Evening star., 1951-06-10

lare not at the border, and that
situation doesn't exist at the pres
ent time"
I think it is unreasonable for
you, Mr.. Secretary, or for the JCSl
to expect this committee and the
country to believe that bot pur-
suit was ruled out because Nof some
change in the military situation
# my memory is correct, the
record ought to establish as being
"a fact that the hot pursuit was
ruled out for political reasons. i
Air Battle Recalled.
In the Evening Star of Thurs
day, June 7th, ! read an AP dis
patch of June 7th. from Korea,
which stated that allied war
planes had destroyed or damaged
46 Russian MIG-15s in the
massive April 18th air battle.
The battle ragged, the dispatch
said, at heights up to four miles,
when 80 MICS attacked 80 B-29s |
making the wars heaviest attack |
to date on Yalu River bridge
near Sinuiju.
One need not be a military
man, Mr.. Secretary, to answer
this question: Would military
necessity, if that Is the prime
consideration, not require follow
ing these enemy jet aircraft north
Of the Yalu in order to destroy
them and to provide our bombers
with maximum protection?
Secretary Acheson.-Well, II
think that my statement when I
said they are not at the border
was too inclusive. Let me read
what I did say here.
The statement which I made, :
think. is too broad. On page 5488,
I said. II think you are wrong
about that, Senator. I do not re-
call that the Chinese Air ever
seriously or perhaps at all at
tackled our ground forces" think
I am correct in that statement.
"The particular reason for going |
across the border was that the
fighter pilots had to break of, at
the border. The fighter pilots are
not at the border, and that situa-
ton doesn't exist at the present
time"
I think you were correct in
pointing out that when they are
giving air support to bombers
who are conducting operations in
that area, they may on occasion,
If you are attacking bridge, be
employed; in that respect, my
statement was too broad.
I think what I was driving at
here is that when the fighting was
UP in the north. the attacking
planes were all over that area and
were being attacked by jets on all
occasions, and they found it diff
cult to break off at the border.
Now, you have an operation
where it might don't know
enough about military affairs-be
of some advantage for a pilot to
go across the border: while the
pilot must stay with his bomber
and not leave it. Therefore, I
do not know If there has been any
request from the Joint Chiefs of
Stad-in fact, I think there has
not been any request from the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, to revive
this idea since the whole operation
has moved so much further
south.
Cain Asks Explanation.
Senator Cain Z. Can you
suggest single logical military
reason why enemy aircraft whose
sole mission is to destroy and
hinder allied operations should not
be shot out Of the air wherever
they are found?
Secretary Acheson-Well, I canI
suggest the reasons which were
given at the time this proposal was
brought up for believing that i'll
might be more of a Disadvantage
than it is an advantage, and that
is that If by pursuing an air.
plane across the border you bring
in the air on the other side against
your whole operation you may
have lost more than you have
gained. |
Senator Cain Mr.. Secre-
tary; in the name Of continuity
and in the name Of Just common
sense. I want the record to sup
port in limited way my conten-
ton that there is every possible
military reason for hot pursuit Of
enemy aircraft in any war in
which America finds itself en-
gagged. I use three brief refer
'ences from military witnesses.
On Page % Gen. Macarthur
said:
at bVn1x, that %I,a o;,. x,,;rt. d. 4