(UNTITLED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000700440017-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Content Type: PREL

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A 46 IIIX.
ADVANCE FOR 6130 1,,*, EST TODAY
c.) MISSILE GAP
(ADVANCE) WASHINGTON, MARCH 25 (AP) -THE"MISSILE GAP" CAME BOUNCING
JACK 1470 THE NEWS TODAY ON A SENATOR"S STATEMENT THAT IT WAS CREATED
Z' O DESTROYED BY THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE 'AGENCY*
A CABINET MEMBER AGREED, IN .EFFECT, AND SAID ThOSE WHO TALKED OF
s:CH A G "P IN 1960 DID SO IN GOOD FAITH,
;N TJiI 440 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS DEMOCRATS CHARGED THE EISENHOWER
A , lm N' ? =T A T ION HAD PERMITTED SOVIET RUSSIA TO OPEN A WIDE GAP IN NUCLEAR
tw I a"TRF,NGTH,
A ?T YEAR, AFTER PRESIDENT KENNEDY TOOK OFF ICE, THE "MISSILE GAP"
~}? t'4RF?NT.:.i VANISHED AND THIS. BROUGHT REPUBLICAN COUNTER-CHARGES THAT
%f_.1cC ;'it:x DELIBERATELY V.SRE'PR.ESENTED FACTS AND CREATED THE "MISSILE
0, 'RV '` ft`.:' U{ WHOLE C L'07 F OR VOPOLITICAL ENDSb
A? 'UL L ISHED V OLUMME OF ff EAR INGS BY THE SENATE ARMED. SERVICES COM-
d"r'> INCLU,>ED TEST 'McNY LU SI-.CRET4I?Y OF DEFENSE ROBERT S,, MCNAMARAG
its: WAS rXI'LAINING W17'" 'Hi' %014 BELIEVES THE UNITED STATES CAN COPE WITH
t; ..A ATTACK BY RI?.: S; A,, XI/:IS INCLUDED ESTIMATES OF RUSSIAN LONG-
~ir,WIE S7I'ATEGITC PO`-EL.;
SEN. STUART SYMI.NGTOr, D-MO., WHO IN. 1960 WAS AMONG DEMOCRATS WHO
C oNTENDED THE EESEN.HOWER ADMINISTRATION HAD PERMITTED A GAP TO DEVELOP,'
17SE[i MSCNAMARA" S REMARKS AS AN OCCASION TO PRESENT A SORT OF TIMETABLE
JN THE DOWNWARD REVISION OF ESTIMATES ON SOVIET STRANGTH.
SY MINGTON
SAID
THAT
"IN 1955 AND 1959 WE WERE GIVEN AN
ESTIMATE OF
111F NUMBER OF
ICUMS
THE
RUSSIANS WOULD HAVE IN FISCAL. YEAR
1961; "IN
FFBRUARX,
1960
THE
THEN
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ANNOUNCED THAT
IN THE
FIGURES WOULD BE BASED ON ESTIMATES OF INTENT INSTEAD OF CAPA-.
IN FEBRUARY, TUE ESTIMATE WAS CUT 66 PEE CENT, SAID SYMINGTON.
TeEN, SYMINGTON SA.ID9 THE TIMETABLE RAN LIKE THIS:
IN AUGUST 1960, THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE EST IMATB OF SOVIET MISSILE
#TR1NGTH WAS REDUCED FOUR PER CENT; IN JUNE 1961 IT WAS REDUCED AGAIN
"'SO THAT IT WAS ONLY 1:5 PER CENT OF WHAT IT HAD BEEN ESTIMATED AS BUT
A FEW MONTHS BEFORE.-
IN SEPTEMBER 1961---"ALL OF THIS ' UNDER THE PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT OF
THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AND THE 24. ADVISORY GRDUPS" -- IT
DROPPED AGAIN BY 96.5 PER CENT FROM THE ESTIMATE MADE 19 MONTHS BEFORE?
Approved For Release 2005/01/05 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000700440017-2