Evening star., 1951-09-30
Large Aerial Increase
Is Part Of joint Chiefs
Expansion Agreement
Ry John A. Giles

apparently less tnan the air arm :.
original 140-wing demand, ha
been approved unanimously by
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it wa.
learned yesterday.
Secretary of Defense Lovett i.
expected to present the details oil
the 1858 fiscal year program te
President Truman tomorrow. II
is likely to come up for discussion
at a meeting of the National
Security Council Wednesday.
The present goal of the Air
Force is 95 wings by the middle
Of 1852. There are now around
81 wings.
Agree Figures Top Secret.
In congressional quarters, pro-
posals for increasing the size of
the Air Force have run as high as
165 wings or more.
But Air Force Secretary Finlet-
ter recently told the Senate APP
preparation Committee that he
knew "of no general acceptance
of a 150-wing program. At the
outset of Joint Chiefs study the
140 figure was advanced. q
Exactly what the chiefs finally
agreed on is labeled top secret
for the present Army and Navy
increases also are included in
the plan.
In estimating how big an Army.
Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps
will be needed by mid-1953, the
Joint Chiefs have to look into the
future and try to guess not only
what the international situation
might be at that time but what
type # wal would be fought if
hostilities occurred. The question
has been where emphasis should
be heaviest in the expansion of
the overall armed strength.
Naval Air Expansion Seen.
Mr.. Finletter, in appearances on
Capitol Hill, has declared that
1.-THE time is past when we can
any longer go on with the idea
that if one service gets some
thing the other service must get,
roughly speaking, a like amount"
How much this balanced force"
argument was reflected in the f.
nal decision of the Joint Chiefs on
the size of the armed forces two
years hence remains to be seen.
However, speculation has been
that the Navy. while training its
present operating feet of slightly
over l,100 vessels. would build up
its air arm. especially to provide
plane and crew compliments for
the new 56,000-ton aircraft car
rier now under construction and
for any other similar ships that
may be built in the future.
The Army. currently at an 49,
division strength, is to be expanded
by three more divisions during the
present fiscal year. 1t has, in units
such as regimental combat teams
and separate battalions,. the equiv
alent of six additional divisions.
No Disagreement Found.
The agreement was reached just
before Gen. Bradley, the Joint
Chiefs chairman, left Wednesday
night for Tokyo and Korea.
Despite some reports that thet
Joint Chiefs had found it i'm
possible to reach an agreement
and that Mr.. Lovett had ordered
the civilian secretaries to bring
an end to the impaSSe. a high off,
cial emphasized that the top
planners had not presented "a
split paper" to the defense chic.
If the Joint Chiefs, the Nations
highest military advisory group,
had been unable to make a con- (
crete recommendation on the fu-
ture size of the Air Force it would
have been the first major split
dividing that council in more than
two years.
There was no secret that top
defense officials feared that the
chiefs would be unable to come to
agreement. That fear was so h
strong that Secretary of the Navy
Kimball. attempted to step into (
the picture by calling in his serv-
ice oppooites, Mr.. Finletter and
Army Secretary Pace, for con-
ferences on the subjects. They were {
unable to reach any agreement.
Marines To Call More Men.
Mr.. Kimball's action led to some
reports that Mr Levett had ordered
the civilian chiefs to step into the
picture. The latter denied that
the chiefs had reported any dis
agreement to him at news con-
ference Tuesday and added that
he had ordered a report by to-
Meanwhile, presidential approv-
al Of an increase in the size of (
the Marine Corps during the cur
rent fiscal year was disclosed yes Y
terday after the release of draft ]
calls for November and December. !
Mr.. Truman approved boosting t
the Marines from 100000 to 1885, c
900 officers and men. {
Assistant Defense Secretary
Anna M. Rosenberg announced Ir
that the boost made it necessary /
to increase the November draftIr
call from 33,700 to $4,000 men, E
A total of $4,000 will be assigned Y
to the Army and 10000 to the I
Corps, which represents c
an increase of $500 for the latter. t
December Call Is Small.
During December, Selective
was asked to deliver $4,000
to the Marines and
Z. 1000 to the, Army.
The December call was the sec
ond lowest since the peacetime
draft was revived year ago. Mrs
Rosenberg explained that it would
permit suspension of all induction
between December 81 and January
2 so that maximum leave could be- :
granted to personnel of the Armed
Forces Examining Stations and
Training Centers.
With the upward adjustment fori