Evening star., 1955-05-20
.AFPersonneI
Told 10 Clear
Public Talks

The Air Force today issued
a new order warning its per-
sonnel to clear in advance any
public discussion of intelligence
matters with the Pentagon.
The text of the order was
classified as confidential" by
the Air Force and was not re-
leased.
The move was a direct result
of statements attributed to Brig.
Gen. Woodbury. M. Burgess.
Deputy Chief of Staff for In
telligence of the Continental Air
Defense Command, of estimates
Of Russian air power before a
Detroit audience.
The statements contradicted
utterances by President Eisen-
hover. Gen. Burgess complained
to Senators yesterday that he
had been misquoted in Detroit.
The generals speech was
cleared in advance by the De-
fense Department Security Re-
view Branch. However, he is re-
ported to have made some ad-
ditional off-the-cuff remarks.
Silent on Action
The Air Force would not say
what disciplinary action, if any.
would be taken.
Gen. Nathan F. Twining, Air
Chief of Staff, told Senators yes
terday Gen. Burgess did not
tell the truth" when he is re-
ported to have said: "The Rus
sian air force is currently at
least as good as ours, perhaps
better" He summoned Gen.
Burgess to Washington.
Gen. Burgess was called. a
spokesman added. for consul
tation and discussion of prob
lens created by his speech"
Some time ago orders were is
sued reassigning Gen. Burgess
to the top secret National Secu-
rity Agency here. effective Au-
gust Is.
U. S. Strength Backed
Meanwhile, Senator Salton-
stall, of Massachusetts,, top rank
ing Republican on the Armed
Services Committee, insisted to-
day the United States is ready
to meet any challenge to its Sc
curity.
He said the recent reports of
Russian air strength remind this
country that it cannot afford
to be anything but alert and
fully prepared. Then he added:
"On the other hand, there is
no point whatever in being scared.
AS President Eisenhower has so
well said, we have not lost in
the twinkling of an eye our Ca
pability of meeting and defeat
ing any air force in the world.
Let me say just as force
fully as I can that we are ready
now to meet successfully any and
every challenge to our security"
In a Boston speech 1t. Gen.
Thomas S. Power, commander
of Air Force research, said that
to the concepts of "hot war" and
cold war" must now be added
that of the "slide-rule war
the race to maintain technology
cal superiority"
"Doing Well Ourselves"
Gen. Power said the Soviet
Union has some 10000 combat
planes with bombers COM
parable to our BAT and B-52."
and IAN advanced guided missile
program" But, he said, I'VE
have doing rather well our
selves" in the "slide-rule war"
"The Air Force now has the
finest strategic bomber group
in the world" he said, and "all
our fighters are now jet pro-
PEELED.
1--WE are confident that ade-
quate qualitative superiority in
the air iS-and will be-on our
side"
Officials said the new warn
ing to personnel on talking about
intelligence estimates would not
be gag order. They said it
would re-emphasize a previous
directive.
Hope to Stall Talks
It also would be an effort to
head off a welter of conflicting
statements following last weeks
warning that the Soviet was
cutting into this country's lead
in the production of jet-powered
bombers and fighters. Still more
conflicting utterances have been