Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-08
House Gives Priority
To Missile Fund Bill
.McEIroy
To Testify
On Needs
BY the Associated Press

A White House request Tor
Sl.26 billion in new defense
funds received top congress
sional priority today. with indi-
cations Of quick approval.
The House Defense Appro-
priationS subcommittee called
a closed-door session to hear
Secretary Of Defense McElroy
and his aides explain the need
for the money.
President Eisenhower re-
QueSted the hurry-up supple
mental appropriation yester-
day only a few hours after
Congress had convened for its
new session.
Chairman Mahon. Democrat
Of Texas, said ne hoped TO con-
clude the hearings within 10
days and have legislation ready
for consideration by the House
this month. The missile money
bill is expected to be the first
major legislation considered
this year.
Expects Quick Action
Mr.. Mahon said in an inter-
view 1T is my feeling that Con-
gress will quickly provide funds
for the missile program.
House Speaker Sam Rayburn.
Democrat of Texas. said ne
favors appropriating whatever
amount Of money is necessary"
for defense programs.
Similar indications of quick,
favorable consideration of the
bill came from the Senate.
where Republican Leader
Knowland of California said
the Senate Appropriations
Committee will be able to give
it consideration just as soon as
the House acts"
Democratic Leader Lyndon
B. johnson. Texas. Joined in
calling it certainly a step in
the right direction. and added:
There is no question but
that Congress will promptly
and sympathetically consider
the Presidents request and act
on it."
| Predicts Too Much Money
Senators Saltonstall. Repub-
lican Of Massachusetts,. and
Smathers. Democrat Of Florida.
were among others favoring
prompt action, and Senator
Allott. Republican of Colorado.
predicted that in the mood it
is in. Congress will appropriate
more money for defense than
can be spent intelligently."
The House subcommittee
agreed quickly yesterday TO
consider the supplemental re-
quest without waiting for the
regular Defense Department
budget for next year. which will
be taken up later. Mr. Mahon
said this was done because Of
what he called the urgency
Of the situation.
| The President asked for S2l9
million TO speed up and expand
construction of alert and dis
perSal facilities of the Strategic
Air Command; 1858 million TO
develop and procure long-range
balliStic missiles and to build
missile sites and miSSile-firing
submarines; 1929 million to
establish a system for detecting
and defending against enemy
ballistic missiles. and S29 mil
lion to extend the Semi-Auto-
matte Ground Environment
(SAGE) system of defense
communications.
Asks Transfer Power
In addition. Mr.. Eisenhower
asked for power to transfer
$l10 million in now available
funds to expand the missile
program and related defense
projects.
And he requested authority
TO use $40 million of current
defense money to finance the
Defense Departments new ad-
vanced research projects
agency. and permission for the
Defense Secretary to use up to
$3.50 million for research and
development. This money. an
increase of $500 million. would
be transferred from money
already available in the de-
partment.