Evening star., 1949-08-04
Secretary Of Defense
Seen Having All Power
OF Civilian Dictator
Can Order Court-MortiuI
OF Any One and Control
Promotions and Funds
Bv David Laurence

Promotions and Funds
By David Laurence
Examination of the new legis-
lation designed to "unify" the
armed services shows that, while
the setting up Of a military die
tator has been avoided, there has
been created instead Secretary
of Defense who has all the powers
of q civilian dictator.
Not only can the Secretary OF
Defense-now that a separate de-
partment has been created and
superimposed over the three armed
services the right to
order the court-martial of any
body in the Army, Navy or Air
Force, but he can control promo
tions and the ALLEGATION of con-
tracts and the expenditure OF
money for any of the armed serv-
ices.
The conference report between
the. two houses Of Congress was
written after valiant efforts were
made to insure that the Army,
Navy and Air Force would retain
their identity. Such language,
however, is meaningless because
the final bill provides no method
by which a Secretary Of Defense
who takes action beyond the new
law can really be restrained.
What New Law Says.
Thus the new law says:
"The Secretary of Defense shall
not direct the use and expendi-
ture of funds of the Department
of defense in such manner as to
effect the results prohibited by
paragraphs Cd and CD OF this
subsection.
The numbered paragraphs are
the ones which describe the exist
ing roles and missions OF the
Army, Navy and Air Force.
When the budget of each armed
service is made up. however. the
Secretary of Defense can give to
one service small amount and
order the bulk of the funds put
in another Service. There Is no
way by which he can be reached
because OF such action. The Sec
retary of Defense recently ignored
with impunity the authorization
of Congress on aircraft carriers.
All that anybody can do about
it is to offer criticism. But very
little of this can come from in
side the armed services. While
the new law states that there
shall be an appeal to Congress,
this is limited to only two persons
for each service. The paragraph
reads as follows:
mo provision Of this act shall
be so construed as to prevent a
secretary of a military department
or a member of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff from presenting to the
Congress, on his own initiative,
after first 80 informing the Sec
retary of Defense, any recommen-
dation relating to the Department
Of Defense that he may deem
proper"
But the Secretary Of Defense
appoints the members of the Joint
Chiefs Of Staff-and he reappoints
them. He controls also the ap-
pointment Of the civilian secretar-
les Of the military departments.
Wouldn't Dare to Act.
No oficer beneath the rank OF
the top chiefs would dare to ap-
proach Congress. Complete con-
troll Of all three departments is
obtained by the simple device OF
threatening to change the top
men whenever the Secretary OF
Defense 50 desires.
Independence Ct thought will
not be possible under the new
legislation except by those willing
to take risks. The careers OF in
dividual officers will undoubtedly
be jeopardized If they attempt to
express views differing from those
of the Secretary Of Defense. Re-
Gently, for example, directive
was issued ordering officers Of the
Armed Services to "co-ordinate"
their testimony In preparation for
the forthcoming congressional
investigation. Although this di-
rective was later explained as be-
ing without Interior motive, the
fact remains that many Of the
officers in the Navy believe that
the order was issued in an attempt
to gag them.
The country has been asked to
believe that the only thing wrong
with the armed services is that
they are rivals and that each Of
them wants to spend the money
of the other. The truth is that
deeply rooted in the controversy
are differing concepts Of strategy.
The fact that Secretary Johnson
has already taken sides with one
Of the three services against an
other service lends color to the
belief that the second unification
law will in due time meet the
fate Of the first unification law
there will be agitation for amend
ments and change before another
year runs out.
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