Evening star., 1953-06-05
LeMdY Quoted
yvandenberg
As0pposingCut
Long-Ronge Bomber
Reduction Below 81
Wings Called Risk
By John A. Giles

Gen. HOyt 5. Vandenberg to-
day read Senators a top-secret
message from Gen. Curtis E. Le-
May. commander of the Strate-
gic Air Command. in support of
his contention that President
Eisenhower's Air Force budget
would be a risk to national
security.
Gen. LeMay commented to the
retiring Air Force chief of staff
on the reported proposed reduc-
ton of five wings in the long,
range atomic bombing fleet.
"A reduction below 81 wings
(as approved by the Truman ad-
miniStration) represents an ex-
pansion of the calculated risk to
a point where it may no longer
be acceptable to the security of
the United States and it's allies"
Gen. LeMay asserted. Fifty
seven wings would be a bare
minimum"
Worried Over Backing.
Gen. Vandenberg, in his third
day OF testimony before the Sen
ate Military Appropriations sub
committee, added that both he
and Gen. LeMay were "tremen-
dously worried" that there were
no planes to back up" the Stra-
tegic Air Command, which has
been called the major deterrent
to World War III.
The command consists of
heavy bomberS capable of de-
hvering the atomic bomb over
long distances with such planes
as the giant B-36 and the newer
jet bomberS. There are about
80 planes in each wing.
Gen. Vandenberg said the
message from Gen. LeMay had
been sent voluntarily.
Senator Thye, Republican, of
Minnesota, asked whether the
more destructive weapons, such
as the improved atomic bomb,
had been taken into considera-
ton in Air Force plans for the
composition of the striking fleet.
Il can assure you that poten-
tial targets have been looked at
very carefully" replied Gen.
Vandenberg.
Some Protective Cover.
He said an increase in the
destructive power of a weapon
did not necessarily mean that
the means of delivering those
weapons should be reduced. He
explained that to get the atomic
bomb over target, the plane
carrying it had to be accom-
panied by other planes for it's
own protection, and that the
requirements for aircraft were
just about the same as it would
be if conventional bombs were
in use.
Several members of the Senate
Military Appropriations subcom-
mittee still were waiting to queS-
tion the retiring Air Force Chief
of Staff yesterday after two days
of televiSed testimony.
The rebuttal-by Secretary Of
Defense Charles E. WilSon-was
postponed until Monday.
DenOunceS Restrictions.
Gen. Vandenberg covered some
of the same ground yesterday
as he did in his fierce opening
denuniciation of both the air
budget approved by Gen. Eisen-
hover and the numerous
restrictions" laid on the service
by Mr.. Wilson.
He said that if the United
States fell short of the 143-wing
goal of the Truman administra-
ton and adopted the Eisenhower
120-wing program the Nation
would have a "second-best Air
Force"-topped by Soviet Rus
Sia.
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat,
of Arkansas, told the general he
was convinced of the need for
143 wings and added he did not
need any argument"
Senators Hill of Alabama and
Maybank of South Carolina, both
Democrats, also rallied behind
the general. Republicans gen.
orally indicated support of the
Eisenhower program.
Senator Hill said he and some
of his colleagues will move to
restore about four" of the more