Evening star., 1949-10-11
Navy
CONTINUED From First Page.)


former President Hoover, Gen
Eisenhower and the Joint Chief
Of Stats be permitted to testify
before the committee ends its in
quiry into Mayfair Force differ
ences over the Importance Of long
range strategic bombing.
! Mr.. Vinson previously had an
nounced that Mr.. johnson would
be asked to testify. He pointed
out, however, that the Navy now
Is having its turn.
Gen. Mcgee told the committee
that press reports have indicated
that at of the Is Soviet all
armies are completely tactical
being composed of fighters, attack
bombers and reconnaissance
planes"
Sees Air Force Unbalanced.
Despite this. he said. the United
States Air Force. "as presently
projected is unbalanced in favor
Of strategic bombing to the detri-
ment Of its ability to provide tao
tical air support for ground forces
and for other missions involving
tactical aviation.
From personal experience dur
ing these past three years." he
continued. Il would say the tao
tical Air Force exists largely on
paper-at least that part Of ii
that is marked for Army support. u
Projected budget cuts hitting
naval and Marine aviation will
seriously impair the combat read
mess Of the fleet and the fleet Ma
rine force" he warned.
Capt. Sides pointed out that this
Nations developments in the
guided missile field are well
advanced, but he said details
would have to be given in closed
session. He pointed out that the
Russians, having moved equip
ment and technical personal from
Eastern Germany, were equipped
to pick up where the Germans left
off in this field at the end Of the
war after notable success.
Cites Technical Difficulties
In the four years since the end
of the war they have had plenty
of time to go into production with
German missiles designed to seek
out and kill high-flying big bomb
ers," Capt. Sides said.
AS for the B-36 carrying guided
projectiles to destroy attacking
fighters, he said the fighters.
armed with such weapons. would
have tremendous advantage.
He explained they always would
be firing straight ahead whereas
the bomber would have to fire in
whatever direction the threat ap-
Ipeared. and tremendous tech
|nical difficulties are encountered
when you attempt to fire at an
angle"
Admiral Ofstie told the CON-
mittee that "the idea that 1t is
within our power to inflict maxi
mum damage upon the enemy in
a short time without serious risk
to ourselves creates the delusion
that we are stronger than we
actually are"
'cNot Part Of Team
This in turn becomes q con-
slant temptation for policymakers
to overcommit themselves, to make
commitments actually impossible
to fulfill"
The B-36 force, he insisted, is
designed for independent action
and cannot be a useful part OF
the fighting team of all services
which must stand ready to meet
the potentially disastrous shock OF
an enemy's initial attack"
In his prepared statement, Ad-
miral Ofstie inquired bitterly In
referring to Air Force defense
strategy:
Must we maintain as a major
element of our military power a
force which insists on fighting its
own war in its own way and con-
tributes virtually nothing to the
vital minimum security of our
selves and our allies?"
He centended B-36s could not
help in the defense OF Western
Europe, the protection Of forward
bases or the safeguarding Of COM
mand Of the sea.
A member of the group which
conducted the strategic bombing
survey, Admiral Ofstie said mass
bombings represent a "discreditee
theory" which if followed in an
other war. would "break down the
standards of morality which have
been a guiding force in this de.
mocracy since its inception"
Questions Bombing Of Cities.
Specifically, he said B-36s bomb.
ing industrial targets behind the
lines could not stem an enemy
move on Western Europe and the
, attacker would have to be dealt
with there.
"Are we to atomize or other
wise destroy such urban and in
j dustrial areas where friendly peo-
J, Piles outnumber the invaders in a
ratio of so to 100 to ~" he in.
J Quired.
I Comdr. Tatom, quoting from a
report on effects of the Hiro.
shima atomic bomb explosion
read to the committee:
Beyond $500 feet radiation ef.
: fects appeared to drop off yer,
sharply. Flash burns we're pro.
ltected by clothing and building