The Unhappy Medium

The House Appropriations Committee last week voted to slash $4 1/4 billion off the $51 billion U.S. defense budget for 1953, and Texas' George H. Mahon, chairman of the Military Appropriations Subcommittee, stood up to explain why. "Actually," said Mahon, "what we have done . . . is to strike a sort of happy medium between the people who want to spend more and the people who want to spend less for defense."

One-third of this reduction fell on the Air Force. If the cut remains in the bill, 1953 orders may be cut by as many as 700 combat planes. This action is taken in the face of the gravest concern at top Washington defense levels over the rapid growth of the Russian air force. At present relative strengths, the U.S. could not defend its own cities against Red air attack, and it is in constant danger of losing its superiority over the Chinese Communist air force in Korea (see WAR IN ASIA).

Yet the Appropriations Committee calmly cut Air Force procurement funds because Congress, following the Pentagon, does not have its eye on the Russians. Instead of trying to create a defense force specifically designed to meet the Russian threat and carry out a national policy, Congress and the Pentagon concentrate on internal issues.

The goal of the Pentagon top brass is to keep peace among the three services by apportioning the cuts more or less equally while Mahon's committee strikes a "happy medium."

A large part of whatever the U.S. spends will be wasted until Washington develops a defense spending policy that relates to the enemy and not to pressure groups inside the U.S.

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