ARMED FORCES: Charlie's Hurricane

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Man of Persistence. Next morning the Battle of the Pentagon blazed into print —but the Pentagon's boss remained comfortably unaware of the outburst. Charles Wilson arose early to dress for the Armed Forces Day review, glanced hastily at the Washington Post but saw nothing to upset him (he had skipped too fast over the Post's account of the Pentagon conflict). Only when nabbed at the airport by the horde of clamoring newsmen did Wilson learn what had happened. And by the time he got back from Hot Springs, he knew that all eyes were turned toward Charles Erwin Wilson, the man who rarely bobs up in headlines except when there is trouble.

When Wilson first took over as Secretary of Defense, he was the despair of political Washington. He was shocked to learn that the conflict-of-interests law applied even to a man who had given up the presidency of General Motors for public service, and only after extensive wrangling was persuaded to sell his own stock. He aggravated the touchy, jealous committees of Congress, addressing members as "you men," and answering questions with the air of a man whose time is being wasted.

Poor Relations. His relations with Congress have since improved; now, as one Capitol Hill professional puts it, they are merely poor. He calls Senators "gentlemen," although he doggedly resists "sir." His answers to committee questions no longer land him in hot water; they are simply uninformative. The Capitol Hill attitude toward Wilson is one of frustration. Early this year, while Wilson was testifying, Georgia's Senator Richard Russell—normally the calmest and most courteous of men—stalked out of a committee room to avoid bursting with exasperation at Wilson's clipped answers.

But Charlie Wilson has stayed on at his post longer than any previous Secretary of Defense, has managed to win a certain place in the public's affection as a man who can laugh at his own bobbles and stick to his job. Well schooled in technical matters, he has presided over the armed forces during their greatest period of technological progress. He has pressed hard, with an expert thumb, for the economy that makes for true administrative efficiency (although he has surrounded himself with a sprawling Defense Department bureaucracy that violates the whole theory of a streamlined Defense Department). Most of all, he has been a valued lieutenant to Dwight Eisenhower, from whom Wilson derives his strength both with Congress and the armed forces. He repays Ike's support with loyal, tireless service.

Meet the Press. Once Wilson had caught the full furor of the Army's revolt, he moved swiftly last week to make one principal point: the battle was a low-level affair and (unlike the Revolt of the Admirals) did not represent the thinking of the responsible service chiefs. To make his point, he ordered the military chiefs and the service Secretaries to join him that afternoon and prepare to face the press.