Evening star., 1950-02-24
Criticism Of Johnson
On Defense Budget
Is Called Unjust
Drive to Boost Arms
Funds by 81 Billion
Not Likely to Succeed
By David LalOrence

81 billion, which would further
increase the deficit and postpone
indefinitely the time for a re-
turn to balanced budget.
President Truman and Secretary
of Defense Johnson are standing
firmly against the drive, which
apparently is coming from out
side the armed services.
The basic claim being made ir
an effort to induce Congress to
expand appropriations is that the
United States is weak and moi
prepared for war. Much of the
criticism is rather unjustly con-
centrated on the Secretary of De-
fense, who, after all, is given by
the budget director the amount
that the President, as the finaI
authority, decides shall be spent
by all the armed services.
The question of whether the
armament which the United States
now has is sufficient is one that
depends for its answer on a defini-
tion of the meaning of the word
adequate From the viewpoint
purely of military theory, it would
take from s25 billion to $50 billion
a year to be prepared in every
p sense for an outbreak of war.
a What a democracy, however
with a limited amount of money
available out of a peacetime econ
omy, must do is set up a defense
establishment capable of immedi-
ate expansion. If that definition
is applied, then the United States
is ready for instant warfare and
for the immediate expansion of
each service in the months that
ensue.
Air Force is Ready.
Certainly the Air Force, which
Is the main instrument of instant
retaliation. is in readiness to de-
liver retaliatory blows. No ma
tion with government in its
right senses will wish to invite
the kind of retaliatory action of
which America is capable today.
But, along with the Air Force,
there are retaliatory blows which
can be struck from the seas as
we'll as from bases across the
oceans. To follow up on such
moves in succeeding weeks, it will
be necessary to reactivate ships
and planes now in moth balls
The manpower for such recon-
mlssioning of World War II ships
and planes is available because
reserves are steadily being trained
for that purpose.
1t is true that Russia is build
Ing ships and planes, but the
United States has in reserve far
more aircraft and ships than
Russia is now building and
enough antisubmarine strength
to cope with any menace to ship
ping.
e The key to preparedness lies in
the kind of reserves trained for
each of the three armed services.
America has always depended on
its regulars to form the nucleus
of wartime operating forces. The
public has been led to believe
that next time there will not be
time to mobilize armies and
navies. There wouldn't be if the
counterattack from the United
States were not effective.
But nothing has happened to
our defense forces which in any
way justifies the assumption that
our retaliatory blows would not
be effective. The power of the
potential enemy to wage war
would diminish from the day war
broke out, as American strength
would begin to grow.
Large Sum Authorized.
The President has authorized
approximately $13,500, 100000 for
all three armed services for the
current fiscal year This is a large
sum, and the armed service chiefs
are well aware of the necessity
of staying within their budgets
1t is gratifying indeed to note
the acceptance of budget limita-
tions within all three services
The attitude toward economy and
maximum use of the military
dollar has undergone a remark
able improvement in recent
weeks.
The Secretary of Defense has
accepted the task of holding the
budget to the limits set and is
striving to make economies in
overhead and auxiliary services
Cutting expenses in Government
always produces repercussions ano
criticism. But it is significant tc
note that the reductions which
have been made are in line with
q definite policy which assumes q
continuance of peacetime condi-
tions for the next few years al
least. Even if war arises. how
ever, the scheme of our defense
organization is such as to permit
of instantaneous expansion.
The veterans of World War Il
are not yet too old to have lost
b. their skills, and refresher course
of a few weeks will bring a man
power strength quite comparable
to war conditions.
The drive to unbalance the bud
get by 81 billion in the name OF
national security will not succeed
unless a war crisis develops. Their
appropriations, of course, woulo
naturally skyrocket far beyond
any such figure. The outlook i,
for peace-and for the continu-
ance of military budget thai
the national economy can stand
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