The Nome Nugget

McElroy Sworn In as New U.S. Defense Chief; Wilson Gets Medal

WASHINGTON, (AP)--Neil H. McElroy new Secretary of Defense, said today serious consideration is being given to speeding up this country's ballistic missile program.

The soap company executive was sworn in today as the nation's sixth Secretary of Defense. He took the oath of office at an early morning White House ceremony attended by President Eisenhower.

In a news conference later McElroy said such a speedup, especially in testing, would be "selective."

He indicated indirectly that particular attention would be given to the intermediate missiles, Thor and Jupiter.

McElroy said the aim is to "iron out bottlenecks," especially in the matter of overtime payments at some of the big missile centers like Patrick Air Force Base in Florida and the Redstone arsenal at Huntsville, Ala.

The President, welcoming McElroy into the Cabinet, took the occasion to make a surprise presentation of the Medal of Freedom to Charles E. Wilson, the retiring defense chief.

When McElroy had been sworn in, Eisenhower shook his hand, said "Welcome to the Cabinet. You are now a bureaucrat."

Wilson and his wife Jessie also congratulated McElroy.

McElroy, 53, and a resident of Cincinnati, is moving out of a $285,000 a year job as president of Proctor & Gamble to take the $25,000 a year Pentagon post.

The citation which accompanied Wilson's Medal of Freedom said that for nearly five years "the positive leadership, sound judgment and unceasing efforts" of Wilson have been major factors "in strengthening the security of the United States and its allies against aggression."