Evening star., 1952-04-27
Senate Faces Decision
On Proposed Ceiling
0nMiIitary Spending
BY the Asseeiatsd Press

A proposal that Congress tell
military chiefs how much of their
funds they can spend in a year
has produced one Of the hottest
arguments Of this session.
The Senate will be faced with
q decision soon, and pressure is
mounting on both sides.
The House voted April 9 to i'm
pose a ceiling Of $46 billion on
the amount military authorities
can spend for the fiscal year
starting July l. They have much
more than that in the bank now,
and had planned to spend about
$52.5 billion in that period.
The outcome in the Senate is
uncertain. House members still
are debating the proposal, which
they approved by a 1877 stand
ing vote.
Balanced Budget Sought.
Representative Howard w.
Smith, Democrat, of Virginia, it's
author. says the proposal will help
balance the budget without Grip
pling the military program. He
told reporters yesterday it's ap-
proval was a vote of non-confi-
dence in the information supplied
by the military on their require
mentS."
Chairman Vinson of the House
Armed Services Committee told
newsmen, however. that the CELL
ing would delay the combat read
mess Of the Navy by two years and
also would postpone the buildup
OF the Air Force and the Army by
possibly that long.
He said the scheduled delivery
Of equipment from aircraft to|
tanks would have to be postponed
and production schedules re-
vamped.
Mr.. Wilson's statement was
based on reports supplied by the
Pentagon to congressional COM
mittees. Military officials are out
to defeat the plan. Their predic-
tions Of its probable effect have
been termed exaggerated in some
respects by lawmakers on both
sides of the debate.
The Smith proposal was an
amendment to House-approved
legislation authorizing SAG, ,2O7. .0OO-
900 Of new military funds for the
next fiscal year. The budget itself
was cut by $4.7 billion by the
House.
Senator OMahoney. Democrat,
Of Wyoming, disclosed yesterday
that Secretary Of Defense Lovett
has asked the Senate to restore
$3.619,836.8 .858-or about three
fourths-of the $4,713.845,216 the
House cut from original requests.
Senator O'Mahopey said that a|
Defense Appropriations Subcom-
mittee will meet Tuesday to dis
cuSS an agenda for Senate hearings
On the appropriations bal.
Funds Accumulate.
Accumulated military funds will
total about $58.4 billion on next
June 80. Administration spokes-
men say that while this money Is
unspent. much of 1t Is pledged to
pay for military equipment ordered
as long as two years ago. It is
from this bank account that mill
tary authorities proposed to draw.
The Smith amendment says the
military authorities can spend
only $46 billion for all purposes
during the fiscal year, regardless
Of how much they have on hand.
Opponents Of the amendment
say that since such fixed expenses
as maintaining the military estab-
lishment and fighting in Korea
must continue, most of the $6 bill
lion spending cut will come off the
defense buildup. They estimate,
for example. that it will mean de-
layed deliveries of between $500
and 1900 Air Force and Navy
planes.
Representative Mahon, (Demo-
crat Of TexaS), chairman Of the
Defense Appropriations subcom-
mittee, told newsmen he thought
some exaggerated claims" have
been made in the Pentagon analy-
sis.
But conferences with Pentagon
,ohlcials and others have con-
vinced me that the amendment
Is wholly unacceptable" he said.
"It is crippling and dangerous and
wastes money instead Of saving
it."
Mr.. Mahon said the ceiling
might result in the elimination of
as many as 5000 Air Force air
craft between now and June, 1854.
Some Pentagon estimates are as
high as 1900.
"This would bring chaos, more
or less, into the Defense Depart
ment," Mr.. Mahon said.