The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1959-09-03
On N~a4hmgtm
with Rep. John Henderson
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Inc HENDERSON IdIIllly WIN us
belongings packed into a rented
trailer returned to our home in
Cambridge on August Is to pre-
pare for the school term. This
year both of our children will
be trudging off to the classroom
as our daughter, Nancy, enters
kindergarten. With the session
continuing, l will be spending the
next several weeks in Washing
ton until the work of the present
Congress is completed.
When the adjournment will
come is still very much in doubt.
Many Of the rumors in the Capt.
tolls corridors have settled on a
date before Labor Day. How
ever, if all of the legislation
carrying a must" label only a
few weeks ago is considered,
there are still many weeks of
work ahead.
Defense Costs
On August 18, the President
approved the years most costly
legislation when he fixed his
name to the 1860 Defense APP
preparations bill. The total funds
provided by this law n $780,
$780, 900. It assures that more
than SO cents Of every dollar the
taxpayer contributes to the fed
eral treasury will be earmarked
for the Department of Defense
This does not include the adj
ditional' billions that will be
spent for foreign aid, atomic en-
ergy, and the stockpiling Of stra.
tegic materials.
The realization that this fan.
tastic expenditure is necessary
for our national survival can best
be tested by the votes by which
this bill finally cleared the Con
| gress. In the House Of Represen
tatives, the bill was approved il
its final version by a voice vote
and in the Senate, the record vote
was $50. Such arguments as die
arise revolved around difference!
of opinion on specific items ane
whether enough money was be
ing approved to meet defense
needs.
What this bill provides is to-
detailed to recount here. How
ever, the major items show wha
costs are involved in keeping GU.
defense arsenal ready for an,
eventually that may occur in thu
unstable world today - in
world where our communist ad
cersaries understand and respec
only power and where perhap.
the only power they truly respec
is the force our nation a bring
to bear against them.
The pay and allowances o
military personnel including
those men and women on activ'
duty, reservists, the Army AM
Air National Guard, and retiret
personnel will total $11.6 billion
during the twelve months endin:
next June 80. Another $l0.4 oil
lion will be required for opera
ton and maintenance costs. TIL
procurement of military hard
ware, ammunition, and supple
will cost another Sl3.3 billion
For research and development O
new weapons and techniques, a.
additional 1913 billion will be re
CURED.
Buying Defense
We can get only the most un
satisfactory glimpse of tn
quality of defense by talking i
terms of dollars. We know, how
ever, that the weapons system
new missile involves can cos
billions. We know, too, that man
power policies car be costly i
the extreme. The entire pictur
is composed of thousands c
parts.
The Congress has a great res
possibility in keeping track {
how these funds are used an
to assist in minimizing waste an
duplication, a perennial by-prt
duct of the giantism which a:
flicts the Department of Defens'
The Appropriations, Armed Sci
vices, and Government Oper;
tons Committees of both tt
House and Senate bear a larg
share of the burden of this wor
as they investigate problem
l brought to their attention tt
year around. Working always
the background is the Gener;
Accounting Office, the watchdc
| agency of the Congress, who:
job it is to police the details
federal expenditures.
Two current investigation
t which have drawn public int
est pertain to the so-calle
: munitions lobby" and the pole
. of using enlisted men as hou
servants of high-ranking officer
t It has been said that these st
f dies DO not involve major fisc
problems. However, they do j