Eisenhower Asks For Funds For Missiles

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 9

Eisenhower Asks For Funds For Missiles

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 7. President Eisenhower today asked the new session of Congress for 1260 million dollars in new funds to speed missile development and expand air defences.

The President’s emergency request also called for the transfer of 110 million dollars in already appropriated money to expansion of the missile pro* gramme and related defence projects. Mr Eisenhower’S supplementary funds request for this financial year—the 12 months ending on June 30—went to the Capitol a few hours after Congress had reconvened.

The President said the requested 1260 million dollars in new funds was intended to:

(1) Accelerate and expand construction of dispersal and alert facilities for the Strategic Air Command.

(2) Provide for the development and procuring of long-range ballistic missiles, including the construction of ballistic missile sites and ballistic missile submarines.

(3) Provide for the establishment of a system of detection of enemy ballistic missiles.

(4) Extend the semi-automatic ground environment system for air defence.

President Eisenhower’s request received top Congressional priority today, with indications of quick approval. The House of Representatives Defence Appropriations Sub-Com-mittee called a closed-door session to hear the Secretary of Defence (Mr Neil McElroy) and his top assistants explain the need for the money. , The House Speaker, Mr Sam Rayburn (Democrat, Texas), said he favoured appropriating whatever amount of money was necessary for defence programmes.

Similar indications of quick, favourable consideration of the bill came from the Senate, where the Republican leader, Senator William Knowland (California), said: “The Senate Appropriations Committee will be able to give it consideration just as soon as the House acts.”

The Democratic leader, Senator Lyndon Johnson (Texas), called it

“Certainly a step in the right direction.”

Senator Gordon Allott (Republican, Colorado) predicted: “In the mood it is in, Congress will appropriate more money for defence than can be spent intelligently.”