Evening star., 1949-10-22
TwoLegis|ators
Warn Johnson
Against Purge
Short and Susscer
Oppose Vengeance
In Unity Dispute


Warning against any Pentagon
purges as a result of the armed
forces quarrels over unif1cation
came from two House members
today.
Representative Short. Republic
can, of Missouri said he intends
to see to it that Secretary Of
Defense johnson sticks to per-
sonal assurances that there will
be no reprisals over airing of Navy
grievances in the House Armed
Services Committee hearings that
wound up yesterday.
Representative Sasscer. Demo-
crat, of Maryland asserted that
I'VE have got to be careful to keep
away from any elimination or
purges." He emphasized that the
important thing lis to get the
armed services working as .
team
Dismissals Reported Impending.
The Short and Sasscer state.
ments came in the wake of spread-
ing reports that some heads may
roll in the Pentagon as an after
math of the heated congressional
hearings.
Those reports we're given new
impetus yesterday when Secretary
johnson said it was failure to sup-
port unification which resulted in
the resignation of former Secre-
tary of the Navy John L. Sullivan
"a statement which Mr.. Sullivan
promptly denied.
Navy officers appearing at the
committee hearings have indicated
that their main quarrel is not
with the unification law itself, but
with the way it is being carried
out. Nevertheless, there was
speculation that Mr.. johnson had
them in mind when he said he
wanted no opponents of unifica-
ton on his team.
If they think they can get
unification by ruthlessly elimi.
nating opposition, they've got an
other think coming" Mr.. Short
told reporters. Everything can
be worked out all right if there 70
not too much vindictiveness."
Broad Integration Proposed.
The hearings on defense STRAIT.
egy and the interservice dispute
came to a close on a "where-do-
we-go-from-here?" note.
One result may be a broad inte-
grafton of the armed forces Re-
serve training programs.
The "get-acquainted" program
could be initiated without legisla-
ton and Mr.. johnson has indi-
Gated he favors it in principle.
In bringing the inquiry to .
close yesterday, Chairman Vim
son said the committee will not
draw up any specific recommended
tions until Congress comes back
to work in January. But he en-
phasized the committee is in.
terested particularly in making
certain that present programs Of
personnel exchange among the
services for training be expanded.
Suggested by Durham.
Chairman Vinson, Mr.. Short and
others on the committee had
shown concern over Navy claims
that the Air Force would not let
Navy flyers familiarize themselves
with the B-36 intercontinental
bomber and over Air Force state.
ments that they knew little about
the Navy's Banshee jet fighter
plane and weren't particularly in
terested in it.
The proposal to extend some
measure of unif1cation to the re-
serves came from Representative
Durham. Democrat, of North
Carolina. He Joined Mr.. Vinson
in declaring the only way to make
unification work is to have all
services brought into intimate
contact with the problems of the
others.
There's no reason why the pres
ent limited interchange of per-
sonnel shouldn't be increased and
extended to the reserve units, Mr.,
Durham said.
Excellent" Says johnson.
Mr.. johnson called it IAN excel
lent suggestion. He said it hadn't
occurred to him, inasmuch as the
cross training program was in an
early stage. He promised to bring
it up at the next meeting Of the
Defense Departments Civilian
Components Policy Board.
In addition to the defense chief.
the committee heard yesterday
from former President Hoover
and Gen. George c. Marshall,
wartime Army Chief of Sta1.
Both emphasized that economies
| in service budgets are essential
and that all services must share
the cuts.
Deserves Full Support"
MIR. johnson deserves the full
support of this committee and the
country in his difficult task" Of
trimming armed force expendi-
lures, Mr.. Hoover said.
He warned that the Nations
(see SERVICE FIGHT, Page Asa