Forward!

Air Secretary Thomas Finletter believed in a balanced Army, Navy and Air Force. But he long ago made it clear that the Air Force needed a lot more weight to hold down its share of world responsibilities. In 1948, the famed Finletter Report set 70 groups as the minimum needed; since then, working closely with Chief of Staff Hoyt Vandenberg, he had concluded that the Air Force would need a whole lot more to counter the Russian atomic bomb. Last week he sold a reluctant George Marshall on his case, ordered the Air Force to up its aim from 84 to an even hundred groups, manned by 971,000 officers and enlisted airmen.

To reach its manpower quota by June, the Pentagon swept the last 21 of its organized air reserve wings into active service (four had been mobilized last fall), prepared to ship the 50,000 organized reservists and their planes off to training and replacement pools. At least twelve more Air National Guard wings will be mobilized and assigned to the Air Defense Command for protection of the continental U.S. For the time being the guardsmen will have choice duty, serving at bases near home.

In the volunteer (unorganized) reserve, all 60,000 enlisted men and 20,000 officers were sure to be called up. Of the remaining 220,000 officers, all would get a going-over, be required to show cause why they shouldn't put on their new blues. Credible causes for deferment: hardship cases at home, critical civilian employment, too much rank (colonel & above), or outsized potbellies.

The other services were also picking up steam last week. Items: P:With its $2 billion shipbuilding bill passed by unanimous vote of the House (and certain to pass the Senate), the Navy cleared decks for action, laid plans to increase the fleet to 1,050 combat and supporting ships. At least 173 new ships will be built, 291 converted, and construction will begin immediately on a 57,000-ton flush-deck carrier*(probable name: Saratoga or Forrestal) which can launch A-bomb-carrying planes. P:Army Chief of Staff Joe Collins announced that by July i the Army will have the equivalent of 24 divisions in uniform (seven more than now)--18 fullblown divisions and 18 regimental combat teams with supporting units (antiaircraft, tank and field artillery battalions). P:The Defense Department asked Congress to authorize combat-pay bonuses of $50 a month for enlisted men and $100 for officers fighting in Korea, agreed to soften up its deferment policy for college students (see EDUCATION). P:The Marine Corps scraped the bottom of its air reserve barrel, sent out a July i call for 4,600 pilots, ground officers and enlisted men to man nine squadrons.

*More than half again as large as Britain's newest and biggest carriers, the 36,800-ton Eagle and Ark Royal.

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