The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-08-20
WASHINGTON, Aug Is NM


Staff. with one exception. te
switch from opposition to the
nuclear test bar treaty to quail
fled support Of it.
This dram attic backstage
about-face by the top military
leaders was brought about by
the Presidents using both his
personal prestige and great pow
er as commander-in-chief.
At this writing General Curtis
LeMay. Air Chief of Staff, con
tinues opposed to the pact. He
is the only member Of the Joint
Chiefs adhering to the position
all Of them originally took in a
policy paper they submitted to
the Senate Armed Services Pre-
paredress Subcommittee a
month.
General Maxwell D. Taylor
chairman, and General Earle
Wheeler, Army Chief Of Staff,
c h an e e d their views after
lengthy talks with the Presi-
dent. General Wheeler has some
reservations. but now is sup
porting the President.
Admiral David Mcdonald, who
replaced Admiral Robert Ander-
son as Chief Of Naval Opera
tons on August l. is for the
treaty. Admiral Anderson. new
u S. Ambassador to Portugal,
joined the other Joint Chiefs in
their original disapproval of the
treaty.
White House insiders credit
the President with winning over
Generals Taylor and Wheeler BY
streSsing two points: Their OPP
position would seriously damage
U. S. prestige, and would react
against the military services.
The President told them that
while he expected their support
for the pact, he had no objec-
tor to their expressing any mis-
glvlngs they had in response to
congressional questioning 50
long as they did not come ou.
against the nuclear accord.
BOXING THEM in - In .he
Presidents talks with the Joint
Chiefs, he made much of the
claim that a careful White
House poll Of the Senate had
shown that well over two thirds
favor the treaty. On that ground,
the President argued military
opposition would only cause dis
unity and reduce the margin Of
senatorial approval.
If by some chance the Sen
ate should fail to ratify this
treaty. the President warned,
lit would be the worst blow to
this country's prestige since the
Russians launched their Sputnik.
1t would be a diplomatic Pearl
Harbor.'
Repeatedly the President as
sured the Joint Chiefs that he
would not let the treaty under
mine the coumtrys m ! it a ~
strength, pointing out he was
firmly against cutting the De
Tense Department budget.
In pounding home this argu-
ment, the President opened one
night meeting with the ] 0 in t
Chiefs by telling them he had
conferred by phone with Repre-
sentative George Mahon, Dick.
chairman of the House Appro-
priations subcommittee on de-
tense, and had obtained his sup
port to restore ST billion Of the
81 billion slashed from the mill
tary budget.
AS related by the President.
Mahon had agreed to increase
defense funds from $47 billion to
SAB billion approximately 81 bill
lion under the administration S
original request when the bud
get is considered BY the Senate
House conferees. The House
passed measure is now pending
in the S at e Appropriations
Committee.
ESCAPE CLAUSE - The So
called escape clause in tn E
treaty, permitting participants
to withdraw 80 days after serv-
ing notice, figured prominently
IN the President S unavailing ef-
forts to win over General Le-
May. The President contended
this provision gives the U. S.
ample safeguards.
If convincing evidence is
forthcoming that the Sow E t
has conducted secret nuclear
tests or made a breakthrough
that threatens our security" the
President told the Air Chief of
Staff, I'VE will instantly use this
9O-day escape clause and with
draw from the treaty"
That may be so, Mr.. Presi-
lent. replied LeMay uncon-
but the Soviet may
nave made that breakthrough in
heir last series Of super H
bomb tests. feel strongly that
We should first learn the full I'M
Of those tests before
into ar agreement with
he Russians. Otherwise, we are
aklng a tremendous risk"
But with the other Chiefs Of
Staff, the Presidents views
Won the day. Accompanied BY