Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-14
BY FRED s. HOFFMAN
Associated Press staff Writer

ny EMEU o. HUFFMAN
Associated Press staff Writer
To Congress, Secretary Of
Defense Mcnamara is looking
less like q giant these days.
And 10 Mr.. Mcnamara, Con-
gress Is becoming more of q
hairshirt.
The congressional disen-
chantTnent, which started set
tiHd in a year ago, Is growing
deeper In the dispute between
Mr.. Mcnamara and Congress
over defense spending and
award Of a ulti-billion- dollar
plane contract.
So far, Mr.. Mcnamara has
won every major clash and
probably not many smart bet
ting men would wager against
the powerful Defense Secretary
in the current row over the
Tx fighter plane.
But In the future. the one
tine Ford Motor Co. executive
may have to work harder to
get his proposals through Con-
gress.
80, Called A KnOw-It-All
Mr.. Mcnamara is being called
a know-it-all who Is trying TO
become a single chief Of staff
by. overriding professional mill
tary advice. Members Of Con-
gress who 50 describe him are
giving voice to views held by
many uniformed officers.
In return. Mr.. Mcnamara Is
accusing congressional critics
there are Republicans and
Democrats among them - Of
disservice to the country In
challenging the effectiveness Of
United States intelligence and
irreSponsibility in urging budg-
ct cuts while voting TO increase
defense spending.
Informed sources indicate Mr.,
Mcnamara has become increas-
i1gly annoyed by q combina-
ton Of events.
One Is the Senate investiga-
ton Of award Of a potential
SIS billion Tx fighter con-
tract to General Dynamics
Corp. over the Boeing Co. Mr.
McNamara has strongly implied
the investigation is distorted
and said 1t has "needlessly
undermined public confidence
in the integrity and judgment"
Of top Pentagon officials.
G. O. p. Budget Comments
A second reported factor is
the recent statement by House
Republican Leader Halleck
that the defense budget could
be cut about So billion--some
81 billion per service-and con-
flieting action by anotoer @.
D. p. leader, Representative
Atehds Of Illinois.
On Tuesday Mr.. Arends ac-
cused Mr.. Mcnamara Of acting
like a dictator and called the
defense chief IT Got-All-the-
Answers Mcnamara"
MT. Mcnamara teed off on
Mr.. Arends before the Adver-
Using Council yesterday, accaS-
ing him Of supporting "irre-
sponsible action in adding over
81 billion to the budget that
is not needed" and Of criticize
ing "the responsible official
(Mr. Mcnamara who took out
the billion"
Mr.. Mcnamara acknowledged
that in q sense he acted as a
dictator In chopping S14 bill
lion from budget requests SUBJ
mitted by the services before
the final $5l billion In defense
money requests went to Capt.
tol Hill.
Arends Backs Generals
Mr.. Arends read about this
and rushed to the House floor.
He declared the House Armed
Services Committee, where he |
sits as senior Republican, would |
choose the considered judy
ment" Of the Joint Chiefs Of
Staff over what he called "the
arbitrary decisions" of Mr..
Mcnamara.
Representative Hebert, DEM
ocrat Of Louisiana, another
Armed Services Committee
member, joined in, and, in
obvious reference TO Mr.. McNa-
mara, recalled former Presi-
dent Humans advice that "if
you can't stand the heat, get
out Of the kitchen"
Mr.. Hebert pleaded with
Congress yesterday TO assert
authority over the Defense De-
partment and back the military.
II understand that when q
general walks down a Pentagon
corridor now. the clerks say,
twinkle. twinkle, little star, who
do you suppose you are?'" Mr..
Hebert said.
Disregarded Joint Chiefs
Mr.. Hebert contended that
in limiting development of q
1000 mile an hour manned
plane. Mr.. Mcnamara took the
advice OF "Dr. Harold Brown;
a 35-year-old genius" over that
Of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff.
= Disclaiming any intention Of
attacking Mr.. Mcnamara per-
sonally. Mr.. Hebert termed the
Secretary dedicated q
genius perhaps the strong
est Secretary Of Defense we
ever had-and ! have known
them all"
But. he continued. IT prefer
10 take my stand with the pro-
fesSional military men with the
experience Of years and the
seasoning Of the battlefield In
preference 10 the striplings who
are the geniuses In the in
tellectual community and have
never heard n ghot fired In