[STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL FORREST SHERMAN, USN BEFORE THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE]

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00610R000100050016-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 9, 2002
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: April 2, 1947
• Content Type: STATEMENT

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STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL FORREST SHERMAN, USN
BEFORE THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
I believe it would be helpful if, before proceeding with a detailed
discussion of the proposed National Security Act of 1947, I review briefly th.z
background to its drafting. On 31 May, 1946 the Secretary of War and true
Secretary of the Navy submitted to the President a letter in which agre,ameri.
was reached on various matters including a Council of Common Defens ,, a
National Security Resources Board, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a Central inteL' --
gence Agency. It was agreed that there should be no single itary C ie ~: ~
Staff., At that time fall agreement was not reached on the coordination of
procurement., production, and distribution; with- respect to a research agency,
or to an agency for the review of military education and training, At that time
no agreement was reached on the number of military departments, or on the
status of the Army Air Forces and Naval Aviation and the functions of the
States Marine Corps.
The President in his letter of June 15, 1946, to the Chairman of the
Military Committees in Congress and the Secretaries of the Military depart-
ments reviewed the above points and outlined his position regarding those on
which full agreement had not been reached.
On 7 November, 1946 Mr. Forrestal invited Mr. Symington, General
Norstad, Admiral Radford and me to a meeting at his home at which it was
agreed to draft a plan'for unification acceptable to both the War and Nary Lparj
ments, and within the scope and spirit of the President's letter of. 15 June, R:146--
It was apparent that the issues which would have to be resolved in order for th;
Army and Navy_to work better together were as follows:
1st. The Form of administrative organization of the departments in
Washington;
2nd. The military command arrangements in Washington; -
3rd. The military command arrangements in the field;
4th. The status and future of Naval Aviation;
5th. The status and future of the Marine Corps.
After considerable discussion, it was agreed that General Norstad
and I would attempt to work up an agreement. The program discussed on that
occasion contemplated the following:
1st. Three sepRrate administrative departments;
2nd. A single Secretary of National Defense to coordinate the three
military departments and to direct policy;
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The E:_ecutive Order proposed to be issued by the President on passage
of the bill co-zers the functions of the services under a three department organ-
ization. I believe that the assignment of primary functions and responsibil-
ities to tI-_- three armed services in that document will provide a proper basis
for their development and for the necessary joint and coordinated strategic
and op-rational planning which it was difficult and at times impossible to
cccn-_:?=ish between the end of hostilities and the agreement of 16 January.
I have been asked repeatedly concerning the extent. to which the proposer
National Security Act and the proposed Executive Order provide safeguaras
for as _il aviation and the Marine Corps. I do not consider that the propo..od
patio nal Security Act attempts to safeguard any branch of any service. The
only ective safeguard for any service or any branch of any service is the
svv ii of the Congress. As long as the Congress considers any branch of th.::
s_:::sice to be essential, it can be safeguarded and sustained by appropriations.
I snow of no other txuly effective safeguard.
In concluding my prepared statement, I advocate passage of the bil:t,
5.758, in .its entirety for the following reasons:
(a) It will provide a comprehensive over-all program for the
future security of the United States;
(b) It will provide for the integration of the foreign and
military polici.s of the government;
(c) It will coordinate under civilian control the departments,
agencies, - nd functions of the government relating to
nati-,nal security;
(d) It will provide permanent machinery for the formation of
integrated programs for the most effective use of the nation s
military, human, natural, and industrial resources in the
interest of national security;
() It will provide for coordination of the nation's foreign
intelligence activities and for the central operations of
foreign intelligence functions;
(f) It will prevent ur_dersirable duplication, harmful competition,
and unnecessary overlapping of functions;
(g) It will provide for adequate provision for and coordination of
research and development on scientific matters relating to the
national security;
Ca) And finally it will provide for an effective team of land,
naval. and air forces for the defense of the nation.
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