Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-19
Navy

Navy
Continued From First Page.)
ing, but insistent" that the Navy
be given the types Of carriers that
can cope with submarine and
other threats to sea supremacy.
Less than this would be un-
sound he said. More than this
would be an unjustified burden on
the American taxpayer"
Gen. Vandenberg was to be fol-
lowed to the witness stand by Gen.
j. Lawton Collins. Army repre-
sentative on the joint chiefs, and
Gen. Omar N. Bradley. chairman
but technically not voting"
member of the Joint chiefs. They
were to be invited to comment on
Navy charges that it is being treat
ed as stepchild in defense plan
ming.
Challenges Congress.
Gen. Vandenberg told the COM
mittee that the fact the United
States has the B-36 and the atomic
bomb is forcing Russia to con-
centrate on defense instead Of
offenSe.
If this country should follow
the Nays advice and cut down on
strategic bombing strength. he
argued, the Russians would be free
to concentrate their productive
resources and technical skills on
developing offensive power.
He challenged Congress to take
over the Nations strategy and de-
tense planning themselves if they
don't like the way the joint chiefs
are doing it.
Saying he wanted to relieve
some fear. Gen. Vandenberg said
the public should take the glib
and positive assertions that have
been made before this commit
tee and put those statements be-
side the known facts"
Bombers Can Do Job.
Gen. Vandenberg said Il have
considered the question as to the
capabilities of our strategic
bombers and I have arrived at the
clear conclusion that they can do
their job. AS the professional
military head of the United
States Air Force I so assure the
country and so declare to the
world, especially to our friends"
All the feuding that has come
to light in the armed services,
Gen. Vandenberg said, has
shaken the. military establish
ment."
Mr.. Vinson picked up that point
and asked about charges of Ad-
miral Denfeld that the Navy has
been denied a full partnership in
| defense councils.
The only thing I can read into
that statement, Gen. Vahden-
berg said. lis that men of the
caliber of Gen. Eisenhower, Gen.
Bradley and Gen. Collins would
put either the elimination or the
curtailment of a service before
the national interest"
He thought the answer to that.
he said. is "the esteem in which
those gentlemen is held by the
people"
The Air Force chief said serious
problems of official and personal
relationships" had been added to
military problems in defense
councils as result of the hear
ings. But he promised that moth
ing which had been said would lin
any way diminish the determina-
ton of the Air Force to cooperate
effectively with its two sister serv-
ices in providing for the country
the greatest possible military Sc
curity."
War Must Be Won on Ground.
II want to assure the American
people" he said, that in the stra-
tegic bomber force as it exists and
as its development is planned they
have an instrument to do the job
assigned to it. I further assure
them that the Air Force has no
complacency within it and is con-
stantly laboring at improving its
weapons and techniques.
Gen. Vandenberg emphasized
that he did not want his statement
to be again tortured into a dec
laration that strategic lombard
ment can win a war alone"
If future war comes" he