SCIENTISTS HIT U.S. CLAIM ON SOVIET BUDGET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300340107-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2001
• Sequence Number: 107
• Publication Date: May 20, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON STAR
Approved For Release 2001/ O#AYgWrRDP80-01
0 ke Bi -[411
STATI NTL
:.; ByORR KELLY
,
Star Staff writer
The 'claim- by the Pentagon's
two' top 'research' officials. that
American intelligence has
"cracked the code" of the Soviet:
military research, budget is "atI '
best a gross 'exaggeration, and
at worst a snow job," the Feder-
ation of American' Scientists has
charged. %
:':Its charge ' yesterday was in
response to an ,article in.Tues-
day's , .Star, reporting an. inter=
view with Dr, John S. Foster Jr.,
director of.defense research and
engineering,. and his principal
deputy, Dr. Eberhard Rechtin.
I6..the, interview, Foster said
the breakthrough. in understand-
ing the Soviet military research
budget. had disclosed a. gap
equivalent. to about $3 billion in
technological efforts.
The. scientists' response came
during a hearing by the Senate J,
Armed Services ad hoc subcom-
mittee on research,. headed -by
Sen. Thomas McIntyre, -D-N.H.
_;It was contained in a five-page
statement delivered by Dr. Jere-
my- J.- Stone; ,director of 'the.
FA S.
Dr. George W. Rathjens,pro-
fessor of - political science at
Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology, told the. subcommittee
he.Is deeply concerned` by. the
growing credibility, gap created
by what he described as Foster's
misrepresentations or exaggera-
tions of the Soviet research and
development capability.
Stone' also read a stateme' t.
from Dr. Herbert. F.:. York,
chairman of the FAS and a for-
mer holder of.the job now filled
by Foster.
:.Both York and Rathjens urged
the subcommittee to call in ex-
perts from the Central Intelli- I/
gene Agency and other govern-
ment_ agencies to comment on
the claim by "Foster and Rechtin
Oat' the: country is faced' by a
growing "research: gap."'-.with .
the Soviet Union.
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000300340107-T