Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-08
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
Our Disputed Defenses

after three grueling days OF teSti-
mony before the Senate Armed
Services Subcommittee on the Air
Force.
The embattled Mr.. Wilson faced
bitter questioning by the Senators,
particularly by the chairman. Sen
ator Symington, Democrat Of Mis-
souri,. And as his testimony drew
to a close Mr.. Wilson heard the
accusation, hurled by Democratic
Senators, that he and his Pentagon
advisers we're misleading the Amer
lean people on the state Of the
Nations military preparedness.
Mr.. Wilson, chain-Smoking and
visibly restraining his temper. stuck
to his guns doggedly in defending
the administrators air power pol
lcies, particularly the procurement
program for the long-range B-52
bomber.
Despite the sharpness of the quiz.
the Secretary firmly refused to say
that he would use the extra $3.50
million voted the previous week in
the Senate for a step-up in B-52
production. Did he plan to thwart
the will of Congress in the matter?
Certainly not, replied Mr.. Wilson
to the questioner, this time Re-
publican, Senator Saltonstall Of
Massachusetts. But no promises on
B-52s. He insisted that the Air
Force at present wanted no more
than 20 of the big intercontinental
planes a month, production rate
actually not yet attained. But he
added that the matter was not
closed; the question was under
continuing study by the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and an increase in
the production rate of B-52s or OF
the KC-135 jet tanker for refueling
B-52s in flight was possible.
Denies Red Advantage
Holding to the position that the
air defense of the United States was
adequate under existing world con-
ditions, the Secretary denied fat
ly that the Russians were surpass-
ing us in offensive capabilities. He
insisted that, in general, the United
States today was more powerful
than the Soviet Union. Here he dis
agreed strongly with the testimony
of Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, chief Of
the United States Strategic Air
Force, and other generals. They
had taken gloomy views of the arms
race, stating that Soviet produc-
ton of the intercontinental Bison"
was far outstripping American B-52
output. But Mr.. Wilson repeated
his assertion that, in an overall
sense, the United States Air Force
was superior to any.
On the matter of the possible loss
of overseas bases and the conSe-
quent loss of effectiveness Of me-
dium-range bombers, such as the
jet BAT, the Secretary said such
a loss would be catastrophe. 1t
would force the Nation back into a
Fortress America" situation that
would be pretty dangerous for the
country" he declared.
Commenting on estimates that
a nuclear war would kill about 200
million people in Europe, our allies
as well as foes, Mr.. Wilson said he
thought knowledge of such a fear
some result would deter the Soviet
Union from starting war, either
big one or "brush-fire," since the
latter inevitably lead to about nu-
clear warfare. Quizzed on the great
disparity between the United States
and the Soviet Union in man
power-a disparity set by the Sem
ators at IA combat-ready American
divisions contrasted to ITS available
Russion divisions-Mr. Wilson said
YEARLY:
Il think I made it clear, or tried
to, that we are counting largely on
our allies for ground support, and
that if we do not have allies, we are
not going to fight that kind of a
ground war. anyhow
Senator Symington, the former
Air Force Secretary, charged at
the close Of the third day of the
hearings that Mr.. Wilson's sworn
testimony had been inconsistent
with the sworn testimony of lead
ing military officers of the United
States. If these officers had
shaded or distorted their appraisal
of Soviet military power in order
to advance their own service in
terests such conduct would be
reprehensible, the Senator said.
But, he went on, if Mr.. Wilson or
his aides had done any shading or
distorting Ito support preconceived
fiscal policies for partisan political
purposes, such conduct would be
equally reprehensible." But Mr..
Wilson retorted that the chairman
had been disputing opinion rather
than facts in the hearings.
Bosic Issue Involved
Although the hearings were con-
cerned for the most part with the
relative air strength of the United
States versus the Soviet Union,
there was evident in the testimony
a more basic issue, one probably
not nearly resolved as yet in the
Nations highest defense councils:
the question of whether to pre-
pare in the main for an about
nuclear war or to continue to
build up and maintain the strength
and types of forces required for a
conventional" war.
Further defense developments
were assured by the return Wednes-
day from the Soviet Union of Gen.
Nathan F. Twining, Air Force Chief
of Staff. Gen. Twining, who had
been the invited guest of the Rus
sian Air Force for the preceding
eight days reported to President
Eisenhower at Gettysburg on
Thursday morning on the results
of his trip to the Soviet capital.
After talking with the President,
Gen. Twining told newsmen that
the Soviet Union was ION the
Ii. saa las