Evening star., 1949-10-10
Background Leading
To Mayfair Force
SquabbIe Examined
One-Sidedness indicated
In Presenting Defense
Problems to Public
Bv Da,id Laurence

y
Armed Services Committee and
relate 1t in chronological order to
some Of the strange and unex-
planned circumstances that have
led up to the present climax.
!. During the war two remark
ably efficient and effective instru-
ments Of air power were devel-
oped by the United States-one
service that sent up its bombers
and fighter planes from mobile
bases Of aircraft carriers and the
other which used fixed bases on
land. Each has its uses and ma
ton with both air services can
dominate the air over land and
sea.
2. When the war was over the
superficial cry went up to merge
both services. To the layman 1t
looked like a good idea and a
means Of avoiding "duplication." "
To experienced military and ma
val men it meant a monopoly to
one or the other of the two Serv-
ices-that one would swallow up
the other not merely in appro-
priations but in concepts of war
strategy.
Controversy Outlined.
8. The land-based Air Force
insisted that long-range bombing
would be sufficient to destroy an
enemy's factories and economic
strength. This Is called strategic
warfare" The mobile airpower
men OF the Navy said that this
was a mistake and that the enemy
would put her. factories under
ground. ~Airpower. they said,
should be applied three ways so
as to provide air support for
ground troops. air offense and de-
tense for naval operations so as
to destroy submarine bases and
strike at land-based planes that
come out to prey on shipping,
and, of course. planes for strategic
bombing.
4. The land-based Air Force put
all their bets on one idea-stra-
tegic air bombing-and on one
type of plane, the B-36. This
would not have been so serious If
airplanes for ground troops had
not been neglected. Also 1t would
not have caused much commotion
If Secretary johnson had not
ordered q cancellation Of the en-
larged aircraft carrier without
consulting the Secretary Of the
Navy and likewise II the Air Force
had not undertaken a propaganda
campaign to destroy naval avia-
ton.
5. The campaign by the Air
Force attacking the Navy took
form in the latter part Of 194e
In a four month series Of articles
In the Readers Digest. The
enterprise of the Digest In getting
or publishing the articles is not to
be questioned. That's the true
function Of periodicals and news
papers-and they have the privi-
lege Of taking sides. too. The
editor Of the Digest admitted in
q letter to the Navy Department
that the attacks on the Navy had
been prepared with the co-opera-
ton Of the Air Force. This letter
is In the official records Of the
House Armed Services Committee.
The Cedric Worth memorandum
was crude attempt by Navy men
to answer the effects upon public
opinion resulting from the cir
culation of 100000 copies of the
Readers Digest month after
month attacking the Navy. A
court of inquiry was ordered by
the Secretary of the Navy but
never by the Secretary Of Air.
The House Committee took up the
Cedric Worth memo but never
the Air Force attacks on the
Navy.
Navy Morale Suffers.
6. One-sidedness and a suspi-
cion that the House Armed Serv-
ices Committee would allow only
one side to be presented raised
havoc with Navy morale. Air
Force officers of top rank had
been permitted to testify but no
naval officers were permitted to
give their views. The administra-
tion tried to put pressure on the
House committee to end its hear
ings on the ground that this was
just an inter-service squabble.
Finally Capt. Crommelin made q
desperate attempt to win public
attention and force hearing for
the Navy's side. He succeeded but
again the administration went into
action urging the House commit
tee to allow no public hearings.
The committee vote actually was
only 9 to 6 in favor of letting the
Navy present its side in public.
Suppression was an unwise ma
neuver. It only prepared more
headlines for Admiral Radford's
testimony.
7. When the House Armed
Services Committee last summer
seemed to side with the land
based Air Force, secret orders
were issued by Secretary Of De-
fense johnson to study a plan
whereby naval aviation would be
cut in half this fiscal year and
reduced still further next year.
This was the last straw that
aroused the Navy. It was con-
trary to assurances previously
given Congress by Secretary
johnson.
Plainly the way to work out
these technical military problems
is not by public debate but when
there is evidence Of one-sidedness
and attempts at suppression
through gag rules and intimida-
ton, the only recourse Is to the
civilian representatives Of the
people in the public hearings OF
congressional committees.
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