MISSILES RACE

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27883, 3 February 1956, Page 11

MISSILES RACE

U.S. To Speed Up Development

(Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 1. The United States Defence Secretary (Mr Charles Wilson) announced today that he would soon name a guided missiles director to speed the development of intercontinental ballistics missiles and other push-button war weapons. He also told a news conference that the Defence Department was considering releasing 100.000 servicemen after 18 instead of 24 months to step up the new reserve programme. He said this “could mean” doubling the present draft calls of 6000 a month. Mr Wilson disclosed his plan to appoint a special guided missiles director, to ‘‘operate in my name,” shortly after Senator Henry Jackson (Democrat, Washington) told the Senate that the Soviet may be winning the race to develop an intercontinental ballistics missile.

The Defence Secretary said as far as he knew he would rather be in the United States position on weapons development than the Soviet. He conceded that the Soviet Union might have concentrated on guided missiles after World War 11, but said the United States “didn’t just do nothing.” Mr Wilson said the Government was doing all it could to speed the development of both intercontinental and so-called “medium-range” 1500mile ballistics missiles.

The ballistics missile flies like a bullet and is designed to come down on a target with ultra-supersonic speed. The intercontinental missile is intended to fly 5000 miles and span oceans and continents.