Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-21
DeepMiIitory Cuts Are Key
ToSuccess OF New Budget
By John A. Giles

By John A. Giles
The savings in the Eisenhower
administrators budget for fiscal
1855 depend on deep cuts in the
one field the President knows
best-the military.
Furthermore, the military
economies depend largely on
manpower reductions hitting the
former. f1ve-star generals old
service-the Army.
This is not to say Gen. Eli
SenhoWer chose to cut back
military manpower because he
once was Army Chief of Staff
and supreme commander in Eu-
rope. It is to say. though. that
because it is headed by a sol
der, the administration appears
to have dared do what few
civilian" administrations would
dare have done-cut boldly in |
the politically sensitive area
where cuts had to be made if
economies were to be affected.
Figures Tell Story.
The Army figures tell the
story:
While the overall reduction
in armed forces manpower pro-
posal in the budget is 81 per
cent, the Army would be cut
17.3 per cent. This means that
the size of the Army will be
reduced from 20 to II divisions.
One division is to be deactivated
by July /. (There are 1880
officers and enlisted men in an
Army division)
The President. in his budget
message, gave reinsurance that
the Army was not being cut too
drastically. He said:
Increased mobility and the
availability of modern weapons
will provide each division with
increasingly greater striking
power Oui. security is being
strengthened-not weakened"
The Navy would take a z per
cent manpower reduction. the
Marines around As per cent.
Against these cuts Gen. Eisen-
hover stacked a bigger Air Force
and the ALLEGATION of 90 per cent
of the total military expendi-
lures to the purchase of new
aircraft. The military program.
be said, was devoted Ito the
exploitation of airpower and |
modern weapons.
Breakdown in Dollars.
Dollar-wise, the President di-
vided his $37.5 billion military
spending program thus:
Army-$10.2 billion. compared |
with $l4.2 billion this year.
Navy-$10.5 billion as against
$11.3 billion this year,
Air Force-$16.3 billion or
$500 million more than in fiscal
1854.
Much of the Air Force expen-
diture will go toward stepping up
its modernization program. |
The President stated the Air
Force, Navy and Marines now
have approximately $4,000 air.
craft, of which about third
are swift jet fighters and
bombers. He then declared:
The emphasis on airpoWer is
reflected in the objective OF in
creasing the active aircraft
inventory to more than 10000 |
during the next three years. with
more than half to be jets"
900 New Planes.
At the Pentagon, officials said |
the air arm would add about 900 |
new planes to its inventory |
during fiscal 1855. The Nays
inventory will drop about 100
aircraft but there will be an in
crease in the total number of |
jets.
In the next three years. the
President said, the Air Force will F.,
build up to 1877 wings. It will |
have lis by June 80.
The number of airplanes in a
wing depends on its mission. A
heavy bomb wing, for instance,
has 80 planes. A fighter wing
contains IS aircraft.
Naval air, Gen. Eisenhower
said, will maintain 16 carrier |
groups and Is antisubmarine |
squadronS. The Marines will |
maintain three air wings. q
Wants Balanced Program.
The President said the chang
ing military situation following |
the sudden attack on Korea |
brought unbalanced programs |
and uncoordinated financing |
during the fiscal years 1851 to
1882 His administration, he |
said, will bring these factors !
into balance.
Recently I announced our
plan to withdraw two Army di-
visions from Korea and return |
them to the United States as an |
initial step in the progressive |
reduction of United States |
ground forces in Korea" he said. |
This Withdrawal is made pos
sible by the cessation of hos /
ti.ities, the increased mobility |
and striking power of our air |
and other combat forces, and by |
the increasing capabilities Of the
Republic of Korea forces.
This action does not impair
our readiness and capacity to |
oppose any possible renewal of |
Communist aggression with even
greater than heretofore if this
should be necessary. United |
States military forces in the Far |
East will be maintained at ap-
propriate levels, with emphasize
nm hi0hlv nn0hiIo naval OH. onH |