Evening star., 1949-04-25
Johnson Seen Defying
Congress by Hating
Work on New Carrier

OnITICOttOH tHSutSHSU
By Letting z Services
Veto Project Of Third
By David Laurence
Unification of the armed serv-
ices-long sought by Congress
and the American people as de-
sirable objective-has just been
dealt a devastating blow.
In defiance Of the express au-
thority of Congress, the new Sec
retary Of Defense. Louis johnson,
has permitted two Of the armed
services to pair off against the
other.
Instead Of confning the Joint
Chiefs of Stats to the defini-
ton of functions and missions
agreed upon in the famous Key
West document on joint opera
tions, the secretary last week
asked the head Of each service
to sit in judgment on what tools
the other services shall have to
carry out their missions. 1t is a
plain violation of the spirit OF
the Key West agreement.
This is what the decision to
halt work on the super aircraft
carrier really means. Twice Con-
gress had the matter up and au-
thorized the Navy to allocate its
tonnage according to its own best
judgment. There is no power in
any existing law which authorizes
either the President or the Sec
retary Of Defense to ignore the
authorizations made by Congress
for the armed services.
Yet last week Secretary john
son, in effect. put before the Joint
Vhiefs OF STAFF the question OF
whether the will of Congress
should be superseded. The jos
met and decided to put its views
In writing. Three letters were de-
livered to Secretary johnson on
Saturday morning last and within
half an hour the decision of the
secretary was given to the press
even before the head Of the Navy,
Admiral Louis Denfeld. knew
about MIR. JohnSon's decision.
No Consultations Held.
Worse than this. at no time
since Mr.. johnson became Secre-
tary of Defense has he consulted
the Chief of Naval Operations
about the matter nor has he given
the Secretary of the Navy. John l..
Sullivan, q chance to talk with him
about 1t.
This merely confirms what has
been suspected ever since MIR. john
son took office-namely. that he
came with preconceived judgments
and did not approach the problems
with an open mind. No man now
should be given the powers which
have Just been asked Of Congress
for the Secretary of Defense after
such q fragrant example OF arbi-
trariness has been revealed.
It is not the hating Of work on
the aircraft carrier which is so
important. It Is the basic princi-
pie which Is at stake.
For If, by a stroke Of the pen,
the Secretary of Defense can ig-
more the statutes Of Congress. he
can overnight ask for a vote from
the Joint Chiefs Of Staff on
whether the. Marine Corps shall
be absorbed in the Army and
whether the naval air arm should
be absorbed in the land-based air
forces and these steps really could
mean the weakening Of the de-
tense of the United States.
This is not unificatfon but dis
Integration. The blow that has
been struck at the morale Of the
Navy will be felt throughout that
service. All eyes had been fixed
on the Secretary Of Defense to see
how he would handle the carrier
issue. He was, however. not even
graceful in his disposal Of a diff
ficult problem. He did not give
either the Secretary Of the Navy or
the Chief Of Naval Operations the
courtesy of a personal conference.
49, Sullivan's Situation.
It Is difficult to see how Secre-
tafy Sullivan can continue in
office or how any self-respecting
man can accept Office as his sue
cessor If he is to learn Of impor-
tant decisions affecting his de-
partment by reading about them
In the press. It is difficult to see
how the Joint Chiefs Of Staff is to
function effectively hereafter
without q specific definition OF its
duties. For otherwise, the Navy
head, for instance, will be called
on to decide how many tanks the
ground forces shall have and
whether B-36s shall or shall not be
built in quantity and other details
of the weapons desired by other
armed services With which the
Navy Is not famlliar.
The vote by the JcS was two
to one-with the Army and
Air Force chiefs voting against
the Navy. Neither the Army chief
nor Air Force chief had q top
command in the Pacific or saw a
large-scale naval war. The carrier
problem is a technical matter In
which the Navy is expert. 1t won
the war against Japan largely by
naval carrier action.
The only solution is to let each
armed, service specialize In ita
own way, each helping the other
on Joint missions as worked out
already In the famous Key West
agreement which was unanimous
This can be accomplished only II
after q lump sum is decided on
as a total for all services, the
right of each service to use tc
the best of its ability the money
allotted to it will not be impaired
If the Nays appropriation had