Evening star., 1953-06-11
Wilson Answers Senator Smith on u S. Military leedsA

m1GCeQ Dy senator margaret
Chase Smith, Republican Of
Maine-were released today by
Chairman Ferguson Of the Sen
ate Military Appropriations sub
committee.
Mrs. Smith submitted the
questions in writing after Secre-
tary Wilson said he was unable
to answer them during his first
appearance before the subcom-
mittee two weeks ago. Many
have been answered in subse-
quent testimony by the Secre-
tary and other witnesses at the
appropriation hearings.
Partial Text Of Exchange.
A partial text of the Smith
Wilson exchange follows:
@. How has the. nature Of the
Communist threat changed SO
that we need only 120 instead Of
143 wings, and yet we still need
the same number of Army divi-
sions and Navy combat ships?
A. I would like :. to empha-
size that the reference to the
Air Force aircraft which is as
signed to wings focuses atten-
ton on a segment of our air
power. leaves out the so per cent
Of the Air Force aircraft which
are not assigned to wings, with
out which the aircraft assigned
to wings would have little value,
and does not deal with the 9,941
airplanes which will be kept in
operation by the Navy and the
Marines and which, of course,
must be considered in estimat-
ing our overall air power. If
the Navy and Marine planned air
strength is grouped into wings,
the total defense program of
President Eisenhower calls for
the establishment of 176 wings
by July /. 1856. Using the same
comprehensive calculation but
only considering the air power
assigned to wings, we now have
152 wings on hand and available
for national security purposes,
and, in addition, so per cent of
all Air Force aircraft. and 6,484
planes in the Navy and Marines
which are not assignable to wings
on the basis of the Air Force
"air wings" classification. There
should likewise be taken into ac-
count the Air Reserve and the
Al lr National Guard.
Air Force Cuts.
Q. Who decided that the Air
Force would take most of the
budget cuts?
A. No such decision was made.
:. Thefunds available for the Air
Force will not limit the rapid
bqildup of our effective Air Force
strength. I feel sure that the
Congress will grant any reason
able sums we request for our mil
it$ry program for fiscal year '55
at ter we have BEEN able to re-
appraise our entire military sit
uation. We don't need to ask for
excess funds now just to make
sure we will have them next
yd ar.
@. II we later decide that we do
need a 143-wing Air Force to
m eet the known Soviet atomic
capability. how much more will
it cost to build an Air Force of
143 wings by the end of 1855?
A. The question you pose is
difficult to answer as stated be-
cause there has been no testi-
mo11y before this committee that
we have abandoned the 143-wing
goal. When we took Office, we
found the Air Force to have a
certain number of wings in vary
ing states of readiness. The
Congress and the people would be
disappointed if they really knew
the facts after all the money
that had been appropriated for
the Air Force and the large sums
that had been spent. I
would like to point out further
that we have had discussions
with the aircraft manufacturers,
both individually and collectively,
and I believe I can state with
confidence that we will insist
that this program be met. The
rate of slippage in the production
Of combat aircraft of % per cent
must be stopped. We have not
made any calculation on the
basis suggested by your question
because the experience with the
143-wing program as it was run
ming to date has indicated that
dollars alone will not produce
effective combat air wings.
Cites Security Reasons.
@. How can you cut more than
SIS billion from Air Force ap-
preparations, cut back the Air
Forces strength to ia wings,
and still say that the Air Force
will be more powerful in 1854
than if the original plan had
been followed of building a 143-
wing Air Force by 1854?
A. It is impossible to say that
you can cut back anything you
haven't achieved. For security
reasons. I cannot tell you in this
hearing the exact state in which
we found the Air Force with