The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-05-20
THE WORLD
TODAY
81 JAMES MlARLoW

WASHINGTON tS--I Inc present
Joint Chiefs Of Staff, long time
companions IN arms OF President
Eisenhower, stated their positions
clearly enough but, all in all, they
have been fairly mid and quiet
men.
The new Joint Chiefs. named by
Eisenhower in a complete overhaul
of the top command in the armed
forces, may turn out to be more
aggressive and vocal and therefore
i 4 disappointment to any politicians
who want rubber stamps.
The present Joint Chiefs, the top
/ military men Of the country, are:
/ Gen. Omar Bradley, chairnan:
Gen. ]. Lawton Collins. Army chief
of staff; Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg,
Air Force chief Of staff; and Adm.
William M Fechteler, chief Of
i naval operations.
lFechteler has had his job only
since August, 1851, when ne was
4 moved UP to succeed the late Adm.
Forrest Sherman.)
The Joint Chiefs got mixed up
Id politics in early 1851 when they
opposed Gen. Douglas Macarthur
desire to hit the Chinese with an
/ about attack. They said it might
/ involve this country in an about
Asiatic war. They urged watching
Europe. That was before Fechteler
succeeded Sherman.
i During last years presidential
campaign, Sen. Taft of Ohio. SEN
i ate Republican leader and the most
powerful man in Congress. said he
had no confidence IN the present
Joint Chiefs.
Ayowedly to satisfy Secretary Of
/ Defense Wilson, Eisenhower last
week announced he was appointing
all new Joint Chiefs, including
i Adm. Arthur Radford, chairman;
Gen. Matthew B. RidgWay, Army
Ichief Of staff; Gen. Nathan Twin
ing, chief of the Air Force; and
Adm. Robert B. Carney, chief Of
naval operations.
At the same time Eisenhower
said he was picking Gen. Alfred
III. Gruenther to succeed RidgWay
as chief of the Allied Powers ID
Europe.
4 RadfOrd Is an outspoken man,
SO outspOken that there had ben
some doubt he would be made
chairman Dc the Joint Chiefs. He
Is not apt to bite his tongue even if
it means conflict with Congress.
Ridgway and Gruenther, before
taking their new Jobs, stepped
squarely into the picture yester-
day, Ridgway in testimony before
Congress, Gruensher in Paris
news conference.
The President had recommended
I = big cut ID appropriations for the
Air Force, a plan which seems to
have had the full endorsement of
Secretary Wilson.
III his testimony to the House
foreign Affairs Committee Ridg-
way said he was not familiar with
the Air Force cuts proposed BY
the Eisenhower administration.
Al Democrat, Rep. Harrison of Vir-
ginia, wanted 10 know his opinion
0f such cuts. Ridgway said;
IL these reductions would result
ii any reduction ii our minimum
requirements Tin Western Europel
/ / would depIore seeing that reduc-
ton made. :
He told the committee air power
is stin the weakest link Id Europe's
defenses. He said:
ssDespite the substantial gains iii
numbers Of aircraft and trained
1 pilots deriving from the United
States mutual nefense assistance
program, our cir sorees today are
sim inadequate 10 carry out their
\ assigned tasks.
And ID Paris Gruenther who had
worked closely with Eisenhower
when the President held Ridgway's
present i0h, said inadequate ali
power Is sim one Of the major
weaknesses ii European defenses
He said TIE Russians have 10 ,OoQ
planes III operation and described
I their Air Force 10 mot the best
1 III the world from The quality
standpoint but from the standpoint
Of quantity Il Is =
Although he SAID he does not q.
pect third World war. be added:
81 cannot SEE the moment when
We can start reducing on
strength. e
And BE said Our biggest diff
Guilty q that We haven't GOT ade.
quate air power yet .