J65a DOCUMENTS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1953 GENERAL STATEMENT The Department of Defense Appropriation Bill for 1953, H. R. 7391 carries the regular annual appropriations for all activities under the control of the National Security Council; National Security Resources Board; National Security Training Commission; Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Armed Forces Policy Council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Munitions Board, and the Research and Development Board; the Department of the Army; the Department of the Navy; and the Department of the Air Force. The various items in the bill have been separated into five titles for convenience of consideration. The category breakdown of the estimates indicates that military personnel costs will approximate $10,933,000,000, or 22 percent of the total request; Maintenance and Operation $12,223,000,000, or 25 percent of the total request; Major Procurement of such items as aircraft, ships, tanks, guided missiles, ammunition, etc., $21,807,000,000, or 45 percent of the total request; Civilian Components $852,000,000, or 2 percent of the total request; Research and Development $1,711,000,000, or 4 percent of the total request; Industrial mobilization $81,000,000; and Establishment-Wide Activities $959,000,000, or 2 percent of the total request. No request is contained in the bill for new acquisition or construction of real property, but there is a request for $45,334,770 for liquidation of obligations incurred pursuant to authority heretofore granted to the Air Force. The President's budget indicates that $3,500,000,000 will be requested of the Congress at a later date for acquisition and construction of real property. The Nation is confronted with maintaining a program capable of deterring aggression and at the same time a program that will not destroy our economy, a program that will support a reasonable state of readiness and be supportable economically and financially, a program that in the event it is not possible to prevent war will provide for survival during the period required for full mobilization essential to final victory. The appropriation requested does not represent an all-out mobilization for war but is intended to support and strengthen the military forces at a pace believed to be sufficient to aid our allies and demonstrate our effectiveness in the event that becomes necessary. It is a program that the Nation should be able to carry out and if it is carried out the defense of the Nation should be measurably increased. From what has been attempted in this request for funds it is hoped the program of partial mobilization will permit the maintenance of a strong civilian economy and a military production on an even keel to build a military organization capable of deterring aggression. 733 1 |