The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-09-22
Brass Hats Don't
Exactly Seem To
Like Each Other

WdSHlISIOH, ~. O.-fOr lOne
time members of Congress have
been "flabbergasted" by the way
high officers of Uncle Sans forces
when lobbying on Capitol Hill, anc
at Washington cocktail parties, de-
nounce each other bitterly. This
week, the public got several shock
ing glimpses at that sort of thing
During a practice war" in Ger
many, between two groups of Am
erican forces, the Air Force on the
defending side announced it had
completely destroyed the enemy
and that the army "ground forces
might as well call it day and go
home.
Spokesman for the Army said
the Air Force was call wet" and
that, anyway, the flyers should not
spoil the "war" by any such "un-
confirmed announcements. For a
while there was more ill-feeling
than in a real war, but the dispute
was settled without any shooting.
Makes Serious Charges
. In Washington, navy board is
holding hearings to determine what
naval officers had a hand in the
recent attempted "smear" of the
B-36" bombing plane. Air Force
Secretary Symington, Defense Sec
retary Johnson, and through them
President Truman.
In the midst of these hearings,
Captain John Crommelin, high
ranking "Naval Air" officer, issued
"a public blast declaring that the
Army and Air Force are trying to
i"whittle down" the navy, especial
ly its aviation branch, and thus are
weakening Uncle Sans defense.
Also, Crommelin insisted, the
"unification" bill recently
put through by Truman threatens
to Concentrate" too much power
in the hands of militarists in the
Defense Department, and to enable
them to "usurp" civilian control
over the armed forces, and the en-
tire nation.
The famous Admiral "Bull" Hal
sey declared that Crommelin "de-
serves the help of all naval Off
GERS" Several other admirals also
praised Crommelin's blast.
Wrote Magazine Article
Similar charges were made
couple of weeks ago by Major Gen
eral Merritt A. Edison, who retired
from the, Marine Corps in protest
against the first military merger"
bill passed in 1947.
Like Grommelin, Edison is real
fighting officer, with long record
of distinguished combat service. In
an article in a widely-read mag
azine, Edison said:
"A brass curtain, raised in Wash
ington's Pentagon Building, is
spreading over the nation. Behind
it, efforts are being exerted to fas-
hion an American replica of the
Prussian general staff system,
which destroyed all vestiges of
democracy in Germany, plunged
that country into four wars, and
has left Europe devastated, police
ridden and bankrupt"
Crack-Down Coming?
Of course, none of these officers
suggest that Truman is trying to
make himself a military dictator.
1t would be hard to "sell" any such
idea about the modest imam from
What they charge is that 'un-
ification" of the armed forces will
not produce the promised "econ-
omies," and may make "Prussian-
style general staff" more powerful
than some future President.
Are these public attacks on
approved by the Presi-
dent and Congress a greater dang
er to "civilian control of the arm
ed forces" than any military un-
ification" could be? That question
is troubling some members of the
Senate and House.