Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22
Protection


The precarious quality Of Presi-
dent Eisenhower's 1857 budget Ii
nowhere more apparent than In the
protection section, which ac-
counts for 90 per cent Of the
spending.
Defense expenditures again have
been held roughly to the SIS billion
level, give or take half o billion. to
which the administration reduced
them at the end Of the Korean war.
Modernisation Is stressed with
guided missile funds up one third.
Foreign aid spending win rock along
at the same a billion, unaffected
by the new challenge Of the Soviet
Union in this field.
These levels At fairly comfort
ably into the Nations ability TO
pay, in the opinion Of g. o. p.
economists. But the Soviet Union
gives every indication Of spending
much more. particularly on de-
tense. The Reds. too. are stressing
: modernization. in both aircraft and
missiles.
In three Of the four major cate
gories Of combat aircraft. the Com
munists are reported way ahead Of
US in mass production. These cate
gories are day fighters. night
fighters and long-range Jet bomb
ers. The United States leads only
In medium-range Jet bombers.
which depend on overseas bases to
reach the Soviet Union.
II the Communists go into mass
production Of an intermediate range
missile this year. as our top intel
ligence officials fear, or II O small
war looms, say In Formosa or the
Middle East-some rather steep
supplemental appropriations may
have to be added to the budget,
election year or no election year.
Revolt Of Generals
Last week there were signs Of an
incipient revolt among top Penta-
gon generals, who have watched
the Republican administration
slash some SO billion of annual de-
Tense expenditures. while increas-
ing other government spending by
81 billion.
The Army apparently will work
through its retired generals. led by
ex-Army Chief of Staff Ridgway,
who stepped out Of uniform only
last summer. He was. of course, in
timately connected with the inside
work that resulted in halving Army
spending between 1853 and now.
In the Air Force the protests
were more muf1ed. Chief Of Staff
Gen. Nathan F. Twining claimed
he is mot one to start fuss"
But when Senators query him next
Friday on Air Force needs, his
associates expect him TO admit
he needs" about 50 billion more
for modern aircraft procurement
and base expansion. Meanwhile. he
is known to be under direct orders
of a civilian Air Force under
secretary to keep quiet. The Navy.
by contrast. held its fire.
How far Democrats could carry
the ball down the political field was
open to debate. In an election
year, advocating big military ex-
penditures that could NSpoil a
chance for tax cut is hardly good
politics. Even before the defense
debate got into high gear 1t seemed
likely that the best hope Of increas-
ing American military strength
would come in supplemental APP
preparations, perhaps in the wake
Of supplemental revenues which
continuing prosperity might bring.
Ridswoy's Blost
Past criticisms Of Eisenhower de-
Tense budgets have had three main
flaws.
First, the critic has never been
one Of those nonpolitical men ION
the inside" with access to all the
facts on how decisions we're made.
Second, the critics knowledge Of
the size Of the Soviet threat has
always been open to question.
Third. the critic has always been
overpowered by the eminence Of
President Eisenhower. q career
military expert who won the worlds
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