Evening star., 1949-10-20


ntittee yesterday.
While I regret the circumstances
which compel me to discuss the con-
troversial subjects before your com.
mlttee, since they have already beer
discussed publicly, I welcome the
opportunity to present my views
1t is my sincere belief that We
Americans, and our friends of the
free world must combine our mill.
tary potential and our peaceful in.
tent in strategy for peace
which will ultimately make u.
more secure than any strategy ever
designed for war;
The real issue to which we shoulc
devote our attention is whether OF
not we are providing for the security
OF this country with the least
expense to our economy. y =
The people of the United States
nave as their national objective, 8
desire for peace and security, with
out sacrifice of either the basic
rights of the individual or the
present sovereignty we cherish
This does not mean peace at any
price"
National Objectives.
Secondly, we intend to maintain
cur political way of life and our
form of government In our own
country. ~~*
Our third objective is to main
tain-and to raise, if possible-our
American standard of living.
And fourth, We Americans would
like to have peace and security for
the entire world and all the good
that these conditions can bring.
AS a means to accomplish our
objectives, we believe in the sue
cesSful development of an effective
world organization, based on the
United Nations, and we hope to at
tain these objectives peacefully.
Ultimately, our national objec-
tives visualize the elimination of
any type of warfare as a means for
the resolution of international dis
pute.
Lacking more specific directives,
your military planners have as
sumed these objectives. Meanwhile,
however, they have also been
charged with preparedness for de-
fenSe in case of attack. We have
assumed, as any layman could as
sumo, that the only dangerous force
opposing such objectives in the
world today is communism, and the
only nations whose postwar actions
have all indicated an opposition to
this tranquility we seek, are the
Soviet Union and her satellites.
Military priority, therefore, must
be given to the defense of our coun-
try, and the holding of Western
Europe in the collective defense Of
free nations. ***
New Situation.
Military strength cannot be a last
resort device for the extraction
of poorly forged political irons from
the fire. 1t is an unfortunate but
valid criticism of modern interna-
tional negotiation that nations
voice whispers or commands in
exact ratio to its moral strength
and its military potential. -
It is essential that we all realize
that a new situation has overtaken
the country, and that traditional
lines OF security are no longer
sacred. If we are ever to abandon
the wishful sanctity of our previous
attitudes, it should be now, after
the announcement of the atomic
explosion that has taken place in
the Soviet Union. **s
As long as the Communist doc
trine seeks worldwide domination,
this conflict will continue unabated.
We Americans must face this fact
realistically. and in our plans and
programs-economic, political, psy-
Geological, and military-consider
carefully the time. and the
space factors in this long-range
struggle.
Budget-wise, you will note that
the 1850 funds recommended to the
Congress, provide the following di-
vision of our defense dollar for the
three services. The Army, allotted
1856 cents of the security dollar, has
been steadily rebuilding, while car
rying on the occupation duties to
which it is assigned. The Air Force,
given "a cents of the defense dollar,
has progressed steadily in size and
ability, and the Navy. allotted 32.4
cents of the defense dollar, stands
second to none in the world.
Further Economy Seen.
am convinced that further econ
envy will be forthcoming for the over
all defense expenditures, and have
no faith that the cuts will be exactly
proportional. My own opinion will
be based not on dollars. but on the
security problem that faces each
of the armed services in carrying out
its mission.
Let's first discuss the basic con-
cept of our defense planning AS
far as 1 am able, without violating
security, I want to discuss our plans
and preparations for the execution
of a war, if it is thrust upon us. AS
I have indicated, our basic concept
for defense includes protection of
the United States, and this CONT
nent, in case we are attacked. It
provides for early retaliation from
bases which we hope to have ready
at all times.
Ultimately, however, we will have
to carry the war back to the enemy
by all means at our disposal. I am
convinced that this will include
strategic air bombardment. and
large-scale land operations.
also believe that after the initial
phases are over, there will be little
need for any campaign similar to
the Pacific "island-hopping" that
took place during the last war
I also predict that large-scale am
phibious operations, such as those
in Sicily and Normandy, will never
occur again.
AS a means of conducting war,
I define strategic bombing as vio-
lent airborne attacks on the war
making capacity or potential Of an
enemy nation. I do not advocate
a wanton destruction of cities or
people, but it is obvious that work
ers live near factories, and that if
you bomb the factories, you may
bOr1h the reonle