NEW TAYLOR ROLE WORRIES PENTAGON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000700480024-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: June 27, 1961
• Content Type: NSPR

1 C JUN 2 7 1961
DET ct)1. "I
'
1
NEWS_TIMES Approved For Release 2005/01/05: CIA-RDP75)
GEN. MAXWELL D. TAYLOR
,New Taylor
O e +0xrwo
ntaon
WASHINGTON, June 27.<
-The Defense Department
1swallowed hard today pyeri
11
the recall to active duty of?
Ged T~ay lor,a
retired Army chic 0Tstaff.
President Kennedy appointed'
'Taylor his personal "military'
with offices irp
the White House as well as the
P e n t a g o n. The assignment,
moves Taylor,-a handsome for'
mer paratrooper and Korean
War commander, into a stra.
tegic slot which can only be
compared with that of Adm. Wil-.
1ham D. Leahy in World War II..
Having the President's ear,
7 ay_.lor would be in an ideal po,'
sitiOlr to bypass or short-circuit,
,the Joins Chiefs of Staff-if hec
chose to do so. There were sorrel
in the Pentagon who felt thel
'temptation might be irresistible.,.
GIVES ASSURANCES
The White House, of course,1
took pains to reassure both the;
Joint Chiefs and Congress that'
nothing of the kind was going toy
`happen.
a -_ t !bower, Taylor created Plenty o,` formation to, the President's
sqn
_. ? inn+rnvnrev . r,ef.,,.a 1.,. a...J. ___j a_.. k. a L..
64, T /i o,
9 9701,04f 0
t1,Ye,en141t sident ai the DC-'
c-ense Department,, the J n, n L,' tlran once ins; sharp conflict He helped to co-ordinate he
bief or the CentraL tdlli-iwith former -.President Eisen flow of military and politica-Fin
.press secretary, added_a public
as yestertfay [hat day
for wou nut he.. interposed be-
p se ,
;py~r .0 linger, White House,
would qt &e dpwngraded or by.,
as d
assured them-_j _ meant no, re=1
flection on their past. scruice,
and projui`sed the Chiefs; +hey.
lor. appointment` was ,cmnin,,
Lyman L. Lernnitzer-Saturdayl
morning. He told them the Tav-'
in the Chiefs-headed by den.
Mr. Kennedy himself called`
- u yc rvviiu.
a moil:-back guarantee of di
iWS CHA INTERFEREN
GE CE.
vit{ed,'p TAYLth'S VIE
rsels end squabbles m.
sue ' ent_i 1`he Presi-l ueai wrrn um,nea war situations. I Defense departments.
thorn with the secretary of created the Army's perton'iic" set^vicgs into a single Depart-1
defen all Mr..,Mchlamara is divisions , has drafted a letter ment of Defense
In those days
~entirely1npccord with rt." for, the Presidents signature the Navy and War departments
If
-trace off sts off enthusiasm its rap the- divisional' structure helby a secretary; and a chief of
p iness, , 6d, I with resignation,' Taylor's first assignment will1' Now, P e n.t a g 'o n officials,
-
ntere
, ~
_Ie'z.,._h_allwa.. _..y s =_of
the_-D.e..
y in - connection h the brewing
the - wit
,.
creating a new military adviser
The Joint Chiefs" who pre
-
themselves o4 being the Pres' -
dent's military advisers, toi5k
cold comfort from the official
announcement that Gen. `Taylor
would also be available to "gives
his personal views to assist the{
President in reaching deci-,
sions."
He ave the additronral,
-qty, :.
fas o watctng over the intel-
ligdince apparatus of the govern-
ment " A Navas
Intellige ce t e rmy s -2 sec-
ion an l q ,National Secul ity:
A ems'"'
CONFIDENCE SHAKEN
Gen. Taylor has just com
pleted afi inquiry for President'
Kennedy on the-: effectiveness of
the. nation's intelligence net_
work. This was a direct conse 1
quepce of the Cuban invasion!
.fiasco, which shook tlW Presi-f
dent's confidence in many of his;
professional advisers, inclucJing;
CIA. Director Allen W. Dulles:
and the Joint Chiefs.
In fairness to the President,}
Defense officials concole that-
he had good reason to feel ter
down. Mr. Kennedy, they sus-'
pectt, 'wants the advice of the
experts double-checked by a,
man of unquestioned personal:
loyalty whose jud
ment he re--
g
ApprovedDr Release 2005/01/06
A 59-year-old soldier of stronge
views, which brought him nlare
assurar '-' of smooth ; a L1 i n g Chiefs; has overall,,'responsibil
ahead. As chief; of staff to the ity for, the
developraient of U.S.
briefly to former Pi sident Ttu- Any` second-guessing by Tay-
man, Leahy also gpdi ated out of Ior is bound to be rhsented, say
the White House:" L I the professionallssoldiers.;