Air Force Assn.
Sees Hope for Just
110 Combat Wings
WASHINGTON, WV-The Air
Force Assn, said Saturday the
Air Force has the capability to
build only up to HO combat
ready wings under current fi
nancing.
Air Force Secretary Quarles
recently acknowledged that the*
long established goal of 137 wings
would not be achieved because of
revised planning in the light of
more powerful weapons.
The present strength of the Air
Force—in bomber, fighter and
transport wings—is 131. It was
reported earlier this week that
the 137-wing goal—supposed to
be attained by next summer—had
been cut by three wings of heavy
transports and six fighter wings
under new budget plans.
Wings vary in size from 75
fighter planes to 30 heavy bomb
ers. However, heavy bomber
wings are being beefed up to 45.
The Air Force Assn., a private
organization, frequently reflects
the thinking of Air Force leaders.
The organization’s magazine, “Air
Force” said the new defense
budget has “a built-in descen
dence” for the 137-wing program.
“If we are lucky, we may be
able to salvage 110 effective, com
bat-ready units by some time in
1960,” the magazine said.
The magazine also declared a
hoax is “being perpetrated on the
American people” in claims that
U.S. air strength is higher than
it has even been in history.
The article asked what differ
ence it would make “if we are
twice as strong as w* have ever
been, if the Soviets are even
stronger?”
Schedule Set for
President’s Tour
Of Drought States
AUGUSTA, Ga., —President
Eisenhower’s inspection tour of
drought stricken areas of the
Midwest will take him into six
states Jan. 13-15, his headquarters
announced Saturday.
Eisenhower plans to make stops
in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Arizona, Colorado and Kansas for
an on the-spot survey of the worst
parching of that region in many
years.
The White House announced
earlier this month that the Presi
dent would make such a survey in
mid-January. Some of the details
and the specific dates were made
known here Saturday as Eisen
hower was enjoying a weekend
of golf in advance of the recon
vening of Congress this week.
The drought area tour schedule
calls for the President to leave
Washington by plane the after
noon of Sunday, Jan. 13. He will
fly to San Angelo, Tex., and stay
overnight at Goodfellow Air
Force Base there.
The actual inspection of the
drought regions will start the
next day in the San Angelo area.
Then he will fly on to West Wood
ward, Oltla., and to Clovis, N.M.
That evening he will arrive at
Tucson, Ariz., and spend the night
there at David-Monthan AFB.
On Tuesday, Jan. 15, he will
fly from Tucson to Pueblo, Colo.,
then on to Garden City, Kan.
Late in the afternoon he will
arrive in Wichita, Kan., where
he is scheduled to'meet with rep
resentatives of farmers, ranchers,
industry, banking, government
and agriculture schools from all
the states hit by the drought.
Singer Pattie Page
Weds Dance Director
LAS VEGAS, Nev., —Singer
Pattie Page and dance director
Charles O’Curran motored to
Palm Springs, Calif., Saturday
after their marriage Friday night
in a civil ceremony.
It was the second marriage for
Miss Page, 29, one of the nation’s
top recording stars and television
artists. She divorced Jack Skiba
in 1948.
O’Curran, 42, is the former
husband of singer Betty Hutton.
His first wife was Betty Jo
Brown, a non-professiona'..
... . ,1)1 »»
The
New Ycm
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time for thanksgiving for God’s
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ALASKA AIRLINES, Inc.
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NEW YEAR
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overflowing with health, wealth and happiness.
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