Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-06
Our AHpower>

It is regrettable (although it prob
ably was to be expected) that the SYM
ington subcommittee has split along
party lines in its report on the relative
status of American and Russian air
power.
Since this could easily become a
matter of life and death, it would have
been infinitely preferable to have had
some clear-cut findings. But this is far
from being the fact. Anyone who reads
the majority and minority reports will
put them down, at best, with confused
impression that all is far from well.
The giSt of the majority report is
that the Russians have passed us in num-
bers of modern combat planes and are
rapidly overtaking us in terms of quality.
The rate of the Russian advance, as seen
by the majority, is both swift and omi-
nous. In their opinion, we are tagging,
not only in terms of combat planes Gin
being"-and we will not have any other
planes if total war comes-but also in
such things as bases, skilled personnel
and research and development.
Air Force generals, testifying under
oath. were the primary witnesses upon
whom the majority relied. One of these
was General LIE May, chief of our Stra-
tegic Air Command, the air arm which,
above all others, has served, because
of its retaliatory threat, to safeguard the
United States from attack. General
LIE May said this If present plans and
programs, as ] understand them, are
unchanged, and if our estimates of Rus
sian air power are correct, think there
is grave doubt that SAC would present
an effective deterrent in 1958-60." Max
ing essentially the same assumptions, he
added: 1--WE will be inferior to the Soviet
long-range air force by 1958-6O" Other
Air Force generals agreed that under
existing programs, the Soviets are bound
to overtake and pass u.s."
The minority members of the SUBJ
committee thought that the conclusions
of the. majority were 'unduly pessi-
niStic," and did not give sufficient weight
to the testimony of civilian defense off,
Gals. One Of these, Air Force Secretary
QuarleS, said he thought General lie May
testified on the basis of outdated assump-
tions-that he did not take into account
d contemplated increase III the planned
rate of B-52 production from II to 20 a
month, and that he also did not consider
other possible changes in plans. Admiral
Radford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of
Staff, said this:
There is good reason to believe that
we normally overestimate Communist
capabilities in almost every respect That
statement base on my own experience in
war. In general in the intelligence field
they tend to err on the safe side IL
think we are in a dangerous position vis-a-
Wis the Communists in that respect today.
because there has been an almost hysteri-
cal assumption of great capabilities on the
part Of the Communists. some of which, in
my opinion. actually do not exist
This leaves the layman pretty much
in position where he can pay his money
and take his choice. In all probability
the layman will string along with the
President and not with the subcommittee
majority The only trouble with this is
that If the majority is right, and If the
Russians hit us, there will not be many
Of us left to make any kind Of choice.