Evening star., 1948-04-22
Fight 10 End Pledged
ByHouseAdvocatesoi oi
70-Group Air Force
by Robert K. Welsh

By Robert K. Welsh
House advocates of a 70-group
Air Force said today they would
fight to the end" for that program
against the 66-group compromise
recommended by Secretary of De-
fense Forrestal yesterday to ths
Senate Armed Services Committee.
Representatives Vinson, Democrat,
OF Georgia and johnson, Democrat,
of Texas, two House Armed Serv-
ices Committee members who have
spearheaded the House fight for the
larger Air Force expansion, declared
that the 66-group plan would merely
modernize World War II planes
instead of authorizing the Air Force
to build up a new force.
"The fight has just started for a
70-group force of new planes" Mr..
Vinson said. "We will fight to the
end for the 1922 100000 contract
authorization which the House
voted, 343 to 8, several days ago to
enable the Air Force to start building
toward a 70-group force"
Senate Bill Promised Soon.
Chairman Gurney of the Senate
Armed Services Committee said
earlier today he believes his group
would report out sometime next
week a bill containing Secretary
Forrestal's compromise plan as well
as a revival of selective service and
adoption of universal military train
ing
Representative johnson took issue
with this prediction and declared
that "the 66-group plan is just a
case of buggies against jets"
Mr.. Johnson declared that the
House vote for the 1922 900 900 con-
tract authorization for Air Force
expansion was so authoritative that
1t should be upheld by the Senate.
"If the Senate agrees to the &C.
group plan" he said, sit would be
voting for Marcantonio."
Representative Marcantonio,
American Laborite, of New York;
Isacson, American Laborite, Of New
York, and Powell, Democrat, OF New
York were the three House men,
bers who voted against the $3,l98,-
100000 advance supplementary de-
fense appropriation bill several days
ago. This bill was amended by the
House to include the 1922, 100000 Tor
Air Force eXpension.
Wishful Thinking Charged.
The House members commented
on the 66-group proposal after
their committee heard spokesmen
for the National Guard Association
and the Reserve Officers Association
accuse defense officials of having
failed to build up the Guard and
Reserve components because OF
"wishful thinking" that UNIT would
be quickly adopted.
Brig. Gen. E. A. Evans, executive
director of the Reserve Ofncers AS
sociation, told the committee that
practically all of the organized Re-
serve units today are merely men
on paper
This testimony led Representa-
tive Short, Republican, OF Missouri,
to declare that if the Army had
done it's duty to build up the Guard
and Reserve units, I'VE Wouldnt t
need a draft bill now"
Mai. Gen. Milton A. Reckord,
president of the National Guard AS
sociation, said the Guard needs
UNIT as we'll as selective service not
only to build up to authorized
strength but to assure stability"
Would Require Alien Registration.
The Senate Armed Services group
voted today to require registration
of all aliens from 18 through Is in
the proposed revival of the draft.
Chairman Gurney explained, how
ever, that aliens here as students or
for any other temporary purpose.
who have not declared intention OF
becoming citizens, could be deferred
on request in writing. If they re-
quested deferment they could not
thereafter take steps to become
citizens.
The Senators also discussed, with
out reaching a decision, the ad-
visibility of requiring the armed
services to accept voluntary enlist
ments for two years as well as three
years, since the draft bill con-
templates two years of active service
for draftees.
Chairman Andrews of the House
Committee said Secretary Forres-
tails new recommendations seemed
reasonable" He did not indicate
whether his committee would lower
a 2,OO6,00O overall manpower ceiling
proposed in the bill he sponsors.
That provision would allow for Air
Force expansion from SIS to TO
groups.
After hearing several opposition
witnesses tomorrow the House group
planned to end public hearings.
Only two of the 36 members have
announced thus far that they will
vote against reporting out the draft
bill to the House next week.
The additional II air groups rec
commended by Mr.. Forrestal would
cost S481 100000 This is regarded
as relatively small, because 10 OF
the II groups would consist of ap-
proximately 300 reactivated B-29
planes that would be modernized
The other group would consist of
fighter planes.
The s4s1 10000 would be in addi-
tion to the approximately S3,000,000,-
600 asked earlier for the 1949 fiscal
year by President Truman. This
$3,481 900, 900 would be on top of the
$1l 100000 previously requested in
the 1e4e budget. According to esti-
mates given the committee late yes
terday by Secretary Forrestal, the
total defense costs after next year
would be SIS 100000 and sl6,-
5O0,000,000 for the third year.
Senator Gurney's reaction to the
66-group plan was:
within budgetary limits it gives
us a protective force we need at
the moment. 1t would give the Air
l,t,