in the ma
ttonal military establishment must
be clarified and strengthened.
q. Military budget organizations
ana procedures must be improved,
clarified and regularized.
"3. Teamwork throughout the ma
ttonal security organization must
be improved.
Sounder Basis for Research.
u. Scientific research and de-
velopment must be placed on a.
sounder basis and related more
closely to military policy and
strategic plans.
IS. a greater sense Of urgency and
more realism are demanded In
civilian and industrial mobilization
planning and in adjusting logistic
requirements to available national
resources.
g. Adequate provisions must be
made for our civilian defense and
internal security Of vigorous at
tentlon given to new and uncon-
ventional methods of warfare"
The report recommended that the
permanent Once of Civil Defense,
for which a plan was drawn up by
board formerly headed by Russell
j. Hopley, should be established un-
der the National Security Resources
Board rather than the military
establishment.
The report added:
"Civil defense, as its name implies,
must be primarily civilian in name,
character and management If undue
dispersion Of military strength for
passive civilian defense is to be
avoided and If civilian supremacy is
to be insured over this powerful
ONCE which in time of war would
reach into the lives of every one
Of U.s."
The report repeatedly alluded to
the urgency of correcting defects in
the working of the National
Security Organization.
It had several criticisms of the
operations Of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
It considered and rejected, how
ever, suggestions for a single mill
tary Chief Of Staff, with a General
Staff in command Of all three serv-
ices; merger Of the three depart
ments into a single department or
merger of the naval air arm with
the Air Force.
Dissent from the decision against
a single Chief of Staff and General
Staff was recorded by two members
Of the committee. They are John
j. McCloy, former Assistant Secre-
tary OF War and now president of
the World Bank, and Chester I. /
Barnard. president of the Rookie
feller Foundation.
Patterson Dissents.
Another dissent came from Rob-
ert P. Patterson, member of the |
committee and former Secretary of
War. He stated the changes rec
commended by the committee are |
minor in character, and that the |
military establishment will not be |
on a sound basis until there Is q
single department of national de-
fense in place Of three departments,
under a secretary with compre-
hensive authority. -.
Mr.. Patterson's position was SIM
liar to the original War Depart
ment position on unification of the
services when Mr.. Patterson was
Secretary.
Conceding that the situation is
better than it was, Mr.. Patterson
said inter-service frictions have not
been reduced nor costly Implications
diminished.
The committee said a forcible
merger Of the three services more
likely would intensity rather than
diminish the deeply held differences
over strategic theory and tactical
method that divide the services.
Another committee member, Brig.
Gen. Robert z. Wood, board chair
man of Sears, Roebuck & Co., dis
sented from the decision against
merger of the naval air arm and
the Air Force.
Would Expand Authority.
To tighten the burdens on the
Defense Secretary and expand his
authority, the committee would
provide an undersecretary with a |
stronger staff than the Secretary
himself now has, allow him to name
q chairman Of the Joint Chiefs Of
Staff, provide him with a principal |
military assistant, remove the
limitations on the Secretary's
authority and strengthen his con-
troll over the budget.
The Secretary should decide mat
ters Of grand strategy, with compe-
tent military assistance, the COM
n1ittee said, adding: Modern war
cannot be left solely to the generals. Z"
While strengthening the Office of
the Secretary, the committee, at the
same time, would eliminate the
undersecretaries of the three de-