Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-19
Biz New Pork Barrel
Seen in 17-BiIIion
Military Funds Bill
!. Congress Questioned
On 58-Group Air Force,
Larger Than Requested
By David Laurence


By David Laurence
Why is it that, when the Presi.
dent Of the United States. together
with the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, the
Secretary Of Defense and the di.
. rector of the budget all say unan-
tmously that they want a 48-grour
air force, Congress deliberately
votes for a 5s-group and author.
ICES $74o. 100000 more than re.
quested?
+ Why does Congress spend more
money on one armed service thar
the military chiefs Of that service
themselves officially say they want
to spend on aircraft and related
items?
If the answers to these questions
could be authoritatively estab-
lished. the American people would
know more about what is happen
ing to defense expenditures than
they know today and they could
learn what hypocrisy Is wrapped
up In the word "unif1cation."
Market Furnishes Clue.
Possibly the following para
graph from a press dispatch Tues
day forenoon on the stock market
furnishes clue:
Gains throughout the main list
were mostly in the fractional zone.
but aircraft manufacturing stocks
rose more than two points on
expectations that Congress would
approve the appropriation bill au-
thorizing 58-group air force"
Unquestionably with q $17,000.-
600, 900 military appropriation bill.
. huge pork barrel" is possible
which affects the voting of men,
bers in whose districts large sums
are to be spent.
The House Of Representatives
would normally be more sensitive
to this kind Of thing than the
Senate, because Air Force installa-
tons and expenditures are made
in local areas that could affect a
district more than q whole States
vote. A member Of Congress,
looking forward to the continual
ton in his district of plant
which employs many thousands
of workers, would be expected by
the local chamber Of commerce
and the citizenry Of that area to
support such appropriations.
This does not, of course, explain
all the pressure exerted by the
House members as against the
Senate. which wanted only a 49,
group air force. It seems strange
that the members Of Congress
knew precisely the manner in
which the extra sums were to be
expended. They must have gotten
their information from the Air
Force officers familiar with pro-
curement. Obviously the Air
Force has to furnish whatever
data q member Of Congress asks
for, but the other day a Navy
Department employee, by the
name Of Cedric Worth, was pill
1oried for furnishing information
clandestinely to members of
Congress.
Were Figures Cleared?
From whom did all the detailed
figures on what would be spent
on a 58-group air force emanate?
We're they cleared with the Secre-
tary Of Defense? Was the Sec
rotary placed in the position of
saying he wanted only a 48-group
air force while data was being fur
nished by his subordinates tend
ing to prove that President Tru-
man and the director of the
budget and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff didn't know what they were
talking about when they insisted
on a 48-group air force? Did any
members Of the armed services
60 over the heads Of the Secretary
OF Defense and the Joint Chiefs
OF Staff and lobby for a 58-group
air force?
Explanations as to why the Sen
ate capitulated to the demands Of
the House conference members
and why the latter were so ada
mant for 58-group air force,
despite President Truman's re-
quest, indicate that there was
pressure from areas in which the
aviation industry has q big stake.
The new bill not only carries ap-
preparations for immediate build
ing Of aircraft, but also "con-
tracing authority" which extends
far beyond this year. A member
OF Congress who doesn't get some
OF this pork" might incur the
hostility Of persons in his own
district, but certainly the interest
of the taxpayers as q whole ap-
pears to be neglected. Rivers and
harbors money which filled the
:. pork barrels" Of previous Con-
crosses were mere pennies COM
pared to defense billions today.
Plainly the So and 10 group air.
force episode would furnish an
interesting opportunity for a study
by some disinterested body as to
what really influences Congress
these days to spend more and
more Of the peoples money in the
face Of the biggest peacetime
deficit in history.
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