Evening star., 1949-09-14
NaW'sMoraIe Shaken
By Fear Aviation Unit
Will Be EmascuIafed
capt. CrommeIin Voiced
Services Deep Unrest
Over Fund-Cut Order
Rp David Laurence

BY Dana Laurence
The morale of the United States
Navy has been shaken badly. In
side the Navy disbursement and
despair have spread ever since
Secretary Of Defense Johnson re-
fused to grant a hearing to the
then Secretary of the Navy, John
L. Sullivan, and abruptly can
celled further construction on the
large aircraft carrier, 1.-THE United
States"
It was not this cancellation, but
what Navy men feared would re-
suit as q consequence, that caused
dismay. The fear was that Amer
ica's superb naval aviation force
would be emasculated. These
fears have now materialized be-
cause the Navy has been requested
to consider cuts in naval aviation
out of proportion to other divi-
sions Of the armed services. In
fact, land-based aviation is to have
the same or even larger funds in
the next fiscal year.
The outburst by Capt. John
Crommelin, naval hero. which has
been backed up now by Admiral
Halsey and other high officers, is
symptomatic of the deep unrest
that has swept the Navy. Secre-
tary Of Defense johnson has failed
to allay that unrest and, indeed,
has given Navy men the impress
sion that he intends to continue
his partisanship In behalf Of the
Air Force.
Mistakes by Overzealous.
The controversy over the B-36
is, of course, a direct sequel to the
controversy over the status of
naval aviation. It was grievous
mistake for overzealous naval sup
porters to become involved in de-
mands for a congressional inves-
tigation. But when the inquiry
was ordered and the House Armed
Services Committee undertook it,
an even greater mistake was made
in refusing to let the Navy men
present their side Of the dispute.
Instead the House committee
adopted recently a resolution i'm
plying that everything about the
procurement of the B-36 was reg
ular and that the placing of a
billion dollars worth of contracts
on one type of plane was fully
indorsed.
Admiral Radford, chief expo
nent of naval aviation and now
commander. in chief Of the Pacific
fleet, has flown to Washington
twice to testify but has not been
permitted to do so. Likewise,
Admiral Blandy. commander in
chief Of the Atlantic feet, has
been ready to testify.
These men presumably have In
formation tending to raise ques-
tions about the B-36. The Amer
lean people do not like efforts
to squelch testimony or to white
wash those who have been charged
with deviations from accustomed
procedures in spending public
money. y sr @
The top civilians In the Navy
have been silenced or effectively
prevented from speaking forth
rightly in behalf Of the Navy.
That Is why men like Capt. Crom-
melin are speaking out. They
have lost hope that the Navy's
side will be permitted to come out
and hence unusual measures are
being adopted to get a hearing.
The rumor af1oat in Washington
is that the House Armed Services
Committee is finished with its
inquiry and is only interested
in finding out who in the Navy has
the temerity to question Air Force
claims. The whole thing has
turned into a witch hunt to dis
cover who accused the Air Force
Of irregularities. No attention has
been paid to ascertaining who in
the Air Force is responsible for
the attacks on naval aviation
which have been repeatedly fed
to the public by Air Force officials.
Worth's Recant Seen Odd.
It is very odd that the only thing
the House committee and the
Naval Board has been interested in
is the source of the Cedric Worth
memorandum. They have not
been interested in hearing about
the B-36 except from Air Force
proponents.
It is very odd also that Mr..
Worth, between the morning and
afternoon sessions at the last day
Of the hearings. recanted and said
he had been mistaken. Why did
he so testify about a document on
which he had spent months and
which contained many statements
that have not yet been thoroughly
investigated? What was said to
Mr.. Worth at the recess and who
talked with him? The mystery
should be cleared up.
The Air Force is a great in
stitution and deserves widespread
recognition as equal in potentiality
to any other armed service. But
there are many things that need
explaining, including the neglect
Of air support for ground armies.
These controversies are to be
deplored, but it is never healthy
in our democracy to squelch debate
or threaten punishment to Amer
lean citizens, whether or not in
uniform, just because fhey prepare
memoranda at the request Of men,
bers Of Congress or because they
venture to speak to members of
Congress about their work and
their future.
The demand of the people is
for unif1cation of our armed serv-
Ices. Legislation cannot do it.
Fairness and equitable treatment