Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-18

ENAs~~%ANs~t OAAe-AA AAAaA
ressed the missile-satellite
hearings until January 8 with
abe plea that all Americans
swork as though there will
never be a tomorrow" in order
that the gap between the
United States and the Soviet
he closed in the new weapon
neid.
The Air Force took the stand
yesterday. and like the Army
and Navy before 1t. cited lack
az SUFFICIENT funds for certain
protects and the administra-
tive maze at the Pentagon as
being largely responsible Tor
Allowing progress on rockets and
space vehicles.
Gen. Curtis IeMay. Vice
Chief Of Stan for the Air Force.
advocated one method Of get
ting faster decisions at the
Pentagon on the military leyek.
He said the Chairman Of the
Joint Chiefs of Stan should be
empowered to force agree
tlents'. and at the very least
should be made a voting men,
Der Of the group.
An Air Force general
Nathan F. Twining--is cur
rently head Of the jos.
LeMay Caution
Gen. LeMay injected a new
note in subcommittee testi-
ynony when he cautioned that
the United States may be PLAN
ming to spend too much on
missiles and futuristic weapons
and not enough On moderniza-
ton Of those now in being
the ones with which we would
have to fight a war today. to-
morrow and for some time to
come.
The eigar-chewing former
chief Of the Strategic Air
Command spoke after Air Force
Secretary James H. Douglas
told the Senators that he be-
heved the Atlas intercontinen-
tai ha1listic missile would be In
operatlonal production within
two years.
The Atlas was fired in q
"successful" test yesterday at
Cape canaveral. Fla. bolster
ing the Secretary's estimate on
when the 5.000-mile. hydro
gen warhead weapon would be
ready for use against any
enemy.
senator Symington. Demo-
Graf Of Missouri. told the sub
committee that present plans
called for an "appallingly
small" number Of Atlas. ICBM
S4H0akOklo III 4So4.
Power Lead Shfinkiag
Under questioning. Gen. lie
May said he still believes that
n the United States had to 90
e war today Il think we'd
pfDbahly win It," But he
warned that our margin Of
power over the Soyiets lis
Shrinking rapidly"
While SAC's striking force Is
$tlI SIlperior to the Reds in
bnG-Iar1ge bomber strength.
fae general said they are likely
o orertake US by 1859 under
ehk present rate of progress.
On the question of missiles
and hombers. Gen. lie May
2cf>ed
The main deterrent today
= the manned bomber and 1t
. going to be for some time
I'VE want these missile sys-
tens as fast as We can get
them but we don't want them
until they are better than
THAT we have"
He told the subcommittee
that an overriding need of SAC
today Is additional bases for
dispersal Of aircraft--a wing Of
B-52 bombers to each airfield.
But. he continued. there is
no present plan which would
give SAC even the minimum"
dispersal it needs to assure its
ability to get UP and retaliate
in overpowering strength after
the enemy strikes the first
blow.
The General said he would
like TO have Is per cent Of the
big bombers in the air ct all
times. loaded with bombs and
ready TO go. He also said he
would like Is minutes notice
Of an impending attack. Mel
ther Of these conditions are
presently obtainable. although
he said he thought about IL
per cent Of SAC's planes were
aloft AZ any given time.
Gen. Thomas d. White. Air
Force Chief Of staff. was asked
by Senator Symington why the
5,000-mile subsonic Shark, an
alr-breathing guided missile,
had been cut back so per cent
in production when higher au-
thority than you" had painted
a rosy picture Of its capabili-
ties ina Nationwide telecast
last November 7.
The Senator obviously re-
ferred to President Eisenhower's
"ehins up" speech Of that date
in which the President cited q
5,000-fnile test firing of the
Shark.
Gen. White told Senator
Symington that the Shark
doesn't do anything that q
rfanned bomber can't do and
that newer and better missiles