Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/71

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 te transfer appropriations within the mih'- tary departments was e]nninated. Also eliminated were two other prowsions: one requiring requests for legislative appropri- ations for the mihtary departments to be approved by the Secretazy of Defense before transmittal to the Promdent, the Bureau of the Budget, or Congress; and another pro- vision giving the Secretary of Defense au- thority to incur deficiencies in time of emergency when it was in the pubhc in. terest or necessary for the national curity.-s Despite these modifications, however, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, as enacted into law, Public Law .16, 81 Cong., 1 Sees. (approved 10 August 1949), in large measure carried out the recom- mendations made by President Truman, Secretary Forfestal, and the ttoover Com- mission. It changed the composition of the National Security Council so that the ec- rotaries of the three military departments would not be em oco members (although they could serve when appointed by the President); xt set ap the Department of ense as an executive department (in lieu of the National Mlitary Establishment), and its three coordinate branch depart- ments of Army, Navy, and Axr as military departments; it gave the Secretary of renee direct and definite authority over the Department of Defense and the heads of the three military departments; it provided for a Deputy Secretary and three Assistant Secretaries of Defense to aid the Secretary in carryrag out his duties; it prowded or a chairman to preside over the Johut Chiefs of Staff; it made the Munitions Board and the Research and Development Board sub- ject to the authority of the Secretary Defense. TtIe IV of the act established uni- form budgetary and fiscal procedures in the Department of Defense and the mili- tary departments, making provisions for a comptroller of the Department of Defense as well as one for each of the mlitary de- partments. Finally, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 contained a pro- vision which invalidated the President's Re- organization Plan No. 8 of 1949 elating the National Military Establishmen (now the Department of Defense) and other agencies created by the National Security Act of 194. ' A fourth legislative measure makmg change in the prowsions of the National Security Act, as amended, was enacted into law on 15 October 1949. This was Public Law 359, 81 Cong., I Sees. which increased the salaries of the Deputy Secretary of De- fense, the Secretaries of the sexwoe depart- merits, and other officials in the national defense setup.  n effect, the National Security Act was amended a fifth time in 1949 when Con- gross approved the President's Reorganiza- tion Pan No. 4. By this plan, the Natona! Security Council and the National Security Resources Board were transferred to the Executive Office of the President.  Public Law 79, 81 Cong., 2 Sees. (ap- proved 9 September 1950) amended Section 202 of the National Securlty Act by au- thorizing the Secretary of Defense to trans- fer medical officers between the services. Presidential approval was required for such action. a Certain provisions of the Air Force Organization Act of Public Law 150, 82 Cong., 1 Sess. and the Mutual Security Act o 1951, Public Law 165, 82 Cong., 1 Sees. (approved t9 September and 19 October 1951 respectively) made further changes in the basic unification act. These laws and the changes they made are, however, to be discussed !aterJ  It should be noted here that the attain- ment of complete unification and the cre- ation of a completely satisfactory organiza- tion for national defense had not yet been realMed despite the numerous amendments to the National Security Act of 1947. Ex- perience indicates that many improve- rnents are still needed in the organization of the Defense Department and its agen- cies.* In a letter written to the President on 13 November 1952, Robert A. Lovett, the re- tiring Secretary of Defense, pointed out that "since 'unification' is necessarily evo- subttnc o! th½se amendmen se Committee IePor .'at[onl Security Act of 19tt, printed foe the uc 0œ the Committee o Armed Seviccs, 83 Cong, 1 Seas, Unlt, ed THIS PAGE Declassified lAW E012958