Evening star., 1950-04-02
New Eisenhower Plea
Urges Strengthening
OF Alaska Defenses
By John A. Giles

By John A. Giles
General Eisenhower yesterday
sent an urgent plea to Congress
for stronger Alaskan defenses and
modernized air and ground weap-
ons.
The general ADDED to his testi-
mony before a Senate Appropria-
tons Subcommittee last Wednes-
day by pleading for more spending
for Army ground forces-tanks,
anti-aircraft artillery and mobile
equipment. He said that that item
had been Inadvertently" omitted
from his testimony.
His letter listed first the need
for Alaskan garrisons. AS in his
testimony. he also saw the need
for more money for aircraft pro-
curement and anti-submarine
weapons.
Aslo mentioned for increased
attention by the general were in
telligence functions and prepara-
ton of industrial mobilization
plans. But he had said previously
that these items could cost little
or no extra money.
Can't Afford Delay.
Gen. Eisenhower wrote Chair
man Elmer Thomas of the sub
committee that professional Army
leaders had urged modernization
every year since the war but the
items always had been "eliminat-
ed or practically eliminated from
the budgets because of overriding
priorities in other directions.
THE time has come when we
cannot afford to longer delay
modernization of such types he
declared.
President Truman's budget
the defense section of which Gen.
Eisenhower supervised while serv-
ing as temporary chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff-carries S678
million for major procurement
other than aircraft and ships. The
President said that that was so
per cent more thar this year,
three times greater than the pre-
vious year and would permit sub
stantial modernization of equip
ment Of the ready forces" of the
Army and Marines.
Offers Only One Price Tag.
The general. who had guessed"
this his suggested additions would
cost around $500 million, came up
with only one price tag in his let
ter. He urged that the spending
level for planes for the Air Force
be increased to SIS billion, or
$3.50 million more than in the
budget. The Air Force has said it
would need around 50 billion an
nually to keep it's 48 groups mod
ern.
Gen. Eisenhower, now president
OF Columbia University, wrote
that more money for airplanes
must not be left at the expense
of the other two services whose
needs are not now satisfied" De-
fense Secretary johnson has fire.
quently pointed to savings frc1.
overhead, etc, which have been
applied to more hardware.
But the general pumped hard
est for radar screen for Alaska
and a stronger garrison for that
northern territory.
, One popularity of a military
establishment is that it is, in a
crisis, only as strong as its weak
est link" he declared. Therefore,
there must be co-ordinated prog
ress, and it would be erroneous to
devote available resources ex-
clusively to those items toward the
top of the list, with no attention
to those at the bottom.
Housing Difficulties.
In spite of this observation, !
still believe that some. defense of
Alaska is so important that it
should be considered above all
others, both in time and i'm
portance.
The Defense Department has
said repeatedly that it's principal
difficulty in Alaska was lack of
housing. At present there are
some $500 soldiers there-one
anti-aircraft battalian, one REIN
forced battalion of the 4th Com
bat Team and service and sup
ply units. The department has
planned to increase it's forces in
our guardian outpost against at
tack over the polar regions to
$4,000 but has been kept from
making this move. The Air Force
has not said how many fighter
planes it has there, but some esti-
mates have placed it at less than
$50.
A new plant to make calluIose