Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
Senate Unit Urges U. S. to Cut
Number Of Troops in Europe
And at North Atlantic Bases
Report From Morse
And Long Declares
Sites Are OverbuiIt
BY J. A. o'LeorY

A reduction in the number of
American troops stationed in
Europe and at remote North At
lantic bases was recommended
yesterday by a Senate subcom-
mittee, which challenged the
adequacy and wisdom of this
Nations high-level planning"
Predicting that the United
States may find itself stationing
"three-quarterS Of a million serv-
icemen at remote points of the
earth for the next generation"
the subcommittee said:
1--WE consider it far preferable
to rely upon our allies to guard
and maintain airfieldS and other
defense installations until Amer
lean reinforcements could arrive
in the event Of a great global
conflict"
Warning Of Risk Given.
In advance of the report, high
military leaders have already
told the Senate Armed Services
Committee. however, that it
would be risky to keep only token
American forces at overseas
bases and rely on transporting
the others after an attack had
started.
The critical report was written
by Senators Long. Democrat, Of
Louisiana, and Morse, Independ-
emit, of Oregon, after a 10000
mile inspection trip last sum-
mer as members of a Public
Works subcommittee of the
Armed Services Committee.
They closed their report with
this ominous conclusion:
I'VE cannot say with the
slightest assurance that it would
be beyond an enemy's capabil-
tiles to break the backbone of
our armed services by surprise
attack. Nor can we rely upon
our present planning, If pursued,
to assure us of the ability to
carry on sustained offensive
operations against a powerful
adversary.
1--WE have deliberately avoided
inquiring into our Nations war
plans; yet we haye not found any
evidence to justify reasonable
confidence that an enemy could
not destroy our capabilities to
Immediately retaliate against
his surprise attack. Nor have we
felt that expenditure Of the addi-
tional billions of dollars presently
contemplated would acquire for
our Nation those capabilities that
would adequately deter an
enemy from waging war against
us. It was our feeling that either
the contemplated capabilities
should be achieved at less cost
or the entire plan should be re-
vised to assure greater security
and greater defensive and oftens-
i've capabilities"
Protection Questioned.
Other highlights of the report
are:
/. It questions the extent to
which the interest of the United
States has been protected in
negotiation with the allies for
overseas sites and facilities. In
some instances, it charges, hun
dreds of millions have been spent
on bases where our allies will
have every right to tell us to
leave within a few years"
2. It criticizes the lack Of IA
cilitieS to disperse planes parked
on American bases. The report
states that, while the European
allies in NATO insist on diSper-
sion of aircraft-parking aprons
into several areas, ION American
bases the Air Force goes merrily
along building continuous aprons
for parking purposes. Respon-
Sible Air Force officers state that
an ordinary-type bomb could
start q fire which could destroy
all planes on a continuous
apron"
8. In questioning high-level
planning, the subcommittee ex-
planned that it has no quarrel
with the way in which the Joint
Chiefs of Staff have exercised
their responsibility. The SUBJ
committee said its criticism re-
lateS to the planning by the
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