Evening star., 1950-01-31
America S STRENGTH
Makes War Unlikely
Now, Johnson Says
BY John A. Giles

Cdlieu GOOdy lUI the NdLlOQ TO stay
powerful and alert until interna-
tional cooperation is accepted
by adversaries who are doing their
utmost to destroy it."
He coupled this call, in his an
nual report. with a word of eau
ton that an attack on this coun-
try could come from the opposite
hemisphere without warning and
unpredictable fury"
However. the Secretary ex-
pressed the belief that the pros
pect OF war was diminishing de-
spite the Russian attitude. The
Increased military strength of the
United States has had much to do
with discouraging venture into
a shooting war by an aggressor
nation, he said.
Says Nation Is Strong.
He assessed the United States
strength as the most formidable
since 1945. He termed the readi-
ness of our armed forces and our
military potential greater today
than in any previous peacetime
period in our Nations history"
The Secretary also:
/. Declared that military officers
having honest differences of
viewpoint" have a right to be
heard but when a decision is
reached 1--WE have the right to
expect that it will be carried out
ungrudgingly." He thus referred
to such incidents as the wrangle
over the Air Forces B-36 bomber
and the Navy's role in the defense
setup which resulted in the re-
moval of Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
as chief of naval operations.
2. Said the United States must
consider "every important weapon
and combination of weapons
which might be used against it"
and specifically noted work to
give this country adequate de-
fenses and counter measures
against biological, Pathological and
chemical warfare "in new and in
sidious forms"
Reports on Work by Others.
He reported evidence which I'm
dicates that other nations have
experimental with new and un-
tried forms of toxic (poison)
chemical warfare"
3. Said there has been an in
innate unif1cation of separate
lines of governmental activity in
the formulation and conduct of
foreign policy" through the Ma
tional Security Council. He has
been reported at odds with the
State Department over diploma
tic-military policy on several oc-
casions.
4. Said he does not forsee i'm
mediate and spectacular results"
on establishment of the Atlantic
pact organization and distribution
of this years arms aid. Results
will come about only as the or
ganization gains experience" he
said.
Some Information Outdated.
S. Declared that, should West
ern Europe be overrun, "the
United States would stand iso-
lated in a dangerously insecure
position; and that, in the event
the United States is involved in
a war, Western European nations
must be able to hold the lines of
collective defense" while this
country prepares for action.
With the exception of a foot
note reference to the Russian
atomic explosion announcement
by President Truman last Sep
tember, the report covered the.
fiscal year which ended last June
30. Thus much of the information
on military strength, ETC., was
outdated.
The document also contained
the reports of the Secretaries of
the Army. Navy and Air Force
in. itself, Mr.. Johnson said, an
example of unif1cation. -
The Secretary made it clear
that he believes the traditional
unamious agreement by the Joint
Chiefs of Staff is no longer neces-
sary.
Speaking of his decision to can
Gel the construction of the SUPER
aircraft carrier United States, he
said:
"The joint chiefs did not reach
UNANIMOUS agreement, but the ma
jority favored abandonment of the
project
No Military Expert.
Admiral Denfeld then was a
member of the joint chiefs, and
Mr.. Johnson's action brought
about the@ resignation of Navy
Secretary Navy John L. Sullivan
in angry protest.
The Secretary sees unification
as a means of providing greater
national security at less expense,
mot by arbitrary acts" but by
"co-ordination and consolidation. /"
He cited the Berlin airIift as an
example of unification.
At another point, he said he has
made it clear that harmful COM
petition among the military serv-
ices for headlines and publicity
will not be tolerated"
Mr.. johnson also reported that
the joint chiefs have drafted stra-
tegic plans for the unified defense
of the Nation "far advanced be-
yond those of any previous peace