Evening star., 1948-04-06
70-Group Force
For Air Voted by
Subcommittee
House Action Urged;
Senators Sturt Slowly
On Droft, UNIT Bill
By J. A. O'Leor

A House Armed Services Sub
committee voted unanimously
today in favor of enlargipg the
Air Force to the 70-group level.
Meanwhile. the Senate Armed
Services Committee got of to a
slow start on the related subject
of reviving the draft and establish
ing universal military training
program. The committee decided
to call back top military leaders
for further information on man.
power needs before reporting any
legislation.
The resolution adopted by the
House group requests the full
Armed Services Committee in that
branch to urge the administration
to submit Immediately an addi-
tional Air Force budget of $685.
100000 to provide for the 70-group
defense setup.
Representative Clason, Republi-
can, of Massachusetts,, subcommittee
chairman, said this would bring the
Air Force budget to be acted on by
this Congress up to S., Az, ,000, 900.
May Affect Draft, UNIT Plans.
The decision of the House sub
committee may have a bearing on
the terms of the temporary draft
and UNIT legislation, because mill
tary leaders have pointed out the
70-group Air Force would require
more manpower In the armed forces
Present plans of the administra-
tion do not contemplate going above
q 55-group Air Force. although Sec
retary of Defense Forrestal told the
Senate Armed Services Committee
Saturday he II not foreclosing the
possibility he may request for the
70-group plan or some alternative
program later. The Defense Sec
retary has estimated roughly that
the 70-group Air Force would cost
$18, 600, ,000, 900 more than the mill
tary budget of last year. because to
support it would require a bal
ar1ced establishment of land, sea, air
ana merchant marine elements"
Mr.. Clason said today he does
not feel there Is conflict between
Mr.. Forrestals figures and the ad-
ditional amount the subcommittee
recommended today. Presumably,
the House subcommittee believes
the Air Force should be built up as
first line of defense, even without
the related expansion in the other
branches.
World Tension Forces Action.
an the present State of world
tension. the payment of an addi-
tional premium of So ,288 ,000, 900 to
provide an Air Force that could de-
fend our coast line and cities, and
strike back over enemy territory,
would be money well expended" Mr..
Clason said. -.
II hope that in two or three years
the international situation will have
changed so that large expenditures
for defense no longer will be nee
essary, but at the moment not to
carry out the recommendations of
the Presidents Air Policy Commit
tee and the Congressional Air Policy
Board would seem most unwise"
Although the Clason subcommit-
tee did not have a bill pending, it is
prepared to draft one if the full
committee approves today's resolu-
ton.
The decision of the Senate COM
mittee caused Chairman Gurney to
revise his prediction that draft and
UNIT legislation would be reported
to the Senate by Friday. After a
closed committee session today,
Senator Gurney said I'VE will be
lucky If we have a bill ready the
first of next week."
No Decision on Details.
No decisions were reached on de-
tails, but Senator Gurney said there
was much discussion" of exempting
from the draft men who have served
in the armed forces for more than