Evening star., 1950-07-30
Plane Manufacturers
Told Air Force Plans
To Spend SAB Billion
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Pageo
that within few hours after the
North Korean Communists made
their initial attack, it was decided
that this was "the real thing" He
made the statement when ques-
toned about a dispatch from
Japan saying the Red attack had
been misinterpreted at the outset
as a border raid.
4. There was some speculation
that the Communists, having
shown the world that they can
'lick American troops" might
suddenly withdraw back of the
3Sth parallel after having taught
the South Koreans lesson" The
Communist party line from the
beginning is that the South Ko-
reanS attacked first.
Tie Air Force notice to plane
manufacturers covers the entire
program included in the pending
appropriation bill. an official said.
He gave no indication of the num-
ber of panes involved, but indi-
Gated it would be "in the thou
sands"
The letter of intention to place
orders is something they can
start getting employees with" the
official explained.
Size of Orders Indicated.
The department said the letters
went to virtually every manufac-
turer of planes and parts in the
country. They were given "a
rough idea" of the size of their
orders, subject to further nego-
tiations.
Before the Korean outbreak,
the Air Force in May had about
1000 planes of which 3,100 were
of combat type in active service.
Several thousand were in storage.
Air Force plans to increase its
48 groups to So within IL months
were announced two days ago. BY
January 1853 it plans to have SO
air groups. The size of a group
varies. 1t may be 80 to As B-29s;
it may be rs fighters.
Stepping up plane production is
a time consuming process. 1t is
expected to take longer to do this
than during the last war, despite
the fact the United States now
has reserves of aircraft plants,
tools and materials which it did
not have at the time of Pearl
Harbor.
Planes Now More Complex.
This is due to the fact that
modern planes are larger and far
more complex than World War II
types.
Present United States plane pro-
duction is estimated at 215 a
month. The Aircraft Industries
Association expressed belief re-
Gently that with an unlimited pro-
duction go-ahead, this rate would
be tripled in one year to a month
" rate of GAS by July, 1851. 1t
estimated that the rate could be
tripled again to 1885 monthly in
July, 1852 and 5000 monthly in
July, 1858.
During World War II. output
achieved a peak of 9,100 a month.
While leaders at the Pentagon
appeared to be heartened by
somewhat encouraging week end
developments. none was disposed
to indicate an end of bad news.
A brief1ng officer, asked about
possible optimistic outlooks, said:
You can expect continuous
landings of reinforcements and
materials"
But he would go no further.
Discouragement Feared.
Although leaders here have
displayed concern over the effect
Of the prolonged bad news among
the public and possibly lawmak-
ers at home, there has been moth
ing they could do about it. There
has been some apprehension that
discouragement and bitterness
might begin to tinge thinking
at home.
An there has been some worry
that an isolationist sentiment
might develop because American
soldiers were doing all of the
fierce ground fighting without
much support from other United
Nations. The news that Britain
was furnishing some 5000 to 5000
combat troops ameliorated this
situation to an extent.
One highly placed officer said
he did not think that Gen.
Walkers vigorous remarks were
intended to be interpreted rig
idly" but rather was an indica-
tion that the top American COM
mander in Korea thought that
he could hold along present lines"
He added that Gen. Walker was
too good a tactician' to hold
a position if it would be better to
withdraw slightly and then make
q new stand.
A brtefing officer called the gen.
erals statement IAN encouraging
sign" but he also expressed the
belief that too much emphasis
had been placed on it," He said