Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-15


The proposed budget fol
present line on spending. Ths
higher cost of new weapons
would force the services to cut
back on personnel, weapons,
bases and development Of new
arms.
Even so, the proposal is not
as stringent as the Bureau Of
the Budget and the Treasury
Department want. President
Eisenhower will have to make
the final decisions on whether
to cut a little more or give the
Defense Department the min
imum Secretary McElroy and
his aides say they must have.
The whole subject will be ex-
plored at the Presidents va
cation White House in Au-
gusta, Ca, tomorrow. Defense
and budget officials have been
called there in an effort to
complete preparation Of a new
budget before the President
begins his European tour De-
cember 8.
Reliable information on the
proposals reveals the seeds of
many disputes which are GER
tain to be carried to Capitol
Hill and perhaps into the 1860
political campaigns.
For instance, the Air Force
would be reduced by more than
10 wings. That, Air Force lead
ers say, will force them into a
controversial cut of the strength
of NATO, the Vests military
arm.
Another likely bone of con-
tention is provision for a new
atomic-powered aircraft car
rier for the Navy. Some power
full Congressman believe 1t is
q waste of money.
The Army has cut its mod
ernization plans in order to
maintain troop strength under
the budget ceiling-an unpopu-
lar move in many circles both
in and out of the Pentagon.
And the Air Force has con-
tinued to concentrate spending
on the Strategic Air Command,
which the other services and
many Congressman believe is
a wasteful investment in over
killing" Russians.
The budget will cover the IL
months starting next July l.
It will go to Congress in Janu-
airy and then the fighting will
start.
Details Kept Secret
Meanwhile details Of the
budget are kept a close secret.
Only a few bits and pieces of
budget information can be ex-
tracted from scattered Penta-
gon offices. And the figures
shift literally from hour to hour
IS new decisions are made and
old ones remade.
But assuming the broad out
line of the budget will not
change from yesterday after
noon, Mr.. McElroy, Deputy Sec
rotary of Defense Thomas S.
Gates, jr., Acting Comptroller
John w. Sprague, Research and
Development Director Herbert
York and Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Nathan F.
Twining will take the President
q budget that looks like this:
The Pentagon will ask for
new money new educational
authority" in budget parlance
totaling something over $40 bill
lion. AS of Friday, the Army was
slated to get over $40 billion, UP
a third of a billion from the
current year; the Navy over $12
billion, up a billion dollars. and
the Air Force about $16.5 bill
lion, down two billion. The Of
flee of the Secretary of Defense
would get about SIS billion.
Saturday afternoon, however,
negotiations between the serV-
ice leaders and Mr.. McElroy's
budget officials were edging the
totals higher. The Air Force in
particular seemed to be benefit
ing, according to Pentagon
sources.
Spending Limits
Most Pentagon officials be-
lieve, however. that the limits
on actual spending are more
important than the new money
figures. All services have carry
over funds from past years and
so are not hurting seriously for
new money. They need permits
sion to spend what they have
and what they reasonably can
expect from Congress next year.
The new budget contains
spending limits as well as new
money, and these also are
changing during the discus
sions.
The tentative decision by Mr..
McElroy last week was to limit