Military Budget Opens Debate on Guns vs. Butter
*7' President Carter formally opened Û¢the butter versus guns debate yester-,4ay by sending Congress a budget calling for spending S125.8 billion on defense in fiscal 1980, a 3 percent increase over the current fiscal year af-tej; allowing for inflation.</br></br>*	out like a lightning rod from the gen-ÐÊ* erally flat plane of funding proposed \ for other government programs, a ^ sure attraction for political attack.</br></br>a news briefing at the Pentagon low Saturday, characterized the new Ûª defense budget as ÛÏvery austereÛ but requested would continue to implement the presidentÛªs decisions to substitute cruise missiles for new bomb-ers, push ahead with the MX blockbuster land missile, build a Navy of ; smaller and cheaper ships, and deploy "smartÛ weaponsÛÓaccurate enough to kill in one shotÛÓto offset the Soviet Vdge in numbers ranked against this Û¢countryÛªs allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.</br></br>'-IT he president had said he would live ; up to his commitment to NATO part--ners to increase U.S. military spend-</br></br>ing by 3 percent after inflation. Forces especially suited to fighting a land war in Europe arc generously funded in CarterÛªs budget. Brown said a big improvement has been achieved under Carter in the ability to move U.S. troops to Europe in a hurry. He said that by 1984 the United States will be able to fly five divisions to Europe within 10 days, compared to just one division now.