Victory for Air Power

The Senate completed the victory of the Air Force last week. By an overwhelming 74-to-2 vote, it passed a $3,198,000,000 appropriation to get the 70-group Air Force program started. Coupled with the House's recent 343-to-3 endorsement of a similar bill, the Senate's action was conclusive proof that Congress considered air power the nation's first line of defense.

Only Senators Harry Cain of Washington and Glen Taylor of Idaho voted against it. Said Cain: "We're trying to do too much--too fast." Cried Taylor, running mate to Henry Wallace on the third party ticket: "When Wallace is elected President, we can reach an agreement with Russia and call off this whole armaments program."

By its action, Congress rejected the recommendations of Defense Secretary James Forrestal, who had suggested a 66-group Air Force and a "balanced" military establishment; e.g., more ground troops to support overseas air bases. Forrestal never made too good a case. Air Secretary Stuart Symington, pleading for the 70-group program, had made his. It was the first time in eight years on the tricky playing fields of Washington that Forrestal had lost the ball on a fumble.

Not Comical. Some Congressmen felt uneasy over having to repudiate Forrestal. But they blamed the National Defense office for the situation more than they blamed themselves. Said Massachusetts' Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.: "No satisfactory method at present exists to resolve the differences between the armed services and to produce an intelligent and integrated plan . . . The Secretary of Defense, although an extremely competent official, is so lacking in professional help that he cannot possibly resolve the differences. What happens? The controversy is passed on to Congress and we here are thus required to resolve a technical dispute between professionals. It is utterly preposterous and would be comical if the consequences were not so dangerous." There was a move on foot to revise the law to strengthen the Secretary's hand.

Anxious Moments. The legislation covered $1,651,000,000 which the Administration had marked down in the 1948-49 budget for aircraft procurement, plus $725 million Harry Truman had added on second thought, plus $822 million Congress thought should be added. The total $3,198,000,000 would be divided up at roughly a 70-30 ratio between Air Force and Navy air arm.

Still to be voted on was the rest of next year's military budget--now a big proposed $11.6 billion. Congress might knock out some items, such as the 80,000-ton carrier which the Navy yearned for. Congress was less than likely to pass universal military training, which was down for $400 million. But in the end the total defense appropriations would be around $14 billion, which was even more than the Finletter Commission, in its most anxious moments four months ago, had thought necessary for national defense. There were no bargains, yet, in defense.

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