MERGER OF U.S. FORCES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25247, 28 July 1947, Page 7

MERGER OF U.S. FORCES

Creation of Single Defence Unit

RATIFICATION OF BILL (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) 'Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON July 26. The United States House of Representatives yesterday completed Congressional action on the unification bill merging the armed forces into a single defence unit. The bill provides for the creation of an independent air force under a single secretary, who will have equal status with the Secretaries of the Army and Navy, but all will be without Cabinet rank. All three services will come under a new official “Secretary for Defence,” with Cabinet status. The bill provides for a council of National Defence, including the Secre taries of the Army, the Navy and Air, together with the chairman of a new National Security Resources Board, which would be created to co-ordin-ate military policy and also military, industrial and civilian mobilisation under the direct authority of the President. The bill retains the Marine Corps and the Navy Air Corps under the Navy Department’s surveillance, thereby removing fears that they might lose their identity in the merger scheme. The bill integrates all intelligence functions in one central intelligence agency. President Truman to-day signed the bill and nominated the Secretary of the Navy (Mr James Forrestal) as Secretary of Defence. The President also signed a bill permitting about 9,000,000 former servicemen to cash terminal leave bonds worth about 1,800,000,000 dollars after September 1. Mr Truman, in a statement. urged former servicemen to re- 1 train' from cashing the bonds if possible. Otherwise, he said, inflationary pressures would receive a substantial boost.