U.S. Bombers To Bridge Missile Gap

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29068, 3 December 1959, Page 17

U.S. Bombers To Bridge Missile Gap

(WJ6. i*resa Association— CopyngMt (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 1. Mr Neil McElroy, who today resigned from his position of Secretary of Defence, told a news conference that the Soviet Union might have superior numbers of intercontinental missiles in the. early

sixties and he had ordered preparations for an American airborne bomber alert to close the gap.

. .Mr McElroy told his “swansong” “news conference that the military budget going to congress in January included appropriations to allow the United States Strategic Air Command to practise a continuous airborne alert and to stockpile engines and other critical spare parts.

Asked whether a “missile gap” was a foregone conclusion, Mr McElroy said: “I don’t say there will be. But there can be. “If Russia builds what jt could and we build what we intend, they will have more missile capability for the period of 1961. 1962 and maybe 1963 than we will have,” he said. But he maintained that the new military budget would provide adequate security and said that Americans did not “need to be

terrified of being bluffed out of their, birthright” by a lack of military power to support foreign policy. The defence budget estimates military spending at 41,000 million dollars for 1961. New Secretary Mr McElroy, who is returning to the soap business after 26 months as bead of the Defence Department, will be replaced by Mr Thomas Sovereign Gates, jun.. an investment banker in private life, who has been serving as deputy Secretary of Defence after a previous tour as Secretary of the Navy. Mr McElroy’s resignation—which is effective immediately —was announced by the White House while he was at a meeting of the National Security Council, with President Eisenhower presiding.

At that meeting of the country’s top foreign-military policy group. Mr Eisenhower conferred the Medal of Freedom on Mr McElroy for “outstanding service to his country and dedication to his task.”

Also made public was an exchange of warmly-worded letters. Expressing deep regret, Mr McElroy told Mr Eisenhower he had to resign because of “personal reasons of an urgent nature.” Mr McElroy had indicated months ago he would step out after the military budget for the fiscal year starting next July 1 had been drawn up. That job was finished late last month. The 55-year-old Mr McElroy was expected to become board chairman of Procter and Gamble, a Cincinnati soap making firm.