Evening star., 1957-04-07
7 Senators Ask
Probe Of Troop
Commitments
BY JACK BELL
Associated Press Staff Correspo


Senators Humphrey. Demo-
crat of Minnesota and Douglas,
Democrat of Illinois, called yes
terday for a congressional in
quiry into any commitments the
United States may have made
to fill military gaps left by Brit
ish defense force reductions.
The two Democratic Senators
said in separate interviews they
fear this country may face the
prospect of having to expand its
own forces or risk the possibility
that brush fire" wars might
get out of hand.
Senator Gore, Democrat of
Tennessee, expressed similar
fears.
Britain has announced plans,
as part of an economy move. to
cut its armed forces from 690,-
1000 men to 375,000 by 1862 and
to depend largely on nuclear
weapons to make up the differ
:ence in f1repower.
Senator Gore, a member of
the Senate House Atomic Com
lnittee. said in speech prepared
for a Boston audience that Brit
aims announcement was lin
fact, a resignation from the role
and responsibility of a major
world power" Mr.. Gore said this
brings the United States to "a
point of vast responsibility"
Humphrey "Unconvinced"
Senator Humphrey, member
of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee, said he remains uncon-
yinced by informal assurances
from administration sources that
fhe United States will not try to
ill any vacuum" caused by the
British cutback.
I'm the light Of Great Britain's
action, it is all the more impor-
aant that Congress be informed
what commitments were made,
if any. in the Bermuda Confer
9nce to fill the power vacuumsI
that are going to be created,
Mr.. Humphrey said.
! President Eisenhower and Sec
retary of State Dulles have in
sisted that there were no secret
agreements in Mr.. Eisenhower's
Bermuda meeting with British
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
last month. Mr.. Dulles may be
questioned further about this in
a scheduled appearance before
Foreign Relations Committee
men Monday on another matter
Nh. Humphrey said he senses
"a growing lack OF cooperation
and understanding between the
United States and Britain de-
spite MIR. EiSenhower's agreement
at Bermuda to give the British
guided missiles capable of carry
ing atomic warheads when they
become operational.
: Points to Suez Incident
sfhe common defense of the
Western powers demands close
xo-operation." Mr.. Humphrey
said. There was not that kind
pf co-Operation in the Suez Canal
ancident. Is there a breakdown
underway now over the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization?
Congress needs to be in
Horned about some of these mat
kers. We need to know just how
the administration proposes to
take up the slack in defenseS, if
At does"
! Mr.. Douglas said he regards
the prospective weakening of
western defense power as "a
Eery serious matter"
"Britain's land power is vir-
tually disappearing" he de-
sclared. Suppose a brush fire war
breaks out somewhere. Are we
going to have to police it alone?"
/. Mr.. Gore said the question
remains unanswered whether
the United States will fill the
gap by assuming the additional
burden of providing conventional
forces to counteract limited ag-
gression wherever it may occur"
He said the British troop re-
sduction indicates the "exten-
sion of our own concept of mas
,sive retaliation to we S term
Europe"