Evening star., 1949-10-08


FLYING ADMIRAL ON STAND
Fleet commander, as he testif
just how much it is going to get
from Congress.
He said the matter is being
handled in the same manner as
the preparation of regular annual
budget estimates, and each serv-
ice will have opportunity to object.
Mr.. Vinson said it was obvious
the economy goal was established
without consultation with the op-
Grating heads of the services as
to whether the cuts would impair
security.
You reached the decision and
then shifted responsibility to
them to show that you were in
error he commented.
Mr.. Vinson said his under
standing of the further reductions
IN naval pair power being worked
out at the Pentagon for the next
finscal year would reduce to six
the number of operating large
carriers in the Navy, which would
be cut from 10 to eight this year
Carrier air groups would be re-
duced from IA to six in the next
fiscal year, and Marine air squad
Irons from % to II, he said.
Says Air Force Refused.
Capt. Trapnell said that the
Navy had requested the Air Force
to furnish it with a B-36 for "use
sa target" but the Air Force
had not agreed.
In lieu of this, he said, the
Navy had run tests of high-alti-
ture interception with the Ban
shee, using a fighter which can
fly 100 miles an hour faster than
the B-36 as target.
+ These tests have established
that the B-36 could be attacked
and shot down in numbers which
would be prohibitive" in daylight
or at night. Capt. Trapnell testi-
fed.
After hearing him, Mr.. Vinson
recessed the hearings until 10 am.
Monday.
Representative Kilday, Demo-
crat, of Texas, said he thought the
Air Force was being foolish" in
not letting the Navy participate
in tests of the B-36 performance.
because if this were done some
Navy airmen might be convinced
that it is good plane"
Supercarrier Brought Up.
Mr.. Vinson suggested yester-
day that Congress may have to
take legislative action to make
certain Mr.. johnson uses the
funds Congress appropriates for
the purposes Congress intends.
Further, he suggested it might
be a good idea to re-examine the
Navy's supercarrier project, which
Mr.. Johnson Cancelled several
months ago.
Admiral Arthur w. Radford, the
Navy's top airman, told the COM
mittee yesterday that the Navy
can't get a sympathetic hearing
in high defense circles. Admiral
Radford, now Pacific Fleet COM
mander, contended that the Air
Force was riding high. but riding
for a fall, in its six-engined B-36
bomber.
He said Naval aviation was be-
ing discounted in defense planning
while defense chiefs backed what
he called "a 1941 airplane."
Mr.. Vinson made it clear
that he expects "action"-per-
haps modification in the Armed
Forces ,Unification Act-to result
from the current airing of inter-
service squabbling.
With respect to the matter of
whether Mr.. johnson is to be per-
mitted to transfer or impound
money appropriated by Congress
for specific defense purposes. Mr..
Vinson was joined in his concern
by Representative Short of Mis-
souri,. ranking Republican men,
ber of the committee.
"It is the duty of Congress to
see that the money is spent for
the purposes for which it is ap-
propriated," he said.
Mr.. Vinson offered the COM
mittee a seven-point program as
basis for committee discussion
OF what neds to be done to make
unifcation work and insure proper
balance among the three armed
services.
He proposed that the unifica-
Ition act be amended to require
the Secretary of Defense to come
back to Congress and obtain con-
currence if he doesn't want to
spend some money the legislators
have given him.
Mr.. Vinson also suggested that
the committee:
/. Build q fire" under the
special weapons evaluation group
of the joint chiefs staff to make
them decide, once and for all,
whether the B-36 is all the Air
Force says it is, or all Admiral
Radford says it isn't.
2. Call upon the President to
have a study by the National Sc
curity Council on what our ma
tional objectives should be in any
future war"
3. Have a board appointed to
evaluate. strategic air warfare"
4. Make certain that the Navy's
funds for this year are not tied
up in contraventiop of congress
sional intentions.