S.A.C. Head Against Test-Ban Treaty

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30215, 21 August 1963, Page 15

S.A.C. Head Against Test-Ban Treaty

(N. Z.P.A. -Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 20. The head of the United States Strategic Air Command, General Thomas S. Power, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in closed session later that he was against ratification of the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. His views were made public afterwards by the chairman, Senator John Stennis.

General Power was quoted as saying that the treaty “is not in the best interests of the United States.” He said he had less confidence than others that the United States could or would maintain its present undisputed superiority in nuclear power if it ratified the treaty “Genera] Power believes this is the only present deterrent to war.” Senator Stennis said The United States Air Force Chief of Staff, General Curtis Le May. testified that if the limited nuclear test ban treaty were still in the proposal stage. “I think I would recommend against it. Now it was signed, he recommended ratification. General Le May’s stand was brought out during the questioning by Senators Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona) and Strom Thurmond (Democrat, South Carolina), United Press International reported. Both are Air Force Reserve generals who have raised a number of critical questions about the treaty during Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings. The other three Chiefs of Staff said they had not thought about such a situation but probably would have supported the treaty anyway. In his testimony, the Air Force chief expressed concern at Russia's lead in the “big bomb” field. While the nuclear balance favoured the United States, he said, he still would like to see it have a bomb with a yield above 50 megatons. He said the Air Force had asked for it as early as 1954. Defence Department officials said the United States decided against going for a super bomb in favour of smaller. easier-to-deliver weapons. The Chief of Naval Opera tions. Admiral David McDonald, testified that a Soviet strike by a super-megaton

bomb “quite likely” would knock out communications for the submarine-based Polaris missile system. The Polaris submarines are one of America’s first lines of defence.

A hint of mystery arose when Senator Clinton P Anderson (Democrat, New Mexico), a member of the Atomic Energy Committee, suggested there were alternative communications.

The Navy now communicates with Polaris submarines through the world’s biggest radio transmitters at Cutler. Maine. There are similar transmitters at Jim Creek. Washington, and in the Panama Canal Zone. A fourth is being built in Western Australia.

But later, under questioning from Senator J. W. Fulbright (Democrat, Arkansas), Admiral McDonald said he had answered too quickly when he had used the phrase “quite likely.” He said he should have said, “possibly" and have added, “but not likely.” But he said he would go into that more fully in closed session.

All the military chiefs emphasised that their support for ratification of the treaty was based on continued testing underground.