DEFENSE: Retreat from Pessimism

DEFENSE Retreat from Pessimism “The plain fact is,” growled Texas Democrat George H. Mahon, as his House subcommittee on defense appropriations began emergency hearings last week on the status of U.S. missile programs, “that the Administration has not yet made the fundamental decisions that must be made. The Administration has not reacted as boldly as it should.” One day later, after a parade of Pentagon experts led by Defense Secretary Neil McElroy had spelled out missile progress to the subcommittee in crisp, uncensored terms, George Mahon emerged from the hearing room with a different story. Said he:”It is obvious the three services have not fallen on their faces in ballistic-missiles progress.

I am frankly encouraged.”

Behind the guarded doors, Military Specialist Mahon and his committee had heard facts about U.S. missiles that for a long time have been smothered in security and distorted by political wrangling and unseemly interservice bickering. Most solid piece of news: the Air Force’s intermediate-range Thor, while still in the testing stage, has proved its reliability, is already on a production-line basis (TIME, Nov. 25), and production can be speeded promptly.

Other reassuring facts in Washington’s week of survey: ¶ Because of the promise shown by Thor, the National Security Council reversed a three-month-old economy order by now-retired Defense Secretary Charlie Wilson cutting back research-and-development production of Thor test missiles from four a month to two. New quota under the NSC order: four a month. In sanctioning a step-up in Thor production the NSC did not rule out the Army’s competitive, “hand-tooled” Jupiter, which may well go into stockpile production with Thor. Reason for production of both, with resulting complication in supporting equipment, etc.: the U.S. needs IRBMs as fast as it can get them. Historical parallel: production of both B-17 and B-24 bombers in World War II. ¶ Flying into Augusta for a two-hour conference with President Eisenhower, Secretary McElroy announced himself “very hopeful” that the U.S. will be able to keep its commitment to provide Britain with IRBMs during 1959, begin to stock other NATO members “earlier than had been expected.”

¶ Scheduled for construction next year is a $65 million operational firing station for 5,500-mile intercontinental ballistics missiles, to be located two miles west of Cheyenne at Wyoming’s Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. It will house 5,000 men, probably be under command of Air Force Missile Boss Major General Bernard A. Schriever.*

¶ With increased missile funds in sight, the Navy promised a step-up in the target date—now 1962—on its Polaris, a solid-fuel, 1,500-mile IRBM that can be fired from a submarine.

Though what the public knows so far about the nation’s missilery still is fragmentary, chances are strong that it may soon know more. Defense Secretary Mc-Elroy, one of the fastest-starting figures to reach Washington in several years, has been campaigning at the White House for the release of more information not only about missiles but about the broader field of U.S. diplomatic-military efforts. Reason: a knowledgeable public would be, like Texas’ Congressman Mahon, “frankly encouraged.”

*The Air Force last week also was still concerned with airplanes, announced that a contract would be let soon for the chemical-fuel, WS-no, a long-range bomber that will replace the B-52, announced also that its new North American F108 interceptor will fly at three times the speed of sound at 75,000 ft., will carry guided missiles with atomic warheads.