Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-28
missiles Get Priority;
Murphree Heads Program
BY JOHN A. GILES

By JOHN A. GILES
Eyer v. Murphree, an early
advocate Of the wartime atomic
bomb project. will become "czar"
of this country's program to de-
velop intercontinental and other
'long-range guided missiles next
Tuesday.
The 81 year old Summit
tN.J.) research expert was ap-
pointed to the key Pentagon post
by Defense Secretary Wilson
yesterday. He will serve without
pay on leave Of absence from
the ESQ Research and Engineer
ing Co.
Mr.. Murphree, a one-time re-
search associate in mechanical
science at Massachusetts, In
stitute of Technology. was a
member of the Office of Scien-
tific Research and Development
that helped organize the Man
haitian Project to build the
worlds first atomic bomb.
Gets Top Priority
simultaneously with the APP
pointment, Mr.. Wilson ordered
top priority for development of
a missile powerful and accurate
enough to deliver a shattering
hydrogen charge. at Supersonic
speed, to targets thousands of
miles away.
MIR. Wilson said in formal
directive that MIR. Murphree
would devote major emphasis
to missiles of the long-range
type; particularly ballistic mis-
siles." These are the 5.000-mile
inter-continental and the 1900
mile intermediate rockets.
The Defense Secretary desig-
mated Mr.. Murphree to speak for
him in all matters pertaining to
new missiles within the defense
establishment and before the
National Security Council and
the President.
Some Democrats in Congress
have been critical of Eisenhower
administration efforts IN the
missile field, contending this
country has been tagging behind
Russia.
Strong Control Ursed
Senator jackson, Democrat of
Washington, one of these critics,
said of Mr. Murphree's appoint
ment: Better late than never
/ hope he will take a strong
administrative control of the
missiles work.
Senator jackson had urged a
single civilian official in the
Pentagon to coordinate and
supervise the missile program.
Mr.. Murphree will have more
authority than any other pre-
vious official who has had the
job of organizing and directing
missile research and develop
ment operations.
In spelling this out. Mr.. Will
son clothed his new special as
sistant with powers to utilize
and cut across existing lines of
responsibility in the areas of re-
search. development. engineering
and production.
However, Mr.. Murphree will
not be concerned with missiles
the military services already
have, nor with the question of
which services will use any spe-
cific missile.
In the intermediate range
field, the Army and Navy are
taking one approach and the Air
Force another. Mr.. Wilson said
that sooner or later" a choice
must be made between those two
approaches and that Mr.. Muir
phree will have that task.
Objects to Term Car
Mr.. Wilson, when he first an
nounced he was creating the post
of special assistant for missiles
in early February. mildly OBJ
jected to the term "czar," but
said the appointee will be a
"doer" and that his authority
would be that of top deputy.
He said yesterday that Mr..
Murphree will have more author
ity than was vested in K. T.
Keller, Chrysler Corp. chairman,
when the latter was co-ordinator
for missiles in 1928.
The services have long squab-
bled over who should develop the
powerful weapons.
The missile project calls for
more than one weapon, some
designed for a particular service,