Evening star., 1949-02-28
Military Unity
Called Weak by
Hoover Board
Commission Urges
Service Secretaries
Be Reduced in Rank
FORRESTAL ORDERS study of
unified medical facilities for
services. Page AS.
By Francis P. DouqIos

Ihe National Military EStab
lishment is "perilously close to the
weakest type of department in
the Government. the Hoover Com
mission declared today.
The commission told Congress
that the defense establishment
needs real unif1cation rather than
federation" to make the Army,
Navy and Air Force function ef-
fectively together and to strength
en- civilian control through the
Secretary of Defense.
The secretaries of the three
services should be reduced in rank
to undersecretaries and be
stripped of their power to appeal
over the head of the Defense Sec
retary to the White House, the
commission said.
The commission leveled strong
criticism at the way the Joint
Chiefs of Staff are set up and
aimed most of it's recommended
tions at concentrating greater
control in the hands of the civil
ian Defense Secretary.
Chairman Proposed.
While declaring that single
ness" of control is essential to eff
ciency," the commission rejected
a strongly urged proposal for a
single chief of staff. 1t recon-
mended instead a chairman for
the Joint Chiefs of Staff who
would report directly to the De-
fense Secretary.
These two recommendations
brought divisions among the
members of the commission.
In another section of its report
the commission said
For the security of the Ma
ton, the formulation of plans for
civilian and industrial mobiliza-
ton should be completed at the
earliest possible date"
The commission said the mill
tary must be subordinate to civil
ian control and rigidly account
able to the President, Congress
and the people to safeguard our
traditions against militarism, to
insure that military policy will be
in accord with national needs
and welfare, to insure efficient
spending of the huge military out
lay and costs commensurate with
needs without damaging or de-
stroying our national economy"
"At present" the commission
said I'VE can be sure of none of
these things"
Hoover Opposes Rank Change.
The proposed change in the
rank of the Army. Navy and Air
Force secretaries was opposed by
former President Hoover, chair
man of the commission, and
Members Arthur S. Flemming.
president of Ohio Wesleyan Uni
versity and former member of
the Civil Service Commission;
former Representative Manasco,
Democrat, of Alabama, and
George H. Mead, Ohio paper man
ufacturer and former member of
the Federal Price Control Board.
These four said they believed
"the Importance of these positions,
the magnitude of the departments
and the danger of diluting civilian
control over the military at the
department level by change OF
titles, outweighs considerations
favoring change"
In the other dissent a single
chief of staff was urged by Secre-
tary of State Acheson, vice chair
man of the commission; Mr.. Mead,
Dr.. James K. Pollock of the Uni
versity of Michigan, and James
H. Rowe, jr., former executive
assistant to President Roosevelt.
These four men said the present
Joint Chiefs of Staff are too
remote" from the civilian head of
the military establishment, civilian
Continued on Page AS, Col. o.