Evening star., 1954-08-09
Gen. ChdIow Has His Orders:
Defend u. S. From Air Attack
Combined Operation
Will Be Set Up
EurIy Next Month
BY Vern HougIond
Assoeiatsd Press Staff Writer


Gen. BENJAMIN Wiley Chidlaw
is a man with mission. It's to
defend the United States from
air attack.
Secretary Of Defense Wilson
gave him the job last week.
Gen. Chidlaw will head the
Continental Air Defense Com
mand, combined armed services
war-theater type affair which
will include Army. Navy, Marine
Corps and National Guard units
as well as the Air Force. 1t is to
be set up early next month.
The 53-year-old mild hammered
air general-he'S white haired
and wears hornrimmed specs
has had a crack at this sort of
thing in his present job as chief
of the Air Defense Command at
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Second in Air Force seniority
only to Gen. Nathan F. Twining,
the Chief of Staff, Gen. Chidlaw
took over the fledgling air COM
mand in July, 1851, and shep-
herded 1t to its present imposing
strength: About 1000 jet fight
er lnterceptors on round-the-
clock alert, bolstered by a radar
chain, control centers and an
army of volunteer sky watchers
across the country.
No Perfect Defense.
Gen. Chidlaw recognized from
the start that there was no 100
per cent perfect defense against
determined all-out atomic at
tack by bombers, or by surface
to = surface or air launched
guided missiles.
Figure it out for yourself, !"
he said. "Over 8 million square
miles of territory to protect
against an invasion in the third
dimension, 10000 or more miles
of border to guard and a fence
to build around it, 8, 8 or 10
miles high.
Every person, civilian and
military-every agent, within or
without the Government-con-
cerned with any phase of this
defense problem, must offer
Wholehearted cooperation if
we are to approach the degree
of success we strive for"
Mr.. Wilson, describing the
joint command as an improve
ment and refinement" over the
present air defense setup. listed
it as sort of supermilitary
agency charged with master
minding overall defense against
an air attack. He said it would
develop co-ordinated plans and
requirements, control all needed
armed forces and act in concert
with Civilian Defense units.
Other Units to Command.
Gen. Chidlaw would continue
to command the ADO and also
have under him:
l. 81 Air National Guard
squadronS.
2. The more than 100 battal-
ions of the Army anti-aircraft
command, along with its Nike
missile installations at more than
80 critical target areas.
3. Ships and aircraft at sea
that are tied into the central
warning and defense system.
4. All available other Army,
Navy, Air Force and Marine
Corps forces which "can con-
tribute to a more effective air
defense of the United States"
That type of command takes
knack for getting others to
get things done-and picking the
right men to do them. Asso-
ciates say Gen. Chidlaw, a quiet
man despite a military bearing
which makes him look even big
ger than his 6-foot-quarter- Inch,
190-pound frame. has developed
this technique to a high degree
during his long and varied career.
"Chidlaw prefers to get things
done by encouragement" says
one colleague. Another general
puts it this way:
Hes one Of the few that have
the happy faculty of gathering
a balanced staff. AS some people
have card sense, he has personnel
sense"
First Job on Railroad.
Gen. Chidlaw was born al