U.S. MISSILES DIRECTOR

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28447, 29 November 1957, Page 15

U.S. MISSILES DIRECTOR

Search For The “Real Boss” (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Nov. 28. Senator Lyndon Johnson (Democrat, Texas) concluded from testimony before the Senate Preparedness Sub - committee yesterday that the Secretary of Defence, Mr Neil McElroy, was “the real boss” in the missiles programme. He said that in spite of the appointment of a missiles adviser in the White House and a coordinator at the Defence Department, it still looked like a new version of the old thimble game: “Missile, missile, who’s got the missile.” The committee chairman’s observation was prompted by the testimony that Mr William M. Holaday, the department’s missile director, had no executive authority over the operators of the missiles programmes in the Army, Navy and Air Force, and that Dr. James R. Killian, special assistant to the President for science and technology, had an advisory role largely. Senator Johnson said that neither had the power to enforce decisions on his own. “It’s fair to assume that while we have this window-dressing. Dr. Killian and Mr Holaday are counsellors and advisers, and the real missile head is the Secretary of Defence.” ha added.

“We think Mr Holaday has a great deal of authority,” Mr McElroy said at one point. He said Mr Holaday was backed by all the authority of the Secretary of Defence and under a full coordinating directive.