The Augusta Courier

CARL VINSON SPEAKS AGAIN

On July 25th Carl Vinson took the floor in Congress and branded President Truman's defense program as "unrealistic."

Vinson blamed the administration for "notoriously weak" Army, Navy and Air Forces.

In short he said that the President's program was insufficient and incapable of coping with the "stupendous" forces of Russia and her satellites.

They had better listen to Carl Vinson in Washington. Many years ago he was fighting for a two-ocean Navy. They turned him down in Washington and then we saw a one-ocean Navy blown up at Pearl Harbor on one Sunday afternoon and the administration in Washington wished they had followed Carl Vinson's advice.

A year and a half ago he begged the administration and Congress for a 30 million dollar budget to provide this country with our minimum defense needs. He listed our minimum defense needs at the time. Here they are:

Army strength of 711,668; purchase of 673 new skysweepers anti-aircraft guns; modernize 743 medium tanks; put 421,314 Army reserves on drill-pay status; build up the Navy to 555,700 officers and enlisted men; restore a $98,000,000 cut in the Navy's maintenance and operation budget; spend $1,030,000,000 for new naval aircraft and $220,000,000 for naval research; and add $800,000,000 to the Air Force to buy 702 more planes.

Both the administration and Congress turned him down. At that time this far sighted son of Georgia told the members of Congress:

"The Army has not been able to acquire enough new tanks and is left with World War II tanks that can't stand up to the latest tank produced elsewhere in the world.

The cut in the reserves and National Guard curtails equipment by 50 per cent and gives us a paper force only.

It seems to me we are starting on a shortsighted perilous road."

Time has proved that Carl Vinson was right about his two-Ocean Navy.

Time have proved that he was right a year and a half ago.

It seems to me that all thinking and sensible people ought to know that he is right now.

Think of it Russia has 175 trained divisions. We have only 10 and they are scattered from one end of the earth to the other and you couldn't get the 10 assembled in one place under three months.

Russia has better planes, has better tanks and better guns than we have.

Russia has more planes, more guns and more tanks than we have.

As a matter of fact we have been foolish again. We have wasted and squandered our money. We have followed off after strange and foolish ideals.

We have failed to provide the protection for our country, our homes and our people that we should have provided.

We need more men in Congress like Carl Vinson of Georgia.