Evening star., 1951-04-30

I'VE shall continue to emphasize
the training of more reserve
forces.
Most of the funds in this mill
tary budget VIII be spent for
military equipment and supplies,
and for constructing bases, camps
and other facilities. OF the total
of $6O.7 billion of new obliga-
tional authority, about $43 billion
is for procurement and construc-
ton. About $34.7 billion will be
used to purchase heavy equip
ment such as ships, planes, tanks
artillery, trucks, ammunition
guided missiles and electronics
Planes alone total $14.5 billion
of this.
Equipment viii Be Modern.
This equipment will be of the
most up-to-date kinds and will
substantially complete the pro-
gram of modernizings the combat
equipment of the armed forces.
We shall, at the same time. con-
tinue to step up the research and
development program. The funds
in this budget will support a pro-
gram about 20 per cent larger
than in the current fiscal year
and about two-and-a-half times
as large as in fiscal year 1850.
This military program will have
an increasing impact on OUT
economy. especially as equipment
orders are translated into actual
production.
The present plans for our mill
tary and other security programs
including mutual security as
sistance to friendly countries and
the stockpiling program-are esti-
mated to require about 20 per
cent of the total national output
by the end of fiscal year 1852
This is substantially less than the
As per cent Of total output which
was going to security purposes at
the peak of World War II. But 1t
will involve a rapid and subStan-
tial shift of resources. It will give
US serious production problems
and will require forceful action
against imitation.
In my message Of April Is
recommending the extension and
strengthening of the Defense Pro-
duction Act I urged renewal of
the authority under which we are
now regulating the flow of scarce
materials, so as to assure the
performance of defense contracts.
I also outlined the tax increases
and other measures which must
be taken in order to Offset these
inf1ationary pressures. These rec
concentrations are vital to our
security program. The national
defense will be seriously hampered
if they are not enacted.
The necessity which is now
thrust upon the Government to
draw heavily upon manpower,
materials and industrial facilities
for national defense requires eff
cient scheduling Of procurement,
production and facilities expan-
sion. Both the civilian and mill
tary agencies of Government are
concerned with these matters and
both are moving to improve their
effectiveness as the defense pro-
gram grows.
This military budget is essen
tial to our national security. The
outbreak of aggression, the threat
of general war that overhangs
the world, make it imperative to
increase our defenses rapidly and
efficiently.
Our arms must be up to date
and adapted to the many facets
of the struggle we face. There
LIS no one weapon-no Maginot
ILine-that can make us secure
We must work together with other
free nations. We must be pre-
pared to use all the great re-
sources of our economy to produce
whatever may be necessary for
our protection and for the pres
ervation Of freedom throughout
the world.
If we all work together, as our
people have always worked to-
|gether in time of national danger.
we shall succeed.