Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-09
Armed Forces Unity
Is Seen Advanced by
Recent Controversy
Autonomy Of Services
Seen Achieved Inside
Joint Chiefs of Stuff
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
Considerable progress has been
made toward "unification" of the
armed services as result Of the
recent controversy.
Not only has each service now
a clearer idea of its duties and
functions but recognition Of the
autonomy of each service has
actually been achieved inside the
Joint Chiefs of staff. No merger
and no consolidation Of armed
services was contemplated by the
law, but a policy of integration
and coordination was specifically
encouraged-and that's what is
being developed at last.
What is most important, too. is
that a working relationship be-
tween the defense dollars avail
able and defense needs is being
clearly deflned-perhaps on a
more businesslike basis than ever
before in our history.
Significant Principle.
Out of this comes a significant
principle that is accepted by the
JOINT Chiefs of Staff with una
nimity. 1t is that the United
States cannot possibly be on a
war footing year after year but
must allocate its funds so that
basic forces can be instantly ex-
banded the moment the need for
mobilization begins to be ap-
parent
Admiral Sherman, Chief of
Naval Operations, made that very
point this week in copyrighted
interview in U. S. News g. World
Report, and now Gen. Omar
Bradley, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, has. in a public
speech. wisely underlined the
point. The general said that it
would not be feasible for the
United States ito match the So
Wet Union plane for plane, ship
for ship, division for division.
without lowering it's standard of
living"
Admiral Sherman put it this
way: II would question that there
Is any such thing as absolute
security I question that
absolute national security can be
provided within reasonable sums
of money All I can say is
that out of the sum Of money
that is made available to the
defense establishment and the
Navy and, on those two levels,
you will get the maximum Sc
curity that is possible"
What this means is that the
United States can develop forces
in being" that are capable of i'm
mediate expansion. How long, for
instance. will it take to put the
deactivated feet back in COM
mission? Has enough money been
set aside to train the necessary
reserves for an expanded service?
Are the weapons being built now
as prototypes Of the ones that can
be put into quantity production
quickly when a war crisis ap-
proaches?
Reasonable Security"
These are the questions that
the Defense Department answers
in the affirmative, believing they
are covered under the term "rea-
sonable security" Military men.
of course. will never be happy
with any limits imposed and al
ways will strive for and hope for
larger appropriations because they
feel better with more armament
rather than with less. The key is
not materials or weapons so much
as it is trained manpower to put
to use instantly the equipment
and weapons at hand.
The Navy in particular is max
ing progress nowadays. For it has
been completely supported by the
House Armed Services Committee
in its contention that each armed
service should be permitted to de-
velop prototypes, whether it be a
f1ush-deck carrier or a B-36. Like
wise, the 80 separate findings of
the House committee which were
unanimously adopted confirm
every one of the important points
made by the Navy In the hear
ings last autumn. 1t was wholly
satisfactory report from the
Nays viewpoint.
Admiral Sherman declared this
week, moreover. that in the role
he plays in the Joint Chiefs of
Staff and as an adviser in the
Defense Department the Navy is
accepted in every sense as "a
full partner"
The controversy over the re-
moval of Admiral Denfeld and the
"reprisals' taken against officers
who testify before congressional
committees has by no means been
resolved as yet, and morale will
improve as this Is cleared up, too.
"Uniflcation" itself, on the other
hand, Is still a novelty In a
broad sense to each of the armed
services, and the House committee
in its report admonishes that the
word and concept require not
blind support" but further def
milton" The men. however, who
are endeavoring to make it work
know more about how to do the
job than they did a year ago-and
they are trying harder. That is
why encouraging progress can be
reported at this time.
characterization Riohts RasaruaaA