Evening star., 1952-01-22

police department will be subject to suspicion
until thorough inquiry clears up all the grave
implications that have been made to date.
Preparedness for Perilous Times
AS the President has said in his budget
message to Congress, "the price of peace Is
preparedness" It is also the price that must
be paid If the United States and the rest Of the
free world are to endure-and win-should the
Red totalitarians refusing to be deferred, precp-
itate global war. Quite obviously this Is not q
bargain-basement proposition. Although there is
talk at the moment about possible drastic econ
omies in the spending projected for fiscal 1858,
the simple fact Is that such economies-reaIy
spectacular economies-can hardly be made
without gambling with the Nations safety In
way that could be catastrophe
For the budget submitted by the President
is primarily tailored to conform with the hard
realities Of these perous times. More specifically,
it Is designed to cope effectively with the very
real and very present danger inherent In what
the implacable Kremlin Is doing to win mastery
over Asia, Europe and eventually the whole globe.
The gravity and dimensions Of this danger are
In many ways worse than the menace posed by
Hitler back In 1899. That is why Congress and
the American people have now been told that the
Federal Government proposes to spend an esti-
mated total Of 1854 billion in the fiscal year
beginning next July-by far the greatest outlay
of any year since the Second World War.
This projected expenditure $14.5 billion more
than in fiscai 1882 does not provide, Of course,
for all-out mobilization, but 1t should serve, IN
the Presidents words ''to carry us long way
forward on the road to security" To that end,
the sum Of $65.1 billion-over three fourths OF
the total budget-has been earmarked for our
armed forces, foreign economic and military aid,
atomic energy and other items related to defense.
The balance Of $203 billion has been set aside
for running the Government, paying interest on
the public debt and carrying out normal projects
not directly connected with preparedness. The
proposed outlay in these latter categortes has
been cut almost 81 billion below the figure tof
the current year, which means retrenchment in
flood control, rural eectriication, non-essential
housing and similar undertakings.
In terms of defense, the most significant
items in the 1858 budget are those covering our
armed forces, foreign aid under the Mutual
Security Act, and atomic energy. The outlay for
our armed forces-personnel, procurement, re-
search and development, etc-has been placed
at $5l2 billion compared to 1898 billion in the
current year. with $11 billion allotted for aircraft
alone. Foreign aid-the bulk Of 1t in the form Of
military shipments to our indispensable Atlantic
Pact Alies-has been estimated at $10.5 billion,
or $3.8 billion more than in this year. As for
atomic energy, the expansion begun m 1880 VIII
be continued with an expenditure OF SIT billion
an expenditure paving the way for vast $S-
billion-plus enlargement OF our A-weaponS pro-
gram to keep us well ahead Of Russia In the
nuclear ornaments race.
Apart from nuclear- energy Development
including atomic submarines, atomic planes and
the possible hydrogen bomb-the security expend-
itureS budgeted for 1858 are meant to promote
important additional progress toward two major
goals: (D An American military establishment
made up Of an Air Force OF 143 wings, an Army
Of 81 divisions, Navy with an active heet o.
9 408 major combat vessels and l6 big carrier
groups, Marine Corps Of 8 divisions, and sup
porting elements for all these services. And g,
western Europe so defensively ong within
few years that an attack agair4s it would be
rendered highly improbable. Stated another way,
the great objective Of the spending is to make
the United States and its Allies powerful enough
to prevent war, or to win 1t ii 1t cannot be
prevented.
In commenting on all this the President has
made the encouraging observation that by the
end Of fiscal 1858 the Nation win have reached
or passed peak production rates on every major
military item except planes Of advanced design
and certain weapons still in the planning stage.
Further, assuming no new international tensions
or acts OF aggression, he has raised the hope that
we will be able to reduce expenditures after the
close Of fiscal 1854. Meanwhile, however. on top
Of prospective 1852 deficit of $82 billion, the
outlook barring additional tax revenue or slash
ing economies-is for deficit Of $i4.4 billion and
public debt OF $275 billion by June 80. 1858
This fiscally bleak prospect which involves
potential imitation of dangerous nature-has
led the President to urge once again that Con-
gress enact, among other things legislation
designed to raise about S. billion in new tax
income But members Of both parties, mindful OF
the November elections, have indicated that such
legislation win get nowhere. Yet, although rela-
lively minor cuts undoubtedly can be made here
and there, the 1858 budget cannot safely be
slashed in q major manner II this Nation, to-
gether with its Allies is to do the job that SELF
preservation demands. All OF us would be better
on IL we disciplined ourselves to do 1t on IS nearly
pay-as-we- go basis az possible. The times ofler
no painless short cuts Agpeace and security