Evening star., 1949-05-11
Thinks Recent Moves Indicate
Remuneration Of Military Opinion


Your Sunday editorial. Easing the Navys
Fears" is both timely and appropriate. Your
editorial Judgment that there remains an
important place for the Marine Corps and
naval aviation will be applauded by those
who know the capabilities Of these two parts
Of our national defense team.
Marines always have known that the
country would not allow the corps to De
scuttled In an open fight but have been
wary of administrative and budget manea-
vers which could produce a similar result
under cover. For this reason 1t Is good tnat
this fight is brought into the open.
1t may be that no plan to dispose OF the
Marines Is being carried on in the National
Military Establishment" However. quail
fed reporters and officers have stated that
such plans have very recently been under
active consideration. In this light is IL en-
couraging TO note that revisionS nave alfeaoy
been made In s. 1869. National Security ACT
Amendments of ls4s" TO prevent admins
trative transfer Of service personnel within
the NME by the Defense Secretary.
The recent aggressive actions by the De-
fense Secretary give an indication OF what
might be In store II S. 1859 became the
law of the land This bill needs more care
full scrutiny by the Congress and the people.
In this connection two straws in the WIND
may show what might be future facts OF
life In the NME and should be considered
briefly:
Cites Aggressive Actions"
I. The military justice bill included
clause which would have enabled NME to
call reserve officers back to active duty
against their will and court martial them
for derogatory statements against the Presi-
dent and other officials. NME spokesmen
said this was mistake" II SO. 1t was an
unnecessary one and potentially very dan
gerous.
2. With this offending clause stricken
from the Justice bill, the ONCE Of the Sec
retary of Defense on April II issued Con
solidation Directive No. l." establishing
NME security review branch, all perfectly
proper. Aside from the fact that competent
reporters have claimed this directive effec-
lively dries up qualified sources Of opinion
from military, naval and air officers, parts
of this directive seem to be novel departures
from our traditional national conception OF
the reserve officer in peacetime. @
This directive ties military security.
policy and propriety" gag around retired
officers and subjects them to review OF most
written or spoken material. Material Tor
publication dealing with military matters
prepared by Reserve or National Guard per-
sorinel based upon information obtained
through their postwar Federal military
training" is subject to review for military
security" While the need for some control
over regular. retired and reserve military
and naval personnel Is admitted. this di-
rective appears to have overstepped its
bounds Carried to q not too impossible con-
clusion II could deprive the Nation Of the
considered advice and opinions Of Its reserve
and National Guard civilians who are among
those best qualified to interpret and explain
certain professional military matters.
The Marine Corps Reserve Officers' Asso-
citation is not opposed to unification or mer-
ger. On the contrary, our national confer
ence last winter voted unanimously in favor
Of a program Of better cooperation and
understanding among the four services
there are three departments. four services
of the national defense team.
We are anxious that all matters affecting
the country, particularly radical departures
should receive careful civilian scrutiny. Per-
haps this letter Of appreciation to The Star
should have been submitted for review. II
50, it will be interesting to see what action.
II any. is taken.
w. r. McCAHILL. Major. q. 8. M. G. r..
Executive Director. MCRoA.