Evening star., 1949-08-26
Army Head Sees Peri
In Seductive Strains
OF Push-Bufton War
Coils Air Power Initial
Weapon but Books Up
Case for Strong Navy
By David Laurence

More sense on the military
policy of the United States than
has emerged from the Pentagon
Building in q long, long time has
Just come from the lips Of
civilian-Gordon Gray. Secretary
Of the Army.
In an address that was truly OBJ
jective. the head Of the Army
stated the case against super
weapons and push-button warfare
and reminded the American
people why they cannot depend on
any one service or on any one
military concept.
Mr.. Gray said It would be easy
to listen to the seductive and
melodious strains" Of the song the
Nation has been hearing-namely,
that national preparedness can be
>elivered "in a pretty package ana
at nominal cost and sacrifice" he
added:
"But it is a dangerous song. and
one that will be certain to lure
us into danger If we listen. It
could lull this whole Nation into
a lethargy like that Of the French
who built themselves q Maginot
line. then in effect said comfort
tngly and soothingly amongst
themselves: All right, we have an
impregnable line-now we are SAFE
behind it. We can take 1t easy
from here on out"
Overseas Bases Vital.
Secretary Gray paid his respects
to air power and said it would be
the principal initial offensive
weapon in any future war, and In
valuable in Defense" but ne
added:
"What I do disagree with is the
specious argument that air power
and super-weapons, virtually
alone, would be able to make q
war relatively easy, and that as q
result there is q dwindling neeo
for Army forces. 80
1T is granted that our modern
aircraft would conduct sorties
across the ocean from North
American bases, but If strategic
bombing is to have appreciate
effect, it must be sustained ana
continuous. It follows that really
effective bombing would come
from bases much closer to any
potential enemy than those we
now maintain. It's effectiveness
would increase as more bases were
set UP, nearer and nearer the
enemy, farther and farther from
America.
"Thus we see that in case OF
any reasonably likely war we
would have to set up bases IN
overseas areas-with the consent
of the nations involved, Of course"
MIR. Gray said that such bases
would have to be held by ground
troops and he declared that "the
lob could not be accomplished
without o superior navy which
could keep the sea lanes open and
protect from air and submarine
attack the necessary movement OF
men and supplies across the sea"
Corroborates Navy View.
The Secretary Of the Army
pointed out. moreover, that the
enemy wouldn't be sleeping at
his gates while we moved closer
to him, setting up bases" and that
the enemy would be attacking
America II possible with what
ever long-range weapons he had"
Everything that Mr.. Gray said
about the indispensability OF
ground troops could be said
equally well Of . navy that must
get control of the air over the
seas as well as for the submarine
under the sea. BY substituting
the word navy" for army" the
entire speech confirms and cor
roborates the viewpoint expressed
by the Navy for several months
In the face Of q barrage OF prop
aganda which sought to make 1t
appear that strategic bombing
alone could win wars and that the
Nation could afford to make dras-
tic cuts In the other armed serv-
ices as well as squelch the demand
of those services for improved
weapons.
The Secretary Of the Army like
wise made the best case that has
yet been made for the aircraft
carrier-the floating base that
doesn't depend on the consent Of
any foreign nation or on any gov
ernment that can be inf1ltrated
by the enemy through political or
theological methods. For. over
night, the entire Maginot Line