Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-16
Marine Corps Chief
To Testify Tomorrow
In Unification Probe
BY Chris Mothisen

oy SnItS mofnlSen
The Marine Corps will set it's
chance tomorrow to tell the House
Armed Services Committee how
it is faring under armed service
unif1cation.
Presumably. the Marines will
Join the Navy in complaining that
the Air Force is doing its best to
see that no other service will have
any substantial flying chores in
any future war.
Gen. Clifton B. Gates, comman-
dant of the corps, will be the
principal witness as the committee
resumes its public hearings on
defense strategy and inter-serv-
ice differences.
He is expected to declare that
budget cuts are denying the CORPS
adequate aviation strength to pro-
vide proper air support for its
amphlpious forces in the event
OF an emergency.
Denfeld Assails Coalition.
Gen. Gates was a spectator at
the committee nearing Thursday
when Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
Chief of naval operations, charged
That an Army-Air Force coalition
IN high defense councils in work.
ing persistently against the Nays
efforts to be ready for it's share
OF defense responsibility.
Admiral Denfeld sad that not
only is the Air Force out to cripple
naval and Marine aviation. but
the Army is trying to find a way
to annex the amphibious functions
OF the Marines.
II Gen. Gates does not touch on
the Marines relations with the
Army, committee members prob
ably Will ask him whether he
thinks the existence of the corps
is IN danger, apart from the fate
OF its air arm.
After hearing from the Marines
the committee will listen to the
Army. speaking through it's chief
OF staff, Gen. j. Lawton Collins.
who is flying back to Washington
from Tokyo, where he has been on
an inspection trip.
johnson Will Testify.
Then, the Air Force will have
its rebuttal opportunity through
Air Secretary Symington and Gen.
Hoyt S.. Vandenberg, chief of
staff.
Finally, Defense Secretary john
son will get the chance to testify
he requested after the Navy began
blasting defense strategy and Mr..
Johnson's economy program.
Meanwhile, committee members
have been mulling what to do to
keep the minds of the armed
forces occupied with plans to fight
foreign aggressors, if any, instead
of each other.
Several members have been
leaning toward Chairman Wilson'S
suggestions that the Nays can
celed supercarrier project be re-
vlved and ways found to prevent
Mr.. johnson from shutting ap-
preparations for the Armed Forces
without coming back to Congress
for approval of shifts in funds or
large-scal economies.
There has been some prelimin-
airy consideration of possible leg
islation, but nothing concrete has
come up for committee considera-
ton yet.
Norblad Opposes LEGISLATION,
Representative Norblad, Repub-
llcan, of Oregon, is one of a group
which thinks there is no purpose
to legislation at this time. He
says the Joint Chiefs of Staff
should have the final say on the
big carrier, which the Navy in
slsts is not "supercarrier" but
only a logical step forward from
the best of these ships now avail
able.
Mr.. johnson Cancelled the $780,
100000 carrier months ago after
an opinion from the Joint Chiefs.
Admiral Denfeld. a member of
the Joint Chiefs, told the commit
tee this was one of the times the
Army and Air Force got together
against the Navy and refused to
let it have the weapons it thinks
it needs.
He said he was outvoted, al
though he had gone along" with
the Air Force when it wanted to
order more B-36 intercontinental
bombers because he thought any
service should have the primary
say as to what it requires to do it's
job.
Representative Mahon, Demo-
crat, of Texas said yesterday that
while 1t was true the Navy has
been shaved down in funds, so
far, that has been proper.
Mahon Heads Funds Unit.
He said he could not see the
big carrier project unless I'VE
had unlimited money to let all
the services have all they want"
Mr.. Mahon is not a member
OF the Armed Services Commit
tee but he heads an appropria-
tons subcommittee handling
armed forces funds.
AS for the B-36, he said there
seems no question it is the best
available long-range bomber. But,
he said, if it were proved that
the Air Force is neglecting other
aspects of its mission in concen-
trating on the B-36, this would
be an error.
So far. Mr.. Mahon said, he has
seen no reason to overturn pres
ent standing defense decisions