Great Lift in U.S. Air Power Urged

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1948, Page 3

Great Lift in U.S. Air Power Urged

WASHINGTON, Tue. (10 a.m.) .—Urging great increases in United States air power, President Truman’s Air-Policy Commission reported today that it was safe to assume that the United States would have a monopoly.of atomic weapons until the end oJ 1952.

Thereafter “other nations will have atomic weapons in quantity, and equipment to deliver them in a sustained attack on the United States mainland.”

The commission, which is comprised of five private citizens under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas K. Fintetter, New York lawyer, was appointed by President Truman last July to assist him “in formulating an integrated national aviation policy.” The commission declared that the American Air Force was “inadequate, even now, and would be hopelessly wanting in a period of serious danger or atomic attack.”

A new defence concept, based on air power, was urged, the Commission saying: “Our Navy must be maintained, but surface protection alone is no longer enough.” The Air Force must be so modern and so strong that it could not only meet attack, but deal a crushing coun-ter-offensive blow on an aggressor. MORE MONEY NEEDED It proposed that the Air Force be built up t 0 70 groups by the end of 1948. That would double the present strength of 3500 first-line aircraft. The Air Force budget should be increased this calendar year by $1,300,000,000, making it $4,150,000,000 and should be further increased to $5,450,000,000 in 1949. These figures would increase the total military budget to $11,590,000,000 this year and to $13,200,000,000 in 1949.