Evening star., 1960-12-05
KENNEDY
KENNEDY FE.f@ ..a.@- ts-8zt ..ss4 xaisET7
Plan Would Eliminate d Secretaries,
But Retoin the Separate Services
Continued From First Pag,

Continued From First Page
4ctment Of the new system
would save So billion in the de-
Tense budget.
Urges Arms Control Office
His committee also called for
the naming of an assistant to
the Secretary Of Defense for
arms control, who, he said,
would have 'the most impor-
tant job in the Government
with the exception Of the
President"
The Defense Department has
been, the Senator said, "aller-
sic to the idea of disarma-
inent and, therefore, we
believe that the Importance Of
arms control be recognized in
the department Of Defense"
The committee suggested the
reconstruction Of the Joint
Chiefs Of Staff, so that the
Chairman Of the Joint Stan
would be the principal military
adviser to the President and
the Secretary Of Defense and
preside over Q new group called
the Military Advisory Council,
whose members would be senior
grade officers appointed by the
President and separated from
their respective services. They
would not go back to their
services.
The idea, said Senator Sym
tngton, would be ITO get an
overall defense approach in
stead Of . service approach"
Three Unified Commands
The Chairman of the Joint
STAFF could well come from the
Military Advisory Council. thus
relieving pressure from the sep
arate services as much as pos
sible.
The Defense Department un.
der the new setup would have
three unified commands.
The Strategic Command
would be. Senator Symington
said. in charge in the event Of
q general war. The tactical
Command would react in case
OF an attack in a limited war.
The Defense Command would
be charged with the defense of
the United States.
Senator Symington said his
personal opinion would be that
the head Of the Strategic Com
mand should be a member of
the Navy, the head Of the Tao
tical Command q member of
the Army and the head Of the
Defense Command a member
Of the Air Force.
The plan Of Senator Syming-
ing. who was Secretary Of the
Air Force in the Truman ad-
ministration, also would eli
inmate the Undersecretaries
and the Assistant Secretaries
all civilians-of the three
services.
Better Security Seen
In all, IS civilian Offices
would be wiped out in the three
services. The committee also
would abolish seven Assistant
Secretaries Of Defense, bring.
ing the grand total Of ofiices
abolished to %.
Senator Symington said the |
plan would increase National |,
security and eliminate waste
and duplication.
In discussing proposed elimi-
nation Of civilian officials Of /
the Army, Navy and Air Force,
Senator Symington said his
committee feels that ''by per-
petulating separate service sec
retaries," 1t would be more
difficult to subordinate service
interests to national interests"
The Senator said further the
committe believes !" It would be
wise to discontinue what is now
q dual system Of civilian con-
troll as a result Of interposing
between the Secretary Of
Defense and the services them
selves a set Of secretaries
identified with each service"
Senator Symington said Sem
ator Kennedy had instructed
the committee to make use Of
in its study all previous defense
and national security studies.
The Senator said these included
the Gather Report made for
the Eisenhower administration
and a report made by the
Rockefeller Foundation.
The Gather Report never
has been made public. Senator
Symington did not say whether
it was provided to his COM
mittee by the Eisenhower
Depressed Area Group
Yesterday Senator Kennedy
acted on a campaign promise |
to help depressed areas by ap-
pointing q committee charged
with formulating a pilot pro-
gram Of Federal aid to West
Virginia, the State hardest hit
by chronological change and
chronic unemployment. |
Senator Kennedy promised