Evening star., 1949-08-16
Armed Forces Dispute
Declared Threatening
Security Of Nation
Unity Con Be Achieved
Only by Recognition Of
Experience of Services
By David Laurence

that's the business of the United
States Air Force.
If the United States Navy wants
to spend $180,000,000 to build a
large carrier and about $50.000, 900
to modernize existing carriers,
that's the business of the United
States Navy.
But apparently the United
States Air Force thinks it is its
business also to tell the Navy
what to do about naval aviation,
even though Gen. Hoyt Vanden-
berg, head of the Air Force, told
a House committee last week that
he had never been aboard an air.
craft carrier at sea.
This, in essence. however. is the
outline of the gravest dispute that
has ever arisen inside our Gov
ernment.
It is a dispute that is not only
threatening the security of the
United States and interfering with
the orderly development of a
sound strategic plan but is de-
moralizing many officers in all the
armed services.
Cannot Be Legislated.
Unification on these points
cannot be legislated. Unification
can only be achieved by a dis
interested approach which recog-
nizes fully the specialization and
combat experience of each service
The overall budget should not
be fixed by the armed services
themselves. The President and
the Secretary of Defense and f.
nally Congress alone can fix the
overall sum. But once that sum
is fixed, unless each service is
permitted to be the judge Of how
it shall spend the appropriation,
there will be perennial friction.
The services have been given their
missions and roles and strategic
concepts. These were unanimous
ly agreed on at Key West and
Newport last year. Each service
should be the judge of how to use
its money to carry out the as
signed objectives.
The investigation being carried
on by the House Armed Services
Committee has already justified
itself. It has disclosed, for in
stance, that despite what has been
claimed publicly. the inter-conti-
mental bomber cannot return to
the United States from 10000
mile flight and must use some
other base overseas.
It has also revealed that the
B-36 is primarily q night bomber
which must operate 10000 feet
above the ground-an altitude
that makes people wonder how
accurate the bomber can be in
dropping its load. Area bomb
ing" was far from accurate in the
last war.
Also there is no certainty about
fnterception by jet fighters. on
which the Russians are special
izing.
Laymen are not competent to
argue the technical merits Of the
B-36, and neither are members
of Congress. The Nation has two
aviation services-that OF the
Navy and the United States Air
Force. The experts Of both can
tell Congress what they think, and
in a democracy this is a healthy
way to get at the truth. The wit
nesses should not be intimidated
nor should attempts be made
from the top to control what they
may wish to say to the commit
tees of Congress.
Further Hearings Slated.
Further hearings will disclose
what the weaknesses in the B-3e
are. If the naval aviators can
throw light on the subject, they
should be welcomed rather than
frightened off. Likewise. the
United States Air Force officers
too, should be encouraged to come
out In the open with their criti-
eisms of the carrier. Generals
Vandenberg and Bradley. who
voted in the joint chiefs Of staff
against the carrier and against
allowing the Navy even to mod
ernize its existing carriers, should
tell the public their reasons.
It is most unfortunate that any
innuendoes of lack of personal in
tegrity so far as any of the officer.
in the armed services are con-
cerned should have been intro.
duced anywhere. Whatever mis-
takes have been made and what.
ever irregularities have developed
for example, in handling the B-36
were mistakes of judgment-if
indeed, they were mistakes.
But this is a far cry from white
washing those manufacturers who
1t is alleged, lobbied improperly
to get contracts, or contributed
In their individual capacities big
sums to the Truman campaign
chest last summer presumably tc
win political influence in Wash
ington. These are aspects that
need to be cleared up, but they
are far less important than the
major principle involved-whict
Is that unif1cation of the armed
services can come only when each
service ceases to sit in judgment
on the appropriations or plan.
ming or research of the othel
service and when autonomy o1
each service to operate within it.
own budget limits is assured. TIL,
Secretary Of Defense can brins
this about overnight, and tn,
hearings before the House Armet
Services Committee will be usefu
in attaining that desired objec
tive.
(Esproduction Rishts Reserved
"AJX. !