Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-12-15
Further S. Billion
Likely 10 Be Asked
For Defense in Year
BY John A. Giles

BY John A. Giles
The armed services will ask for
another supplemental appropria-
ton of up to SIS billion to complete
the money outlay for the present
fiscal year, a high defense official
said today.
He emphasized that no final de-
ciSion had been made on the funds
to be sought. A SIS billion appro-
priation would bring defense
spending for the fiscal year ending
next June 80 to $468 billion.
In a Pentagon briefng the Of
fetal. who preferred that his name
not be used. also:
l. Disclosed that the military
mobilization speedup called for 3
million men by mid-June and
that the total strength of the
services would rise to between 3
and 3l2 million in the following
year He discounted reports that
it would go to or 5 million men.
Facilities Lacking.
2. Said the manpoWer buildup
is going. forward on its present
level because of a lack of training
facilities and instructors. He said
there was no lack OF funds or
equipment.
3. Stated that no new encamp-
ments were contemplated. but
that there probably would be some
construction on present Govern
ment property.
4. Reported that no decision to
call up additional National Guard
divisions had reached the office
of Defense Secretary Marshall.
Neither has there been any de-
cision as to the length of time the
four National Guard divisions
presently in Federal service will be
retained.
5. Disclosed that the defense
planning calls for the Navy to
have enough vessels on hand at
all times to move two war-strength
divisions overseas.
Carriers Converted for Jets.
6. Said that the Navy proposed
to keep two modernized Essex class
and two escort aircraft carriers on
hand so that they could go to sea
on "a hours notice. The Navy, he
said, has converted or is in process
of converting 10 Essex class car
riers to accommodate jet planes
at cost of S37 million each.
The official said that the de-
partment hoped to give the Budget
Bureau a total expenditure figure
for the 1852 fiscal year within
two weeks.
The 1851 fiscal spending pro-
gram carries enough funds for
equipping all contemplated
ground units with modern equip
ment. The Army will have Is di-
visions under the program and
the official disclosed that an
armored division now calls for
400 tanks and an infantry di-
vision has $50.
A total of 1850 medium tanks
will be bought during the present
fiscal year. OF these, 1.240 will
he light tanks, but the first Of
them will not come off the line
until July. The production rate.
he said, will reach 40 a month,
shortly thereafter and rise to 100
month by December.
Prices Called "Spotty."
Discussing the rise in prices Of
defense items, the official said that
they had been "spotty' and that
there had been little or no change
in about half of the items.
The officials disclosure of the
SIS billion figure followed the re-
lease OF testimony by Gen. Mar
shall and other defense officials in
which they indicated it would be
necessary to increase the spending
program this year.
Only today it was disclosed that
Army Secretary Pace had frankly
advised the House Appropriations
subcommittee that the new sup
Elemental military money measure
bringing defense spending to
$41.8 billion-was prepared before
the surge Of large Chinese Com
munist forces over North Korea
and that it has already been over
taken by the rush of recent
events
Hoped for Early End to War.
1t was prepared, he said, when
it was believed the Korean war
would end by midsummer.
Air Force Secretary Finletter,
whose testimony also was re-
leased, reported the air arm sup
ported the budget because it was
orderly" but he also limited that
that service might need addi-
tional funds.
The funds will allow the Air
Forces long-range atom bombers