In keeping with that I wanted to ask you a question, if you had any objection, and what would be your idea, as to our amending it so as to take care of the section of this order which sets up a separate air force. I just was wondering if you would consider that basic, General. General EISENHOWER. No; I think there is much in that that is not completely basic. Actually-and we might as well face it-one of the problems that you have always had, which Great Britain has had, and which we have had ever since the airplane has come along, is that there is a shadowland around the coast lines, where you have forces based on the land that, if something comes along in that area, you cannot keep from using. On the other hand, if a fleet is in that region, they are certainly going to operate. There is always a shadowland in there that has been difficult. And I would say that no blueprint in advance is ever going to work it out.

We tried many, many times during the war to find a formula that would stand the test of war, but almost every theater devised new means for operating against the same kind of problem.

Senator MAYBANK. In other words, there was in that section something that may affect this shadowland that you speak of!

The CHAIRMAN. Right at this point in the record, so that we will have it all in one place-although the Executive order was printed at the commencement of the hearings a week ago-we will have in the record at this point the letter from the President to the President of the Senate, dated January 17; copy of a letter from the President to the Secretaries of War and Navy, dated January 16, and reply from the two Secretaries to the President dated January 16; and then a complete listing of the proposed Executive order outlining the functions of the armed forces. We will have them all in the record at this point, so that they will be available in the record in the printed form, and we can have them all in one place.

(The documents referred to are as follows:)

Hon. ARTHUR H. VANDENBERG,

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, January 17, 1947.

President of the Senate pro tempore.

MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: In the state of the Union message of January 6, 1947, I stated that I would communicate with the Congress in the near future with reference to the establishment of a single Department of National Defense.

For many months the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy have been endeavoring to settle the differences existing between the services on this question.

I am gratified to advise that success has crowned their efforts and the armed services have reached an agreement on a plan of unification. I enclose herewith copy of a letter, signed by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy under date of January 16, 1947, containing the basic elements of this agreement. I enclose also copy of my reply to them on the same date.

In addition, I submit a copy of a proposed Executive order, agreed upon by the services, which presents the functions of the armed forces. It is contemplated that this order would be issued after the passage of appropriate legislation by the Congress upon this subject.

Representatives of my office and of the armed services are engaged in drafting a bill to be submitted to the Congress for its consideration. These men, of course, are available to you at any time for consultation.

Very sincerely yours,

HARRY S. TRUMAN.

JANUARY 16, 1947.

The PRESIDENT,

The White House.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: On May 31, 1946, we jointly submitted to you a letter which gave our respective views on the major elements involved in establishing a greater measure of unification of our armed forces.

In your letter of June 15, 1946, you expressed gratification at the progress made in narrowing the zone of disagreement which had previously existed between the services and stated your position with reference to the essential points on which disagreement still existed.

In our opinion, the necessity for agreement between the military services is now even greater than at the time of our earlier letter. We and our representatives have been meeting in an effort to secure further resolution, within the scope and the spirit of the statement of your position, of the views of the two Departments. We are pleased to report success in this undertaking.

We agree to support legislation in which the following points are incorporated: (a) There shall be a Council of National Defense, a National Security Resources Board, and a Central Intelligence Agency (which already exists) as agreed by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy in their letter to the President of May 31, 1946.

(b) The armed forces shall be organized under a Secretary of National Defense so as to place the Army, the Navy (to include the Marine Corps and naval aviation), and the Air Force, each with a military chief, under the Departments of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, respectively. Each shall be under a Secretary and, under the over-all direction of the Secretary of National Defense, shall be administered as an individual unit. The Secretary of any of the three Departments may, at any time, present to the President, after first informing the Secretary of National Defense, any report or recommendation relating to his department which he may deem necessary or desirable.

(c) A War Council shall be created consisting of the Secretary of National Defense as chairman and with power of decision, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force, and the military heads of the three services. The War Council will concern itself with matters of broad policy relating to the armed forces.

(d) There shall be a Joint Chiefs of Staff consisting of the military heads of the three services, and also the Chief of Staff to the President if that office exists. Subject to the authority and direction of the Secretary of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will provide for the strategic direction of the military forces of the United States, will formulate strategic plans, assign logistic responsibilities to the services in support thereof, integrate the military requirements, and as directed, advise in the integration of the military budget.

(e) There shall be a full-time Joint Staff to consist initially of not over 100 officers to be provided in approximately equal numbers by the three services. The Joint Staff, operating under a Director thereof, shall carry out policies and directives of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(f) The Secretary of National Defense shall head the Armed Forces Establishment, shall be vested with authority, under the President, to establish common policies and common programs for the integrated operation of the three Departments, and shall exercise control over and direct their common efforts to discharge their responsibility for national security.

We are agreed that the proper method of setting forth the functions (so-called roles and missions) of the armed forces is by the issuance of an Executive order concurrently with your approval of the appropriate legislation. We attach for your consideration a mutually agreed draft of such an order.

Respectfully yours,

ROBERT P. PATTERSON,

Secretary of War.

JAMES FORRESTAL,

Secretary of the Navy.

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, January 16, 1947.

The Honorable ROBERT P. PATTERSON,

The Secretary of War.

The Honorable JAMES FORRESTAL,

The Secretary of the Navy.

GENTLEMEN: I am exceedingly pleased to received your joint letter of January 16 in which you advise that you have reached full and complete agreement on a plan for the unification of the armed serviecs.

I recognize that each of the services has made concessions in the effort to reach this agreement, and I feel that it constitutes an admirable compromise betwene the various views that were originally held.

The agreement provides a thoroughly practical and workable plan of unification, and I heartily approve it.

You have both worked ably and effectively, with your respective staffs, in bringing about this result. I appreciate your fine efforts, and I congratulate you upon an accomplishment which, I am sure, will contribute greatly to the efficiency of our national defense.

Very sincerely yours,

EXECUTIVE ORDER

HARRY S. TRUMAN.

FUNCTIONS OF THE ARMED FORCES

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I hereby prescribe the following assignment of primary functions and responsibilities to the three armed services:

SECTION I

The Common Missions of the Armed Forces of the United States are:

1. To support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic.

2. To maintain, by timely and effective military action, the security of the United States, its possessions, and areas vital to its interest.

3. To uphold and advance the national policies and interests of the United States.

4. To safeguard the internal security of the United States as directed by higher authority.

5. To conduct integrated operations on the land, on the sea, and in the air necessary for these purposes.

In order to facilitate the accomplishment of the foregoing missions the armed forces shall formulate integrated plans and make coordinated preparations. Each service shall observe the general principles and fulfill the specific functions outlined below, and shall make use of the personnel, equipment, and facilities of the other services in all cases where economy and effectiveness will thereby be increased.

SECTION II. FUNCTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

General

The United States Army includes land combat and service forces and such aviation and water transport as may be organic therein. It is organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained combat incident to operations on land. The Army is responsible for the preparation of land forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war, and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of peacetime components of the Army to meet the needs of war.

The specific functions of the United States Army are:

1. To organize, train, and equip land forces for:

(a) Operation on land, including joint operations.

(b) The seizure or defense of land areas, including air-borne and joint amphibious operations.

(c) The occupation of land areas.

2. To develop weapons, tactics, technique, organization, and equipment of army combat and service elements, coordinating with the Navy and the Air Force in all aspects of joint concern, including those which pertain to amphibious and air-borne operations.

3. To provide, as directed by proper authority, such missions and detachments for service in foreign countries as may be required to support the national policies and interests of the United States.

4. To assist the Navy and Air Forces in the accomplishment of their missions, including the provision of common services and supplies as determined by proper authority.

SECTION III. FUNCTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY

General

The United States Navy includes naval combat and service forces, naval aviation, and the United States Marine Corps. It is organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained combat at sea. The Navy is responsible for the preparation of naval forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war, and in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Navy to meet the needs of war. The specific functions of the United States Navy are:

1. To organize, train, and equip naval forces for:

(a) Operations at sea, including joint operations.

(b) The control of vital sea areas, the protection of vital sea lanes, and the suppression of enemy sea commerce.

(c) The support of occupation forces as required.

(d) The seizure of minor enemy shore positions capable of reduction by such landing forces as may be comprised within the fleet organization.

(e) Naval reconnaissance, antisubmarine warfare, and protection of shipping. The air aspects of those functions shall be coordinated with the Air Force, including the development and procurement of aircraft, and air installations located on shore, and use shall be made of Air Force personnel, equipment, and facilities in all cases where economy and effectiveness will thereby be increased. Subject to the above provision, the Navy will not be restricted as to types of aircraft maintained and operated for these purposes.

(f) The air transport necessary for essential internal administration and for air transport over routes of sole interest to naval forces where the requirements ⚫ cannot be met by normal air transport facilities.

2. To develop weapons, tactics, technique, organization, and equipment of naval combat and service elements, coordinating with the Army and the Air Force in all aspects of joint concern, including those which pertain to amphibious operations.

3. To provide, as directed by proper authority, such missions and detachments for service in foreign countries as may be required to support the national policies and interests of the United States.

4. To maintain the U. S. Marine Corps, whose specific functions are:

(a) To provide Marine Forces together with supporting air components, for service with the Fleet in the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and for the conduct of limited land operations in connection therewith.

(b) To develop, in coordination with the Army and the Air Force those phases of amphibious operations which pertain to the tactics, technique, and equipment employed by landing forces.

(c) To provide detachments and organizations for service or armed vessels of the Navy.

(d) To provide security detachments for protection of naval property at naval stations and bases.

(e) To provide, as directed by proper authority, such missions and detachments for service in foreign countries as may be required to support the national policies and interests of the United States.

5. To assist the Army and the Air Force in the accomplishment of their missions, including the provision of common services and supplies as determined by proper authority.

General

SECTION IV. FUNCTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

The United States Air Force includes all military aviation forces, both combat and service, not otherwise specifically assigned. It is organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained air offensive and defensive operations. The Air Force is responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war. The specific functions of the United States Air Force are:

1. To organize, train, and equip air forces for:

(a) Air operations, including joint operations.

(b) Gaining and maintaining general air supremacy.

(c) Establishing local air superiority where and as required.

(d) The strategic air force of the United States and strategic air reconnaissance.

(e) Air lift and support for air-borne operations.

(f) Air support to land forces and naval forces, including support of occupation forces.

(g) Air transport for the armed forces, except as provided by the Navy in accordance with paragraph 1 f, of Section III.

2. To develop weapons, tactics, technique organization and equipment of Air Force combat and service elements, coordinating with the Army and Navy on all aspects of joint concern, including those which pertain to amphibious and airborne operations.

3. To provide, as directed by proper authority, such missions and detachments for service in foreign countries as may be required to support the national policies and interests of the United States.

4. To provide the means for coordination of air defense among all services. 5. To assist the Army and Navy in accomplishment of their missions, including the provision of common services and supplies as determined by proper authority.

General EISENHOWER. To go back to your question, for a moment, Senator Maybank, I would not want you to have the picture that these agreements, or even these discussions and arguments, have been carried on in any unfriendly atmosphere. My Navy friends and my Air friends, and myself, and our associates have worked on these things. in a real attempt to get the answers as we now understand our problems, and as each of them looks at his own responsibilities.

So, in putting this thing in an Executive order, it was the common agreement of all, in my opinion, because I have certainly heard nothing to the contrary, that this was the best place to put, for the moment, anything of that kind of detail.

That is my belief.

Senator MAYBANK. Thank you, General.

The CHAIRMAN. In the next day or so, we will have before the committee the men who actually were responsible for the drafting of this bill, Admiral Sherman and General Norstad.

Are there any other questions for General Eisenhower from the committee members?

General, I have just one question, and I am coming back to it whenever I have the opportunity. I am much concerned over the shortage of doctors, not only in the armed services, but in civilian life.

I think we have got to do something about it, to make more efficient use of the medical men that we do have.

My thinking goes a little further than that, too: I have the feeling that we should have some way of allowing these doctors to get directly to the top of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or to the Secretaries of each branch, to the War Council, the Security Council, or even the Secretary of National Defense himself.