Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/69

�This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 eluding those of all three services) were to be used. Hence, exclusive resportability m a given field was not to mean exclusive par- ticipation. This domsion settled for the re- mmnder of Forrestal's tenure of office the difficulties which had arisen in delineating the respechve functions and m?ss?ons of the Air Force and the Navy. '-'4 These con- forenoes did not, however, bnng to an end all the difficulties mvotved in securing com- plete agreement between the setwoes; nor were all the problems of unification solved as, indeed, they have not been to this day. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT Although the National Secumty Act of 1947 brought about a ?-nely reorganization of the nation's military establishment and provided a sound barns for progress toward complete muffcation, it had not long been in effect before it became ewdent that cer- tain changes must be made in the law in order to make the reorganization of the armed forces more effective. The Commission on Organizatmn of the Executive Branch of the Government (known as the Hoover Commission after its chairman, former President Herbert Hoover) was set up by statute in the sum- mer of 1947 to make a study of the orgard- ration and operations of the ?ederal gov- ernment. It appointed a "task force" group, the Committee on the National Security Organization, headed by Ferdinand Eber- etatit, to make a study of the military estab- lishment. The committee's report, released on 16 December 1948, was incorporated into the report of the parent orgamzation which was made pubhc on 28 February 1949. -?.? The report recommended numerous changes, some of which could be effected by executive order and adminmtrative pro- cedures; others would require legisIat?ve enactment. Those recommendations which would necessitate legislatave changes in the basic act included: more unxfied civilian control for the Natxonal Military Establish- maut; reheving the Secretary of Defense of excessive routine duties; improving the coordination and teamwork of the whole military orgamzation; and more effective budgetary control3 ? These recommendations were sirefiat to the views expressed by Secretary of Defense Forresin1 in his F?rst Report, released 29 De- cember 1948. In this report Secretary For- testa! suggested tlmt several changes in the National Security Act would be desirable in the hght of the experience gained in the first year of its operation. The changes he suggested were as follows: 1. That prowsion should be made for an Under Secretary of Defense who should per- form such duties as were assigned to him by the Secretary of Defense. The Under Sec- retary would be the aster ego of the Secre- tary and should serve as acting Secretary in his absence. 2. The statutory authority of the Secre- tary of Defense should be materially strengthened by making ?t clear that the Secretary of Defense had the responmbfiity for exercising "direction, authority, and control" over the departments and agencies of the National M?htary Establishment. The word "gonetar' should be deleted irom the act where used m such a manner as to Iirnit the Secretary's authority. 3, Changes should be made in the provi- sions of the Nahonal Defense Act dealing with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That prow- sion naming the Chief of Staff to the Com- mander in Chief as a member of the JCS should be deleted. Provismn should be made for the designation of a responsible head ?or the JCS. 4. The l?mitatmn on the size of the Joint Staff should be removed or raised. 5. Provision should be made for clarify- ing the Seeretary's authority w?th respect to personnel. 6. The statutory membersinp of the t?.cnal Security Council should be changed to provide that the Secretary of Defense should be the only representative of the National Mfixtary Establishment on th3 Councfi. Secretary Forrestal s?ated that, while ?here were many other changes which had been suggested in the course of experience, the above-enumerated items indicated the THIS PAGE Declassified IAW'EO12958