Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-10
President Wins
Approval on
Defense Plea
BY L. EDGAR PRINA
star star writer


star stan writer
President Eisenhower's state
cf-the- Union call for reoreani-
sation in the Pentagon lines
him Up. in principle at least.
With a growing chorus Of
critics Of the Defense Depart
naent command structure.
His statements that II Is
imperative" to have "unified
direction" Of strategic planning |
and clear organization and
decisive central direction" 70 |
end inter-service disputes have |
brought expressions Of general
approval on Capitol Hill.
But the reaction Is cautious. |
Most congressional leaders |
want 10 wait and sce." They
want a look at the Presidents
specific plans for action. some
thing Mr.. Eisenhower has
promised to produce in q sep
arate message to Congress.
Opposition Cited
Fentagon observers, At first
blush. say they are not at all
certain that the President will
90 as far as TO recommend q
single chief Of stafi. which
some critics maintain Is the
only answer TO the problem Of
service wrangling.
Certainly. they point out.
such a recommendation would
run into strong opposition on |
Capitol Hill. where the chair
men Of both the Senate and
House Armed Services COM
mittees-Senator Russell and
Representative Vinson, both
Georgia Democrats - already
have spoken out strongly
against it.
IN this connection, the OBJ
servers recall that Admiral
Arleigh A. Burke, Chief of
Naval Operations. only last
Monday delivered a scathina
attack on the idea Of a single
chief--"a military Solomon
as an invitation to national
disaster. The Burke speech was
cleared by the Defense Depart
ment and policy officers there
knew Of the contents Of Mr..
Eisenhower's state-of the
Union message.
McElr6y Aide Possible
). There is q feeling that the
President may. in an executive
action. provide Defense Secre-
tary McElroy with Q top fight
military adviser. And here the
name of Gen. Alfred NJ.
Gruenther. 0 close personal
friend Of Mr.. Eisenhower's and
former supreme commander Of !
NATO forces. is being men,
stoned. Gen. Gruenther nov Is
president of the American Red
Cross.
Parts Of the Eisenhowerl
speech would appear to pair
hin with the ccntrovefsal L.
Gen. James M. Gavin. whose
final decision to retire after
nearly i've years Of what he
called Illustration" in the
Pentagon maze. was announced |
Tuesday.
Gavin Proposal
Gen. Gavin publicly advo-
Gated on December Is the crea-
ton Of a senior. unified COM
mand" shorn Of service ties.
which would bring true pro-
sfessional military advice to the
Secretary Of Defense. He said
she would abolish the Joint |
Chiefs Of STAFF as they operate
today.
The Presidents address like
wise seemed TO echo recon-
nnendations made in the Rookie
Teller Report which last Mon
day urged a stronger Defense
Secretary and q chairman Of
the jos with considerably more
authority over the military
forces. This section Of the
Rockefeller Report was infiu-
enced by q retired Army coll
league OF Mr.. Eisenhower's
Gen. Lucius D. Clay.
Democratic Observations
And the Presidents own
Gather Committee Is said to
have urged in its still-secret
study a sweeping reorganiza-
ton ct the Pentagon.
Some Democrats. meanwhile.
are observing that Mr.. Eisen-
hover has had five years to
smooth the lines OF authority
at the Pentagon and only DOW
Ia getting around to doing
something about 1t.
They point. too. to the fact
that Defense Secretary Robert
A. Lovett's farewell recon-
mendation in November, 1852,
said the Secretary should be
given q military staff Of his
own and urged that the Joint
Chiefs be relieved of an over
burden Of paper work inherent
In their wearing two hats---as
jos members and chiefs Of
their own services.
Mr.. Eisenhower's speech APP
peared to take an indirect slap
at former Defense Secretary
Wilson's long list Of Assistant
Secretaries OF Defense.
There must be an assurance
that an excessive nurnner OF
compartments in organizations
win not create costly and con-
fusing compartments in our
scientific and industrial effort"
tia preeidenf aafd