Evening star., 1949-11-13
Unity and Our Armed Forces

The men OF the kremlln may nave
derived considerable satisfaction from the
recent battle Of the Pentagon," but they
will be making a serious mistake II they
interpret it as sign Of weakness IN our
military establishment. If they are wise
they will take careful note of the good
and timely advice Defense Secretary john
son has offered to them on this score in
his Arnistice Day address to a group OF
American Legionnaires In st. Louis.
What Mr.. Johnson has said is simply
this: That any would-be aggressor will be
sensible not to expect to benefit from the
seeming dissension existing within our
armed forces. The apparent, in other
words, ought not to be confused with the
real. Although their totalitarian minds
may find it difficult to comprehend, the
Russians should make special point of
trying to understand that ours is a gen.
timely democratic way of life and that it
thrives on just such debates as the one
staged before the House Armed Services
Committee by some of our foremost ad-
mirals and generals.
In some respects, that debate has stirred
up much bitterness, but nothing could be
more foolish than to regard 1t as an indi-
cation of grave disunity in our armed
forces. AS Mr.. Johnson has said, there
have been-and probably still are-honest
differences of opinion between the Navy
and the Army and Air Force, but this does
not mean that the services have been
seriously alienated, one from the other.
On the contrary, in the opinion of the
Defense Secretary, "the entire team is
rounding into shape; the tumult and
shouting have died down, the smoke of
the Pentagon battle" has dissipated into
mere wisps, and all three branches of our
military establishment, having got in their
lickS before Congress, now can be relied
upon to work together toward real inte-
grafton.
In saying this, Mr.. Johnson has not
fallen back on pious wishfulness. For
the truth is, as he has declared, that the
Army, Navy and Air Force, though they
may argue as much among themselves as
the American people at large, "are as one
in their contempt for relationships, and in
their determination to resist them with
all their strength and resources should the
occasion ever demand the sacrifice" That
spirit is not imaginary. It is real. It has
substance. It is positive force that is
bound to exercise powerful influence in
promoting the uniflcation of the three
services and assuring that the wounds
incurred in the Pentagon battle" will be
readily healed. Certainly, anybody ac-
quainted with the temper and talents OF
Admiral Sherman, the new Chief Of Naval
Operations, and with the temper and tai
ents of his opposite numbers In the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, will agree with Mr.. John
sons view. rs ,....
There will be general agreement, too
both within the armed forces and on the
outside-with Mr.. Johnsons rule-of- thumb
as regards making our military establish
ment as effective as possible. That rule
is aimed at preserving "the health Of our
economy while we go ahead and strengthen
our ramparts." It means the elimination
OF waste, confusion and duplication" It
means, in sum, the effectuation of policy
designed to insure that every dollar in
vested in defense brings dollar Of Sc
curity'-a policy directed toward more
efficiency and greater preparedness by
utilizing each service to the fullest extent
within its proper sphere.
This is something on which all three
branches of our military establishment
most certainly should work al powerful
team. The recent battle of the Pentagon,"
far from undermining unity in that re-
spect, may well have the effect Of strength
ening it. Secretary Johnson has not
spoken empty words in warning the Rus
sians-without specifically naming them
not to entertain illusions to the contrary.
They will be serving their own best in
terests if they take his statement at face
value.
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