Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-19
Military ManpoWer
Probe Group Calls for
1917 Cut, Disbands
By John A. Giles

"A commission appointed at
Senate insistence to bring about
military manpower savings has
closed up shop after recommend
ing a fiat 10 per cent cut and
observing that the Defense Sec
rotary Wilson is mot short Of
advice on what needs to be
DONE"
Mr.. Wilson appeared to agree
heartily with that observation
yesterday. in accepting the resig-
nation Of David Sarnoff, the
chairman, and the other mem
bers Of his commission.
1--WE have advice galore" Mr..
Wilson wrote.
The commission was appointed
last October by the then De-
tense Secretary, Robert Lovett.
as a result Of a rider in the
military appropriations bill. Mr..
Lovett had delayed the appoint
ment pending the presidential
election, but Senator johnson,
Democrat, of Texas. then chair
man Of the Senate Prepared
ness Committee, insisted on ac-
ton.
Mr.. Sarnoff conferred with
President Eisenhower shortly
after the election and emerged
with the announcement that the
general agreed with the purposes
of the commission and backed it
up. Mr.. Wilson and his assistant
for manpower, DR.. John A. Han
nah, had not been appointed at
that time, however, and it APP
peared clear they could not
justify the existence Of the COM
mission.
Not Specific on Cuts.
The commission did not say
how reductions in the armed
forces and civilian personnel
could be brought about without
endangering security but it
stated the cut could be made in
men. money and material with
out diminishing the required
combat effectiveness Of our
armed forces"
The report estimated the re-
duction would mean the chop.
ping off Of at least 500. 900 civil
ian and military personnel from
the payroll at an annual saving
of SIS billion annually.
At one time the commission
had sought to broaden its in
quiry into all phases of the
military operations, including
operations, morale. incentives,
etc. It never received such au-
thority. And the final report |
stated that to submit construc-
tive recommendations would re-
quire a top-to- bottom survey in
the Pentagon and in the field.
Handicaps Cited.
It said the work had been
more than normally difficult be-
cause it was done during the
transition period. when policy
and organization of the Defense
Department under the new adj
miniStration was undermined"
Chairman Sarnof. who re-
turns to the Craftsmanship of
the board Of Radio Corp. of
America, said Of Mr.. Wilson:
'His problem is not how to
get more advice, but how to get
action; how to get things done
in a practical way without
throwing the machine out of
gear and without diminishing
the combat effectiveness" Mr..
Wilson said he agrees.
Robert Meller and Associates
of Cleveland made a business
management survey of the de-
partment two years ago, and Mr..
Sarnoff estimated it cost So mil
lion. He said the commission
had tried to discover what the
department got in return and
learned some recommendations
had been accepted, others re-
jected and the report itself chad
become subject of deep con-
troversy, inside and outside the
department."
UnificatiOn in Part.
The commission concluded
that unif1cation of the armed |
services "has been achieved only
in part" and its deputy general
counsel, Nathaniel H. Goodrich,
said the present arrangement
makes for competition, duplica-
ton and diverse results"
A member who resigned be-
cause of health last December
IT, Robert w. johnson, recon-
mended Navy appropriations be
cut 20 per cent, Army IS per
cent. Air Force IL per cent and
Marine Corps 4 per cent. This
could be accomplished without
hurting combat effectiveness, he
said.
Mr.. Sarnof commented there
is evidence, even on the surface,
that plush and extravaganza
have crept into our military
services in varying degrees" and
added "this does not add. but
rather subtracts from, their
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