Evening star., 1952-12-23
Wilson and Assistants
.GetPentagonFi||-inon
Complex Job Ahead
Talk With Secretaries;
Problems Include 9o8
Boards and Agencies
By John A. Giles

Top officials who will run the
Nations military machine during
the Eisenhower administration
got their first flll-in on some of
their coming problems at an un-
precedented Pentagon brieflng to-
day.
Defense Secretary designate
Charles E. Wilson and the men
President-elect Eisenhower has
selected as his Secretaries of
Army. Navy and Air Force met
the present occupants of the posts
and then were told something of
the complex military establish
ment.
Accompanying Mr.. Wilson were
Secretaries-design Robert T.
Stevens, Army; Robert B. Ander-
son, Navy, and Harold E. Talbot,
Air Force. and Roger M. Kyes.
who will be Deputy Secretary of
Defense.
They will succeed Secretaries
Pace, Army; Kimball, Navy; Fin
letter. Air Force, and Deputy Sec
retary Foster.
Lovett Host at Luncheon.
The incoming officials not only
met the men they will succeed
but also the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and Gen. Bradley, chairman of
that organization.
After this informal meeting
a picture taking session was held
and then Defense Secretary Lovett
was host at a luncheon.
Mr.. Lovett and his associates
described to Mr.. Wilson and his
team of businessmen and in
dustrialists some of the problems
they will face at the Pentagon
which are unlike what they have
encountered in civil life.
| A survey showed today that
there are 998 continuing joint
boards, councils, agencies, COM
mittees, subcommittee and panels
on which the Defense Department,
the three military departments
and departmental agencies have
representation.
The almost 1000 boards and
other groups range from the Ac-
cident Prevention Subcommittee
of the Air Co-ordinating Commit
tee, with Navy and Air Force
members, to the Wrought Iron
and Steel Pipe Tubing Commit
tee, with Army and Navy repre-
sentativeS.
Some Are Full-Time Jobs.
Some require only part-time
work for the officers and civilians
involved but others are full time
occupations. Louis johnson, while
Secretary of Defense, made a
valiant effort to whittle down the
number but it was noted that even
during his hectic tenure of office
the military brass managed to add
new ones almost as fast as he
abolished others. Since then the
number of such organizations has
continued to grow.
Some are technical groups that
work closely with outside organi-
cations such as the American So
ciety of Mechanical Engineers,
the American Institute of Elec-
] trical Engineers, the American
Leather Chemists Association
and the Society of Automotive
Engineers.
But others have no technical
connections. There is a Red Cross
Liaison Group and a committee
titled ~. S. Olympic Association. II
!. There is a Packaging Advisory
Committee and a Materials Han
ding Advisory Committee. There
|. are groups that study aeronautical
standards, aluminium and mag
nesium, chemicals, electronicS
copper, f1bers. forest products
iron and steel, rubber, textiles
petroleum, etc.
The listing includes the Office
LOT CatalOgulng Committees anC
1.-The Office of Standardization Com.
Imittees. Panels are listed fol
acoustics, electronics, communica.
tions, componentS, infra-red, in.
reference reduction, human re.
sources, mailing lists and JUS
plain atmosphere"
Admirals and generals sit or
some of the groups. Some mem
berships get down to the major
and lieutenant colonel levels.
Mr.. Wilson himself will become
a member of several intergovern'
mental groups. such as the NORTH
Atlantic Council, as will the thres
>service secretaries.