Evening star., 1949-10-18

Ncll1lL - : 49, l:s.i - -
SYNIINGTON ON STAND-Air
Navy critics of the Air Force a
Armed Services Committee toe
Air Force chief of staff, is at lie.
sents the surveys findings" Mr..
Symington said. THE professional
understanding of these officers,
therefore, is bound to be influ-
enced by the false doctrine con-
tanned in it,"
He read into the record a letter
to Defense Secretary johnson
from Franklin D'Olier, who was
chairman Of the survey, in which
Mr.. D'Olier said the anonymous
pamphlet quotes the survey out
OF context; injects parenthetical
expressions not in the original
work; links together short quota-
tions which establish a train of
thought not found in the original
documents; alters a survey chart;
omits qualifying phrases, and, in
general, appears to me to paint
picture diametrically opposed to
the findings of the survey"
Publishers Letter Shown.
Copies of purported . official
Navy photographs taken at the
meeting of Naval Reserve officers
were included in the analysis of
the pamphlet presented to the
committee by Mr.. Symington.
One picture was of a group in
Guiding Rear Admiral Luis De
Florez, U. S. N. R., who testified
for the Navy last week.
The analysis also contained a
photostatic copy of a mimeo-
graphed letter from James G..
Stahlman, publisher of the Nash
vile Banner, and a captain in the
United" )" States Naval Reserve,
which stated Mr.. Stahlman was
sending copies of the pamphlet
ito several hundred of my friends
IN the newspaper business" and
that it contained some facts and
charts which are incontrovert-
ible."
In questioning after giving his
prepared statement, Mr.. Syming-
ton was asked by Chairman Vim
son whether he favored a So or
48 group Air Force this year.
(Senate and House conferees have
agreed on the higher total.)
Mr.. Symington said that his
position was not presented cor
rectly If it was represented as
being in favor Of 48 groups. He
explained he considers a 70-group
Air Force essential "as soon as
possible" but has abided by Pres
ldent Truman's decision that 48
groups are all the Nation can
afford at this time.
Denies Navy Charges.
Representative Cole, Republi-
can, Of New York asked Mr.. Sym
ington whether he thought the
myth" pamphlet was "dissemi-
mated or inspired by naval off,
GERS"
II have no opinion on that, SIR"
he replied.
i Mr.. Symington derided as sim
ply loose talk" designed to catch
headlines a Navy statement that
the B-36 is a billion dollar blum
der" He said the whole program
will cost considerably less than a
billien.
He rejected as q misstatement
the Nays complaint that the.
Air Force Is Offering an atomic
blitz" pattern OF warfare as q
quick. easy and painless way to
victory.
"And it just is not true" Mr..
Symington said. that the Air
Force favors mass atomic bombing
Of civilians"
The Air Secretary said the dis
turbing thing about the attacks
on the Air Force and the rest of
the military establishment 'is
what they have done and are
doing to imperil the security of
the United States"
Arguments Not New.
"1t was bad enough" he went
on. Ito have given a possible ag-
gressor technical and operating
details Of our newest and latest
equipment. In my opinion it Is
far worse to have opened up to
him in such detail the military
doctrines Of how this country
would be defended"
1--WE have given the military
leaders OF any aggressor nation a
further advantage in developing
their strategic plan by telling
them so much about our own"
Secretary Symington said he has
been following in detail the argu-
ments the Navy has been giving
the committee.
1.-THE assertions that have been
made are not new" he said, but
have been presented at various
levels in the defense establish
ment, including the very top. for
many years.
In considerable measure, he
said, they have been rejected by
deliberate, thoughtful persons
having the responsibility of de-
cision.
Farm lands occupy only about
one-sixth the total area OF New
Hampshire,