NATIONAL DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT -- UNIFICATION OF THE ARMED FORCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00610R000100210001-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 45
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2002
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 22, 1947
• Content Type: REPORT

vecr:For'. Release 206-2768/21,:CI
,,RIDP9,04.99?.1 ,R01)Q1 002141001,2 ??.:.
;T
oday. 'The same
lave both of you,.
, I state frankly,
ubmitted, here by ?
like to ask, if
.iaturally, as the
,?re, if we can. .
planned on
? NATIONAL: DEFENSE ESTABLISITMENT?UNIFIOATION .
? ? OF THE ARMED FORGES
oon, sir.
tnesses who may .
all of you back
-.d for all of you,
that the general '
:ould not want to
nething 'there in. ?
in that tragic
on the Auestion
7CCe.S.S, then' until ? ,
I me say -that the': ,
the close Of his
Ls taken, subject.
? TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 1947
UNITED STATES SENATE, ?
COMMYITEE ON ARMED SERVICES, ?
? W ashington, D. C.
The committee met at 10 a. m. pursuant to adjournment, in room
212, Sehate Office Building, Senator Chan Gurney (chairman)
presiding.
Present: Senators Gurney (chairman), Robertson of ,Wyoming,
Saltonstall, Tydincr_ _is and Byrd.
The CIIAIRMAN.?Tho_coramittee will Come to order.
Prior to this meeting this morning, we heard representatives of the-
Army and the Navy.
This morning, the committee is very happy to have the top ranking
man in the fine United States Marines, General Alexander A: Vo.nde-
grift, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
General, the committee is very anxious to have in the record your .
statement on this very important piece of postwar legislation. You
may proceed in any way you wish. I am sure before many minutes of
the hearing go by, we will have some more committee members present.
If You proceed with your formal statement, they can catch up with
you when they arrive. _ ?
STATEMENT OF GEN. A. A. VANDEGRIFT, COMMANDANT, UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS, WASHINGTON, D. C.
General VANDEGRIFT. Mr. Chairman I have a very brief formal
statement that I would like to read to the committee, if I may.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, as Commandant of
Marines and spokesman for our corps, I .desire to_ discuss certain
features of the pending measure. .
I have never opposed the principle of unification, although I have
expressed strong disapproval of the objectives underlying the original
Collins plan for outright merge': of the armed forces. fam in accord
with the over-all objectives which the bill now under consideration
seeks to attain.
In order to make clear what I consider the over-all objectives of this
bill, I would like to interpolate the following paragraph:
The over-all objectives of S. 758, as. I see them, are those of establish-
ing a more economically integrated. means of providing for national
security and at the Same time formalizing the proven machinery that
was developed. to such good purpose during the. war, and indu ed in
this bill, such as:
412 NATIONAL. DEFEN:1
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the milt ions -2,oard, the Research and
-.Development Board, the Central intelligenee Agency, the National
? Security Council, and the Nathma i :.,.,sources Board. ?
In order to tie together these agencies, and fur better coordination
- of the several services, there should be an executive appointed from ?
-civil life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
'Senate; whose duty, under the direction of the President, shall be
? ,to recommend to him policies and programs for the National Defense
? Establishment. He should be empowered to exercise supervision and
?! ..coordination of the departments and agencies. ? .
Siec.e reading some of the testimony which has been given before -
his committee, particularly that of General Eisenhower and the
.1,:hnler Secretary of War.. Mr. Royal!, I have become increasingly con-
? cerned aleme the danger of leeeeniee the degree of civilian, including
congressional, control over our Military Establishment by concen-
trating x-eat powers in a single individual. As a result of this testi- -
molly I have become apprehensive of the results that may ehsue un-
less those powers are more sharply &tilled and there is a clearer
Meeting of minds as to just what authority is vested in the Secretary
of National Defense.
I think it is apparent to everyone that this is a bill of the broadest
'national character, with a heavy impact upon the civilian as well as
:the military structure. I am sure that any imperfections will be
'adequately dealt with by other witnesses called before this corn-
' ? mitte,e, Witnesses who are leaders in the fields of govermnent, educa-
tion,science, industry, and labor, and who are competent to speak
in the broad terms necessary. My own comments will be confined to
?.the military aspects of the bill, and within that, field I shall: limit'
myself still further to those defects of immediate concern to the
Marines. ,
.Stated concisely and with respect to the Marine Corps, the defects
? ? of the bill are twofold: ?
First: It affirms the existence of the Marine Corps without ex-
pressly stating the roles and missions which the corps is expected to.
. perform.
Second: It completely excludes the Marine Corps from participa-
tion in the joint bodies and agencies which the bill would establish,.
. In the balance of my statement, I shah elaborate upon these de- :
fects and attempt to convey to you their fell import. .
e The failure of the bill to assign specific functions to the Marine? ,
.Corps is a source of grave concern to me, for it allows the corps to be .
?-? stripped of everything but name?to reduce it to a role of military
impotence. I wish to dwell upon the position of extreme vulnerability .
in which the corps will be placed by enactment of the bill in its
present form.
Unless a statutory statement of the missions of the Marine Corps. .
is included, its functions become dependent solely upon the arbitrary
-.judgment of the Secretary of National Defense. The size, the char-
acter, and the organization of. the corps will lie in his hands. There
is not. a single specialty which the Marine Corps has brought to a
state of perfection which cannot be summarily transferred to some
other serVlee. -; .?
ction 100 of
,na nes and whic
no Corps wit.
Ity that the corp.
:tOV, with the on
,no Corps exi
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ielieve that (
o t.ort of Marin,
hi .to maintain
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:Is our ?a-cal
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eped. arapalTe
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ee e the occasion ;
ere is only or
arine Corps.
eeue stakable legi
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?i egard it as hi.
4.:oni Tess specify t
de the reason
eel services int
al componen.i
cella >orient is pred
eeteelly eXists---t1
Ji specifically
whether the t.
o 1, still exists?
?y the events
e es the Marine
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ie other defe
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o established(
oo:t, Staff down
larine officers
te i iese joint, bck
- corps which
he Marine Cc
mtire existen
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oint operatic)]
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iding
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NATIONAL DEFENSE E6TADLISTIMONT ? 4/3
- -,?? Section 106 of the bill, which i.ontains tEe sole mention of the*
...Marines and which goes no further than to irm tho presence of a
'Marine Corps within the Department of the Navy, contains no guar-
- anty that the corps will retain a !-,1 Ir ii' ie t le characteristics it has
;: today, with the one exception of its name. A.sa inlay inty of vigorous
Marine Corps existence, section 10? completely without meaning
unless it is accompanied by a statement of what the roles and missions
,of the Marine Corps shall be.
I believe that Congress and the people have a clear-cut, idea as to
:the sort of Marine Corps they NV1S11 to Iwileve that they
".wisinto maintain in the future the Ea= kind of a Marine Corps they
have known in the past?one which serves aboard our ships of war and..
guards our naval stations?one which protects our national interests
? ,
' on foreign sliores when. danger threatens?above all, one which has
developed amphibious warfare and which stands ready in substantial
? .force to sail with the fleet to wage such warfare whenever and wher-
ever the occasion arises.
There is only one way to insure that, the Nation shall have this kind
of Marine Corps. That insurance?that guaranty?is a plain and
.unmistakable legislative statement, of exactly .what Congress expects.
the Marines to do.
I regard it as highly appropriate, as well as urgently necessary, that
Congress specify the functions of the corps. To do so is no more Olaf).
. to state the reasons for its existence. When Congress calls the several
armed services into being, it recognizes a specific need for each of the
? several components of national security. The very existence of each
component is predicated upon a conclusion by Congress that a mission
actually exists?that a role must be filled,
? As specifically relates to the Marine Corps. Congress should ask it-
- self whether the traditional need for an amphibious lighting force-in.-
being still exists?whether the need for a Marine Corps is in fact
justi-
? fled by the events of the past and forecasts of the future. If it deter-
mines the Marine Corps' function is still to exist, then it should be set
forth in law?otherwise the implicit will of Congress can be utterly,
and legally, ignored. ?
. The other defect of the bill, as it affects the Marin.? Corps, is the
'exclusion of marine representatives from the joint bodies and agencies
to be established or given statutory recognition by the bill. From the
Joint Staff down to the Central Intelligence Agency, the participation
of marine officers is not mentioned. As .the bill now stands, it denies
to these joint bodies the wealth of experience and unique knowledge
? of a corps which literally epitomizes joint operations.
?The Marine Corps has participated in joint operations throughout
? its entire existence. The joint doctrines of both the Army and the
? Navy today are in large part the results of the research, study, and
.. thinking of marine officers who, for 20 years prior to Pearl Harbor,
devoted their conscientious and unceasing efforts to the formulation
. and perfection of the methods and techniques of 'amphibious warfare
i i n joint operations. I ask that marine officers be. included. in the sev-
- -
-eral joint boards and agencies. ? I ask it because they have a distinct
substantial contribution to make in the field of interservice coordi-
nation, A contribution born of their experience. -
?'. .
re,
?
132 Approve*AFIStWIEDHil 21610PFKL:fiMPOtocreitti3,
logistic problems involved in fighting on global We all remem-
ber the confusion which resulted; I]
seiting o: SPemingly impossible"
production schedules, the critical e 1 :-: an's 0!;.? of c..r: aiii hasic materials,
and the frantic efforts to gear ourselves for the 1..14,1: ahead.
To coordinate the various aspects of our armament program, there
were created certain wartime agencies which, be ond any doubt., saved , the day for us. Born of necessity and nurtured oii (lie. bitter reality
that their efforts would mean for us victory or defeat, these wartime..
agencies transformed the Nation from a state of unproductive confu-
sion,h. the "arsenal of democracy." ?
nave consolidated this lesson in the organization proposed ins
this bill.. The provisions which establish the .Munitions Board and -
the National Security Resources Board should insure for us the, sup-
, port of the industrial capacity of the Nation. Approved strategic and..
logistic plans initially prepared by the Joint Cloefs of Staff will be .
supported, through agencies such as the National Security Resources .
? Board and the Munitions Board, and will be formulated in the light
of all of the industrial, economic, and material considerations 'locos-.
sary to support these strategic plans.
This integration of our military requirements with nor industrial
capacity to support these requirements is an import ant feature of the
We seek to eliminate harmful duplication between the services.:
Our attention is definitely focused on the future in the. provision for --
a Research and Development Board. We must. assure that our wea---
pons will be at least as good as those likely to be used by our enemies..
This bill, by setting up an. organization to control scientific research -
as it relates to our national security, will give us that assurance. ?
The Research and Development Board will do more than its 'MUG,
? implies. Scientific research for the fighting services will be con-
ducted under its cognizance, and the results therefrom will be trans-- ,
? lated into new weapons and new tactics. The research programs of
the three service departments will be coordinated and allocation ofs
responsibility for specific programs shall be made among them.
The provision for an adequate agency for intelligence is further:.
indication that this bill looks to the future. It would establish an .
organization known as the Central Intelligence Agency, charged with
? responsibility for collection of information from all available sources,
including Government agencies, such as the State Department and
the FBI, evaluation of that information, and dissemination thereof
to all interested organizations. This plan is intended to secure com-
plete coverage of the wide field of intelligence and should minimize, -
duplication of effort.
? The bill provides that the Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency, who shall be appointed by the President, may be either a
civilian or or a commissioned officer of the armed forces. In this provi-
sion the bill acknowledges that military intelligence is a composite ?
.of authenticated and evaluated information covering not only the
. armed forces establishment of a possible enemy, but also his industrial
? capacity, racial traits, religious beliefs, and other related aspects. -.
I have touchetD only briefly on the features of the bill. Vice.
Admiral Sherman, who participated in its drafting, .Will present to .
, S7011. Q. detailed analysis of its provisions.
e
NAT
,
my opinion,_th
wit a 3. more &ref
sefi!urity. I recomie
'ille CJEAII
VVItI wa later call 1
al Carney.
nes essik soma! MP.
.'?do,iral, 1'(9111'Ohe,Locy before I be f'
OM1 time the first. prf
Lind,: last year, dm
afr col al.
you, either hi
what feature:
poiitioli in the Nay)
Norrrz.
Chief of Staff who ci
. iL r..3nAtrimvs. .A
sin Ie chiefiin this b
n tral
ho",ez cientioned yes
the wa:' and realized
? Ch,cf:i if Staff was r
orompt decisil
I r?-;#.1..,ed that I had
- the ,foilt Chiefs of S
tat tical cornman
tac:Jcaii decisions wh
.anc pr,issure does n,
C plans. ?
?,.3riArirmAx. 1".1
snail a oint Chiefs oi
dirct;i3, to the Joint
Air ti?ii.ce, and th,
. 1st -lot?
dmiral
I Ile
?
John hief of Stal
. inano Is that no
:71i cal NIMTTZ.
-P1(---dent. The gen
matt(ter,:, the theater
?aii hr.ctives of the
? 1 .;e (.4rA1IorAN. D(
.go iii,rollgh the Secret
,to tile iresicl ? , et
IMITZ
? . Her ande
. ject k rngle Seer
. that no matter what
-relieved of his const
? -. Navy; t-old it ?is my c
will exercise just as In
t't7tt.
ter to the. admiral
,? t ?? ,
- V-.-.--t
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,p,p110Ved , or ReleaseN2062/44/2Arg*
_ .
Are you willing to support inclusion iti.the bill of the basic functions -
of naval aviation as enunciated by you? . . . ? -
Admiral SHERMAN. Yes, sir..
? . Senator BYRD. Are you then willing to incorporate the basic filnc-
. tions of the Marine Corps?
Admiral Sip-Amax. Yes, sir. ?
? .' The Cllanimax. By I he i-,aine token, Admiral, if you start with the - -
? ?'naval aviation and the Al urine Co.:ps, then .necessarily you must put all
? of the- wording, let us say, of the functions of all branches or the
i
'v.... Armed Forces nto it.
? Admiral Serotnic. That is correct, sir. -
it ?
And I would like to conic back to the point? that if it is attempted to -
.7, do that too extensively and too exactly, it could have a very undesirable -
'-effect for the future.
? Senator BYRD. But you do not? consider your definition of the basic :
. ' ?
' ? functions of naval aviation, or the Marine Corps to be too extensive.
?
? . You regard that as a minimum, clo you no0 . ?
- Murphy was at
was in translating. -
.anguage.
? .
ard was there. ' ?
Av..s. that you speak
did Mr. Clifford -
npmise? ?
and Navy. The
were primarily in ? -
:ncil to the Presi- ?
zo the President,
Tational Defense.. .?
:Ord did not?sue?- ? _
.iy? the Army and, ?
a Army and thea, ?
the Army and.
. .
ide: of military,
. .. ..Admiral SHERMAN. Yes,. sir. ? ?
. -Senator Brno. And I think there is a clear difference as to naval - ''-
,-..f:?'? aviation, because the effort may be made for the Air Force to take . .
...-Y-, over naval aviation. And I have said before and repeat now, that I . .
' ?
.. , ',-.......do not intend to vote for any bill that will not protect naval aviation; ..?.::
? - . ..-.-:: likewise, that will not protect the
.. ... . -..
..Marine Corps.think General Eisenhower,
as I recall it, said something about the --.-
. ? , ?
';'? . fact that it was his thought that the Marine --------------
were the primary -
?
?
definition of.the
!?-ction to writing.
yiting_the func- -
_one briefly, and. -
y that ?I would
aing that is con-
1 we also agreed .
a, it will prevent
-attire.
%..viation, you do..
ctions of na.val_
?
regard as the
incorporating
.12.e no objection
-arious services.. -
:end :
e part of .
. the landing force; or part of the Army;'.I have forgotten his exact
language. But I regard the Marine Corps as absolutely essential in
. , the Navy.
case of war, as I regard naval aviation as being absolutely essential to
-? :: . And you, as a naval officer, I know, will agree with me on that. - - .7
?
-. - . ' I am not going to depend upon any Executive order to outline those
? ._
? ? basic functions. ? I afrree that we cannot 'go into detail, necessarily,
,. - el
? .. :. - about the other functions of the Navy or the other functions of the
. -; ???? 'Army.- But I do think those two basic functions should be incorpo-
:-. rated into this bill, and I wanted to get your opinion as to whether you ,
' ? saw any objection to that.
. . Admiral SHERMAN. I agree with Geneva' Eisenhower's statement - -.?
. , .- ? ?
.
when he was testifying: That there would be no objection to putting
? ? :in the -basic functions of the services: ?
, -?,-- Senator Brim. But is it not trite that General Eisenhower said
. ?