DEFENSE: $ I Billion More

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Buried underground, the U.S. has as much "conventional" ammunition as World War II armies fired in Europe. That is quite a stockpile; so Defense Secretary Wilson last week announced that conventional arms orders are being reduced in favor of emphasis on the wonder weapons of the future. To rush work on them, Wilson said he would ask Congress in January for an additional $1 billion—a hike in defense spending from $34.5 billion in the fiscal year 1956, ending June 30, to $35.5 billion in fiscal 1957.

A quarter of the boost would go to U.S. guided missile development, which has so far got into production the relatively short-range Nike, Terrier, Sparrow, Falcon, Corporal. Regulus, Matador and Honest John. The 1,000-to-1,500 mile range Intermediate Range Ballistics Missile with nuclear warhead, still on the drawing boards, would probably be the main new development. Research would also be heavily concentrated on the Intercontinental Ballistics Missile, which may have a thermonuclear warhead. Wilson cautioned that the I.C.B.M. is still at least five years away.

Reporters asked Wilson if the Russians are ahead or behind the U.S. in missile development. His answer: "I don't think we really know." He saw little chance of missiles replacing piloted aircraft in the near future, called missiles "just another weapon or potential weapon . . . another of these new sort of mysterious sort of things."

Further previewing his proposed budget, Wilson noted these items:

¶ A Defense Department request to Congress for a $2 billion raise in "obligational authority," allowing commitment of $35 billion for long-term contracts that would not necessarily be paid for in fiscal 1957.

¶ Continued expansion of the Air Force from 127 to 137 wings.

¶ Expansion and improvement of the Distant Early Warning radar net across the arctic top of North America.

¶ Stepped-up development of an atomic-powered airplane and nuclear-powered small cruiser to launch missiles.

¶ Request for an additional 50,000 men, if necessary, to retain flexibility during the scheduled reduction of the total armed-forces level from the present 2,922,000 to 2,850,000 by June 30, 1956.