Evening star., 1958-04-24
LeMoy ond ToyIor
Differ on War Threat

NEW YORK, April "a R,-
Gen. Curtis +. LeMey said to-
day the threat OF general war
increases each day as the So
wet Union grows stronger.
But Gen. Maxwell d. Taylor
said general war is less likely
than limited wars because OF
the nuclear strength OF both
sides.
Gen. Taylor. army chief oi
staff, and Gen. LeMay. Air
Force vice chief OF stan, ad-
dressed the convention OF the
American Newspaper Publishers
Association which Is ending
today.
The ANPA elected d. Tenant
Bryan OF the Richmond (Vao
Times-Dispatch and News
Leader as It's president. He sue
ceeds william Dwight. publisher
Of the Holyoke Mass Tran
script-Telegram.
Admiral Harry d. Felt, vice
chief Of naval operations, also
Joined in the military discus
sions before the publishers.
"Where before they (the
Russiansl had no capability
for general war" Gen. LeMay
said. to-day they have a nu-
clear stockpile. $4,000 opera
tional aircraft. and a strong
scientific and technical re-
search and development pro-
gram. The danger Of general
war is on the increase as these
capabilities are moulded to At
their desire for world domina-
ton"
Gen. Lemay and Gen. Taylor
differed on mutual deterrence"
the idea that with each side
able to destroy the other with
nuclear weapons, neither will
start war.
"The Air Force believes in
deterrence." Gen. LeMay said.
I'VE do not, however, believe in
the false security that derives
from believing the myth OF
mutual deterrence.
Gen. Taylor expressed the
view that under such condi-
ton. We are probably justified
in assuming that neither side
would voluntarily start a gen.
eral atomic war" but he added:
1T does not follow that the
Soviet bloc will renounce other
forms of aggression as means
of gaining their ends. 1t would
rather suggest that they will
prefer lesser forms of military
activity pursued at an in
creased rate of occurrence.
Clash on Bases
Gen. LeMay. former chief Of
the Strategic Air Command.
also differed with Admiral Felt
on the question Of fixed VS..
mobile bases, especially for
missiles.
Admiral Felt spoke out
strongly for the Nays feet
ballistic missile system, in
which intermediate range. Po-
laris balllstic missiles are TO be
fired from submerged nuclear
submarines off the coast OF an
enemy field.
In discussing vulnerability OF
bases from which the United
States could launch retaliatory
strikes, Admiral Felt said.there
were several methods.
1T can be done by harden
ing-by buildingf more install
lations-by actively defending
them" the Admiral said. This
is the fortress concept. On the
other hand it can be done by
making weapon systems mobile
and by concealing them
rathe rthan resorting TO the
rigid costly techniques OF for
tiflcation.
when We have provided
ourselves with adequate num-
bers of feet ballistic missile
submarines-and with missiles
kept up-to-date to cope with
enemy countermeasures near
the target-we can have relief
from the arms race. AS long
as we rely on hardening, the
arms race will never end"
Lists Requirements
On the other hand. Gen. Le-
May, in discussing the Strate-
gic Air Commands bomber'
and missiles, listed three re-
ourements for the force. in
cluding the necessity for max
ing 1t secure from a quick
Knockout blow. He said:
I'VE must look for improved
warning, we must disperse thu