Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-17
Not to Be Underroted

Senator Stuart Symington has done timely
thing in warning against the danger of under
estimating the Soviet Unions engineering and
producing ability in the field OF long-range
strategic bombers. He has been moved to do
this by fresh ndications-in the form of an
article and two photographs in the magazine
Aviation Week-that the Russians are making
further inroads on the air superiority of the
United States.
The first of the photographs (Mr Syming-
ton has been assured that both are authentic)
shows the Ilyushkin-38 A modern Swept-back-
wing plane driven by four turbo-prop engines,
it has the appearance of being somewhere
between our BAT and B-52 In terms of size,
and between medium and long in terms Of
range. AS for the second photograph, 1t shows
the Tupolov2 200. Equipped with six turbo-prop
engines, this also is a swept-back- type
about as big as our giant B-36, but said to be
far more modern, much faster and fully capable
of round-trip intercontinental attack Further,
as regards the operational status of these two
bombers, Aviation Week has received reports
that at least 400 of them are already in service
at Soviet bases located across the polar cap from
North America.
All this information of course, is quite
unofficial, and it must therefore be viewed with
d
speech last August, Air Force Secretary Talbot
limited at something like it. and Mr.. Symington
who is no novice in such matters-has been
sufficiently impressed by it to declare that If it
is true, as it may be- "then the Soviet position
from the standpoint of a combination of per-
Torrance co-ordinated with atomic potential
may be superior to ours, because we have not
a single modern long-range bomber wing in
action" Accordingly. as he has Just suggested
to the Senate, the Defense Departments re-
assuring statements of the past are very much
open to question and challenge
AS recalled by Mr.. Symington, these state
ments-specifcally those of Defense Secretary
Wilson-have included the following: % On
last May 20, II think our people can take some
comfort" from indications of Soviet concentra-
ton on producing fighter planes and defensive
craft; (2) on September 20, 1.-THE Russians best
bomber is an improved version of the B29";
and 90 on october 6, ut will take the Russians
at least three years to get either the aircraft or
a droppable bomb to deliver hydrogen attack
on the United States. We give the Russians
credit for having aircraft that they just don't
have" Mr.. Wilson's sources Of information are
much better than those of any magazine or
newspaper, and he may well have good reason
to adhere to views of this sort. but MFR. Syming-
tons Senate remarks have raised valid doubts
to the contrary. It could be that the reassuring
words Of the past now need drastic revision.
In any event, because of his experience as
Air Force Secretary from 1947 to 1850, Mr..
Symington speaks with enough authority to be
listened to when he warns the country not to
underrate the Russians and their strategic
bombing potential. After all, since they are
capable of producing atomic weapons and the
hydrogen bomb, it is simple common sense to
assume that they are sparing no effort to build
the planes needed for long-range delivery.