Evening star., 1953-05-12
Defense Budget Cuts
Will Clip $4,000
From Personnel Goal
BY the Asseeioisd Press

The Defense, contribution to-
ward balanced national budget
will trim 291,000 from military
manpower goals in 13 months.
lower Air Force sights from 143
to 12O wings and reduce monthly
draft calls to about $4,000.
Defense Secretary Wilson has
pinned these proposed reductions
directly to an Eisenhower ad-
ministration effort to close the
gap between Federal income and
expenditures within two or three
years.
The Pentagon boss set forth
these and other military econ
omy goals yesterday in support
ing his defense budget request
for $36,171 ,288, 900 for the year
starting July more than SIS
billion under that proposed by
former President Truman. His
testimony, given in secret, was
later made public at the Pen
tagon.
Plans Full Review.
Mr.. Wilson said, moreover, that
the military forces provided in
his reduced budget would be sub
ject to whatever change might be
indicated in a full review of the
"entire defense picture" in the
next few months.
The Defense chief told a House
Appropriations subcommittee he
hopes to keep actual military
spending to 1892 billion in the
next fiscal year, while increasing
the acquisition of fighting gear.
Mr.. Truman had recommended
spending $45.5 billion.
This wouN entail using some
OF the 500 billions carried over
from past years appropriations.
Mr.. Wilson stressed an inten-
ton to see that the military serv-
ices carry out his manpower re-
duction orders without weaken
ing any combat force or reduc-
ing the number of existing fight
ing units.
Air Force Faces Cut.
The Air Force is the only one
Of the four fighting services that
faces an eventual, measurable
cut in units. It now has 103 of
the 106 wings called for at this
stage in the 143-wing goal set
after the Korean war was well
under way.
Although he called the 120
wing goal an INTERN" one. Sec
retary Wilson pinned Air Forces
chances of getting more units to
changes in the military situa-
tion and the number (of Wings
that can be kept modernized and
effective"
Mr.. Wilson maintained that
having ia wings ready for ac-
ton by June 80. 1854. will rep
resent very substantial in
crease" in Air Force combat
strength. The number of planes
in a wing varies from 80 bomb
ers to IS fighters.
Delay on Reaching Goal.
While conceding that 10 of the
current 103 wings lack their
planned modern equipment, Air
Force officers said the old Tru-
man proposal would have given
them 1873 wings by the end of
1854 and full 143 wing strength
by the end of 1855. Against
this, they estimate that the near
ly $3.5 billion cut proposed by
Mr.. Wilson in aircraft procure
ment will delay reaching even
the tentative 120-wing goal un-
til mid-1956.
Mr.. Wilson anticipated such
Air Force unhappiness. He ar
gued that less advance financing
is required now that the pro-
duction program is we'll under
way and aircraft and equipment
designs are becoming firm" with
less need for costly and time
consuming changes.
Mr.. Wilson told the Represent
atives that all of the military
services could get along with
fewer people in housekeeping,
ovecheaj and Ion combat cate
gories.
Army to Get Fund Boost.
He said he expects the Air
Force to drop from the Truman
budgeted total of 1,061 900 by
June 80, 1854, to $50, 900. and to
915,000 a year later. The Air
Force currently numbers about
975,O00 officers and men.
The Army is the only service
to get a monetary boost in the
proposed fiscal 1854 budget. Vir-
tually all of the SIS billion in
crease is to cover cost of equip
ping additional South Korean di-
visions and to provide advance
financing of part of Korean COM
bat costs.
If the Koran war ends in the
meantime. Mr.. Wilson said he
would trim the Army's uniformed
rolls by 10000. or by 117.000 if
the fighting continues at the
present stalmated rate. He said
this would not mean deactivating
any Of the Arm'ys 20 combat
ready divisions, 18 regimental
combat teams or lit anti-air-
craft battalionS
Maintain SeapOwer.
The defense budget would
maintain the Navy's seagoing
combat strength while reducing
programmed manpower by SIS 900
to 745,000. The Marine Corps
would operate its present three
divisions and three air wings