Evening star., 1949-10-13
Cuts in Navy Ordered
In Committee Headed
By Air Force General
Unificotion Seen Possible
Only When Full Civilian
Control Is Assured
Bv David Laurence

MOTE tlldIl TWO ulOIllllS dSO-
August 9 to be exact-these dis
patches revealed for the first time
that so per cent cut In the
United States Navy's air power
had been ordered.
1t has taken Congress two
months to find out what the
Secretary of Defense had done
and now Chairman Vinson Of the
House Armed Services Committee
publicly declares that Mr.. john
son hasn't played fair with
Congress.
The appropriation bill carrying
military and naval funds has not
yet become law but already cuts
have been apportioned to each
of the three services below the
amounts appropriated by Con-
gress. In dollars the Army and
Navy suffer a cut Of somewhere
near the same and the Air Force
somewhat less.
But that's not the core Of the
problem. The dollar cuts weren't
really ordered by Secretary john
son at all but by management
committee which he appointed,
the head of which is Gen. Nc
Narney, an Air Force general.
If the cuts had been ordered for
the fiscal year beginning next
July, there would have been time
for adjustment. But9the cuts are
to take effect during the current
fiscal year, and the only place
where the bulk Of the Navy's
1858, 100000 reduction could be
made was in its airplane procure
ment.
Testimony shows that naval air
power will be less than It was be-
fore Pearl Harbor.
Protested by Matthews.
Secretary Of the Navy Mat
thews. it now is revealed. has
protested vehemently to Secretary
johnson that the cut will impair
the security Of the United States.
He says. moreover. that 1t will
"very definitely curtail the ability
of the Navy to perform its role
and missions"
Too many people. unfortunately.
have fallen victim to the illusion
that navies are used nowadays to
fight the navies of other coun-
tries. If this we're so, there
wouldn't be any need to have a
navy, as Russia has none. But
today airpower is the basis of
naval operations. Carrier planes
must be ready to battle with the
best land-based planes Of the
enemy which come out to sea to
destroy shipping. Control of the
air over the seas means COM
mand of the air over the land
areas adjacent to all waters bor-
dering on an enemy country.
Under the cuts now in process
of being applied, the United States
would operate a total of only four
major carriers in all oceans. Like
wise. carriers to hunt down sub
marines. patrol groups and the
smaller carriers would be all
cut down materially and put in
moth balls, largely because there
wouldn't be enough planes or per-
sonnel to operate them.
Naval aviation is thus virtually
killed by the new orders. 1t isn't
the admirals who have been so
much concerned with this but the
younger officers whose future is
being frustrated. Their skill and
training cannot be readily re-
placed.
Secretary Johnson assured Con-
gress some weeks ago that he
could save 100000 but that
this would come from savings
and not reductions" in combat
forces. Chairman Vinson of the
House committee now wants to
know why Secretary johnson did
not keep his promise.
Probable Reply.
Mr.. johnson probably will reply
that he didn't order the actual
reduction in naval aviation but
only the dollar cut. The Navy
executives will reply that this was
the only place they could cut dol
lars this year-on new planes not
yet ordered.
The whole thing presents a
tangle in the relations between the
executive and legislative depart
ments of the Government. Con-
gress can appropriate certain
funds and authorize expenditures
but, if the executive agencies re-
frain from spending the sums
authorized. there is no law COM
pelling them to do so. Nor does
Mr.. Wilson's proposed amend
ment, which would require the
Secretary Of Defense to get con-
gressional consent for cutbacks,
altogether cure the trouble. Rather
the answer must come from mu-
tual trust and collaboration be-
tween Congress and the executive
department in question.
What burns up Mr.. Vinson is
the fact that Secretary johnson
put the matter in the hands
of a management committee OF
which an Air Force general was
chairman and under him were the
Secretary of the Army, the Under
secretary Of the Navy and an as
sistant Secretary of the Air Force
Its the first time," exclaimed
Representative Vinson, II ever
heard Of a civilian group being
headed by a Regular Army officer
q career military man"
The objectives of unificatior
can be achieved. They will be
however. only when full civilian
control Of all armed services is
assured. Restoration Of the three
secretaries Of the armed service.
to cabinet rank would help much
toward this end.
(ReDrodY1rtjon Riohts p>..rv.SN