U.S. DEFENCE AGAINST ATOMIC ATTACK

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25934, 14 October 1949, Page 7

U.S. DEFENCE AGAINST ATOMIC ATTACK

‘Plans Well Under Way” STATEMENT BY GENERAL BRADLEY (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 12. The Russian atomic explosion had occurred sooner than ,e United States Military High Command had expected, but e'ence plans were well under way, said General Omar Bradley, leaking at Akron, Ohio, to-night. General Bradley, who is iiairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that ie Russian explosion had made it necessary for the United tales to review its rate of military expenditure and “choose irefully the further armaments of defence.” General Bradley said that the Russian atomic explosion had receded by several months the earliest estimates by the Joint hiefs of Staff on when the Russians would have the atomic D mb. He also said that his staff had made an estimate of hen Russia could have enough atomic bombs “to influence the atcome of a modern war,” but he did not disclose that itimate. He added: “They could be foolhardy enough to launch an nmic attack with only a handful of atomic bombs, but of all ie people of the earth they are students of force and power in rar and should understand clearly the disastrous result of such gruesome error.” General Bradley said that he hoped the Russians would see ie difficulty and tremendous expense of atomic manufacture !( 1 join in international control of such a weapon, “but miliry men must realise that we have worked out an orderly jne-table of preparations for atomic defence.”

General Bradley said that if the lited States' plea for international strol of atomic energy was heeded, v attempt to over-run Europe would st touch the points of Allied bayots in Germany. "If this becomes e case, then the Army must be ready repel a land assault with sufficient ttical air pow’er to gain and main[i local superiority over Red tnbers and fighters.” General Bradley said that if the gas for control of atomic energy

were not met'with honest agreement, the blow might strike at the heart of industrial America. “If that is the case, we may have to invest our funds in anti-aircraft guided missiles, in the necessary radar screen for Canada, the United States, and the Arctic, and in the necessary fighter interceptor squadrons to dispel a long-range bombardment attack. “In either situation.” he added, "our Navy must maintain control of the seas. It possesses that power to-day.”

DMIRALS CRITICISE BOMBING WAR

fleet Admirals Ernest King and Wilms Halsey to-day denounced the jmic bombing theory of warfare and ked Congress to strip the United ites Secretary of Defence (Mr Louis hnson» of “authority to weaken lited States naval power.” They criticised "mistaken and overiyed" theories of inter-continental ihbing. and said that in any war iking power must be hurled not at ies but at enemy military forces. Admiral King, the war-time Chief of ival Operations, in a statement that is read to the House of Representaes Armed Services Committee, said it the next war would be fought ich like the last, with vast armies c navies. The notion that the Air roe’s 836 and the atomic bomb would ghten an aggressor was wishful nking. There had been an exaggeron of strategic bombing in defence ins at the expense of the nation’s ie urged that Congress, not Mr inson. should decide what the Navy juld spend. Admiral Halsey told the committee it the United States, instead of wagpear against civilians, must be prered to strike at strictly military gets. It must seize command of the and sea. and cut the enemy's fight- . for? - to pieces. The Navy’s mobile its cculd play a major part in such rfare. kirrur?:! Halsey, whose carrier-based rrnlanes battered the Japanese in Pacific war. said that the objective topping and finally driving back an sry T.rush could be done only by rk'.rx the enemy's armed forces and asport system. Bombers by-passing these para)unt military targets will not stop pJung except possibly bullets from

the thousands of high-flying, fast fighters the aggressor will have,” he said. He added that the United States should be prepared with giant naval forces to make pincers movements against an enemy on a world-wide scale. Naval mobility was a prime requisite for victory. Both Admiral King and Admiral Halsey urged the completion of the giant aircraft-carrier, the construction of which Mr Johnson stopped.