THE MICHIGAN DAILY
TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1951
NOON"
ac Arhur
Repercuss ions
HE ASHES of the presidential effigies
are hardly cold but already the high
tide of public opinion is reversing itself and
running out.
The cesspool of stupidity reached its high-
water mark with the shockingly ignorant
demands for presidential impeachment by
senators Wherry and Taft and Rep. Martin.
Such foolishness was swiftly exposed by
widespread editorial comment, leading even
Republican supporters to conclude that per-
haps the President was justified in remov-
ing General Douglas MacArthur.
This crystallization of responsible journa-
listic judgement was reinforced by the Presi-
dent's cogent broadcast explaining the
necessity 'of the admittedly extraordinary
stroke. 4
While President Truman's address was
more effective in print than on the air,
one cannot help admiring the overall neat-
ness and despatch with which the whole
MacArthur mess has been handled, at
least by the administration. The President
accorded his General more than his share
of delicate treatment and in time Mac-
Arthur will undoubtedly appreciate Harry
Truman's consideration.
But now MacArthur has set the tone, a
harsh political tone of grinding axes, and he
can expect little more of such considerate
handling. The General is due for a shock,
perhaps several shocks.
Before very long MacArthur must become
aware of the fact that he is being used to
serve the political purposes of more than
one GOP presidential hopeful. MacArthur
is not the man to be used by others, espec-
ially when the General probably believes it
is he who is doing all the using and that
the 1952 Republican nomination is his.
There will be a glorious whirl of parades,
receptions and celebrations (though one
veteran swears his handful of welcome will
be followed by the teletype machine from
\which it spewed), capped by a climactic ap-
'pearance before a joint session of Congress.
But as the implications of the General's
proposed policy become clear his support
will fade. For while his cause is a nebulous
haze with only two concrete, though rock-
headed, proposals as a base, the General is
a rallying point for thousands of worried
Americans. Once stated and, it is to be
hoped, examined before Congressional com-
mittees, even those who hope to climb to,
power over phe General's gold-braided body
wlll be forced to desert him.
While west coast Republican senators like
Nixon and Knowland, may go along with a
third world war starting in the Pacific, the
isolationist midwesterners cannot espouse a
policy which would lead to this and hope to
retain their seats. Souls are saleable but not
senatorships, an axiom which MacArthur
'ill discover as his support dwindles,
Today the General will land in San
Francisco, returning home after 14 years
of service, to begin his trek on the glory
road. But 14 years is a long time, long
enough to forget just how ruthless the
political climate of the United States can
be. It will be MacArthur's responsibility
to pause In his triumph and to reflect on
the course he is half-pursuing, half being
driven toward.
It is unfortunate that we have never
adopted the Roman practice of setting a
slave by the side of our hero to remind him,
'Remember, thou art only a man."
--Zander Hollander
Incredible Tale
T HIS IN AN unbelievable story-but It
happens to be true: The Army just now
is trying to reclaim $x,000,000,000 worth of
military supplies that it sold the German
government years ago for $200,000,000. This
nation has taken an $800,000,000 loss on the
transaction-and that, so the saying goes,
ain't hay.
It is the House Executive Expenditures
Committee that is looking into the deal,
and its members are most indignant.
They oughtn't be, or at least they oughtn't
be in just the way they are.
The simple fact is that this nation made a
major mistake after World War II. It was a
mistake that was called to congressional at-
tention, but the congressmen decided to ig-
nore it. They were told that if careful pre-
cautions weren't thrown around the sale of
Army and Navy and Marine supplies there
would be terrific losses. They were told that
the U.S. national budget would be badly
bent by the sacrifice of so-called surplus.
But they were also told that, if the excess
material in the hands of the armed services
were dumped on the civilian market to bring
what it would, the normal distribution of
goods would be wrecked.
The congressmen chose to listen to the
last advice.
Tons of machinery were let rot on the
islands of the Pacific so they would not dis-
rupt the market for machinery in the Uni-
ted States. Thousands of items of military
supply were sold abroad at ridiculously low
prices--only to be bought again at ridicu-
lously high prices.
It made no sense. It makes no sense. But
this happened to be the way Congress de-
.®
MAT TE a
Of FACT e -
What need we fear who kniows it, when none can call
our power to account? Yet who would have thought
the old man to have lad so much blood in him?
-Macbeth
ietteAJ TO THE EDITOR'
The Daily welcomes communications from its readers on matters of
general interest, and will publish all letters which are signed by the writer
and in good taste. Letters exceeding 300 words in length, defamatory or
libelous letters, and letters which for any reason are not in good taste will
be condensed, edited or withheld from publication at the discretion of the
editors,
By STEWART ALSOP
11
1
A
TRUMAN'S FATE IS IN KOREA
WASHINGTON-It may well be that in
choosing this particular time to dis-
miss Gen. Douglas, MacArthur, President
Truman has chosen the best possible time
-for MacArthur. It may even be that Gen.
MacArthur had just this in mind when he
decided to force the issue. For it is clear
that the outcome of the battle between the
President and the General will be deter-
mined in the end, not in Washington, but
in Korea.
In dismissing MacArthur, Truman has
of course risked his political life. In the
most unlikely event that the attempts to
reach an acceptable settlement with the
Chinese and their Soviet masters now suc-
ceed, and the fighting ends, Truman will
enjoy a great, historic triumph. If there
is no settlement, but the expected Com-
munist offensive is held, the stalemate on
the battlefield will be reflected in a stale-
mate between Truman and MacArthur.
But if the Communists again break
through our lines, if this time the break-
through is successfully explointed, and if
our forces are seriously endangered, then
disaster in Korea will be disaster also for
Truman. For then the demand for attacking
targets in China proper, for using Nation-
alist troops, and for fighting the war in
Asia which MacArthur wants will become
irresistible.
MacArthur will seem triumphantly vin-
dicated, while Truman will appear the ar-
chitect of national disaster. And as both
Truman and MacArthur are certainly fully
aware, the danger of a successful Commun-
ist offensive in Korea is now as great as it
has ever been. The best way to explain why
the danger is now considered so serious is,
oddly enough, to quote from a report cabled
from Korea by this reporter's partner some
months ago:
"The recurrent crises in the fighting
here always took the form of a great hole
being torn in our lines, and then being
stopped by our mobile reserves being
moved up before the walking enemy could
exploit the breakthrough. But even two
enemy intruder fighters, attacking the in-
terminable lines of our transport . . *
'would have been enough to produce a
twenty-four-hour tangle. Then the holes
in our line could not have been stopped in
time. The breakthroughs would then have
been fully exploited. And we should have
lost our foothold in Korea."
THIS PATTERN has held throughout the
Korea fighting. Sheer weight of man
power has made possible numerous Com-
munist breakthroughs, the most serious be-
ing the near-defeat after the Chinese inter-
vention. But the Communist breakthroughs
have never in the end been fully exploited,
because the Communists have lacked suf-
ficient heavy weapons and mobility, and
above all because they have lacked any of-
fensive air power at all.
This is why reports that the Chinese
are for the first time receiving important
quantities of heavy weapons and trans-
port from Soviet Siberian stocks are taken
with deadly seriousness by the Joint Chiefs
of Staff. But what is taken even more
seriously is the report that an offensive
Communist air force is now being organ-
ized.
This force is believed to consist of about
500 Russian fighters and light bombers,
manned by intensively trained Chinese and
North Koreans. Such a force could not ser-
iously challenge American air superiority.
But given cloud cover during the Korean
rainy season, and given the interdiction
against attacking Manchurian bases, our
air force cannot possibly prevent strafing
and hit-and-run strikes behind our lines.
And as the paragraph quoted above sug-
gests, even a few planes strafing the bum-
per-to-bumper lines of American transport
at the climactic moment of a battle could
have an absolutely devastating effect.
* * *
GEN. RIDGWAY, who, rather than Mac-
Arthur, has actually been in full com-
mand of the United Nations forces in Korea
for many weeks, is a brilliant field com-
mander, and his troops are more battle-
worthy than ever before. Yet the danger
of a successful enemy offensive is real, and
it is a danger which might all but destroy
President Truman, as Truman himself must
know.
Infinitely more is of course at stake
than the political fortunes of a Truman
or a MacArthur. War, even a small war,
has a sullen, imperious logic of its own,
If an enemy offensive, supported by air
power based in Manchuria, endangered
our troops, the logic of war would demand
the bombing of the Manchurian bases,
however much Truman might wish to
localize the conflict.
This would logically lead in turn to the
bombing of Chinese lines of communications,
and cities. Then the Soviets would be forced
to intervene openly, or accept the equivalent
of an intolerable defeat. Thus the logic of
a small war leads to a great war. This logi-
cal progression toward world disaster can-
not now be halted by Truman or MacArthur.
It can be halted only if the men in the
Kremlin decide to cut their losses in Korea,
or if Ridgway and his men smash at the
outset the offensive which is otherwise in
prospect.
(Copyright, 1951, New York Herald Tribune Inc.)
ON THE
Washington Merry-Go-Round
with DREW PEARSON
(Ed. Note-Today's column takes the form of a letter from Drew Pearson
to Sen. Robert A. Taft on the MacArthur-Truman controversy.)
April 14, 1951
Honorable Robert A. Taft
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.
Dear Senator Taft:
WHEN YOUR father was President of the United States, my late
father-in-law, a general and a military man all his life, had
about the same opinion of him that Douglas MacArthur has of the
present occupant of the White House. In fact, your father,
whom history records as having done a fine job as Secretary of War,
incurred the wrath of many military men, because he both kept
within his budget and kept the military in their place.
He fully grasped the fundamental fact around which our
Constitution is written-that ours is a civilian government, in
which the military takes orders from civilians. He even carried it
out so conscientiously that, when your father was Secretary of
War and used to come to the White House, Teddy Roosevelt
would jokingly tell Mrs. Roosevelt to put away the carving knife
for fear my father-in-law, a cousin and aide of T.R., might use
it against Taft.
I mention this because you, of all Senate leaders, are in a position
to grasp and understand the serious issue which faces the country to-
day in the MacArthur-Truman controversy.
I mention it because the easiest thing in the world today is to
join the wolfpack and kick Harry Truman in the pants. You, how-
ever, have not attained your present position by taking the easy way.
And you, in view of your father's record, in view of your own
record as a champion of the Constitution, can better understand this
fundamental issue than any other man I know.
MacArthur
To the Editor:
THE DISMISSAL of Gen. Mac-
Arthur by Pres. Truman last
week was the. ultimate of many
disasters so prolific in our Little
Peanut from Blair House. The
President did a .miserable job of
justifying MacArthur's removal.
The question of civilian control
over the military is used to suit
his purposes. If this basic concept
of American democracy was fol-
lowed by Truman, Gen. Marshall,
one of the greatest military mas-
ter-minds of all centuries, should
never have been appointed Secre-
tary of State and Secretary of De-
fense. Truman did not mention
that the men who have persuaded
him to dismiss Gen. MacArthur
are the very same men who clear-
ed the path for Communist ag-
gression in Korea by removing the
American occupation forces. Be-
fore that these men of the Penta-
gon and the Department of State
had cleared the way for anti-
democratic conquest of China by
discrediting and undermining the
Nationalist government of China
-the only government that is an-
ti-imperialistic and stands for the
complete independence of China.
It was these men, particularly
Gen. Marshall and Gen. Stillwell,
who openly insisted that Com-
munism in China and throughout
Asia was only agrarian reform and
should have the wholehearted
support of America.
I was on the campus when the
lamentable news of MacArthur's
dismissal came. I met students
from China, Japan, Thailand, Ko-
rea, and the Philippines and saw
how upset and confused they were.
To them MacArthu as the sym-
bol of a peaceful nd vigorous
homeland, of a democratic Ori-
ent. They feel, and rightly so, that
democracies in Asia have been
abandoned .. .
If MacArthur defied the Presi-
dent, he is within his rights even
as a soldier. His oath. is to the
Constitution and to the men un-
der his command. If he believes
the orders of his superiors i con-
flict with his oath, he is under a
duty to make known his objec-
tions.
At this most critical time of
world politics, it is important for
the Democrats to remiember that
Sen. Magnunson of Washington
said several days ago that the real
test for Communist aggression
should be faced in the Far East
and not in Europe. It is important
for both Democrats and Republi-
cans to never forget that truth is
what is needed and for Trunan to
put the country first rather than
cheap politics and to realize that
the American citizen has felt in
the past months a lack of politi-
cal leadership in the President.
The present rejoicing over Mac-
Arthur's dismissal on the part of
some nations who have done least
in the Korean war is very hard to
take.
-Ray F. Havennz
*
Deferment .
To the Editor:
IN REFERENCE to the proposed
deferment of college students,
I think an injustice is being done
to the country:
Due to financial considerations,
college communities are almost
certainly overweighted with the
wealthiest elements of our society,
hence such exemption provisions
would tend to discriminateagainst
the poorer elements in the nation.
At a time when organized labor,
representing lower of middle in-
come, is doubtful about its voice
in the emergency management of
the economy, the exemption of a
group associated with the wealth-
ier interests will only tend to wi-
den the rift between it and gov-
ernment, as well as to strengthen
the self-conscious feelings of class.
Is it a necessary measure to,
preserve an educated elite in a so-
ciety? If so, it seems as if a much
smaller proportion of students
might be strained from those in
the specific and general programs
of a university. Furthermore,
American society has become suf-
ficiently stratified so that many
of the influential positions in in-
dustry (as an example), are more
frequently measured by an eco-
nomically valuable device called
"pull" than by personal capacity
or achievement. Admittedly, how-
ever, a deferral of a lesser number
of promising students seems ad-
visable.
The idea of equality of man
would seem to indicate that the
young tradesman, laborer, and
college student should have the
same degree of freedom to pursue
an uninterrupted way of living.
Then the problem centers abo-et
a consideration of individual
rights in the attempted resolution
of national interest. I think the
mean has not been achieved in
the present attemptnand fear that
the result will be a popular resent-
ment toward the educated ele-
ment.
-Bill Yudkin
'
,
1,
,.
Funds for the Voice'
T HE NATION'S efforts to preserve a
peaceful world were handicapped last
week when the House of Representatives re-
fused to grant needed funds to the Voice of
America.
In answer to a State Department re-
quest for $97,000,000 to increase the Voice's
broadcasting facilities and effectiveness,
the House granted $9,000,000, less than
one-tenth of the amount asked.
The requested money would have provid-
ed a practical remedy to our current diffi-
culty in sending radio programs behind the
Iron Curtain. In brief the problem is to es-
tablish relay stations as close as possible to
the Russian controlled territory. This would
give our long-ware broadcasts more power
and would counteract the consistent jam-
ming of our wave bands by the Soviets.
To accomplish this the State Department
came up with two plans. The first was to
build transmitters in Europe twenty times
Editorials published in The Michigan Dail v
are written by members of The Daily staff
and represent the views of the writers only.
NIGHT EDITOR: BOB KEITH
CURRENT MOVIES,
as strong as the most powerful stations in
the United States. The second was an ima-
ginative project called "Operation Vaga-
bond" which would equip ships with large
relay transmitters and sail them as :close to
Russian territory as is legally possible.
Among the objections given by the House
legislators in refusing the increase were that
the quality of the present programs is not as
good as it could be and that the assurance
should be given that if these new transmit-
ters are built, the Voice will be able to pene-
trate the Iron Curtain once and for all.
Both complaints are inadequate. Any as-
surance such as the one demanded would
be meaningless, for there is no way of ac-
curately testing audience reaction in So-
viet lands. And were the programs improved
it would make little difference as long as
facilities remain inadequate to make them
heard.
What seems to have been lost in' the
congressional hearings is the fact that
today we must sell democracy to the world
with ideas as well as with brute strength,
that in the long run ideas are the major
force behind world changes. It resolves
into the age-old but truthful cliche that
unless we counteract the propaganda ef-
forts of the Kremlin we may well win a
war of arms but lose a war of minds.
At present Radio Moscow and the Comin-
form are vastly superior to our own infor-
mation outlets.
Now that the Voice of America has been
temporarily checked by the House decision,
it remains for the Senate to remedy the
situation.
Unless the Voice is allowed to increase its
facilities we will slip further behind the
Russians in the battle to control men's
minds. No matter what we accomplish ma-
terially toward securing world peace, if we
are misunderstood by other nations and by
the Soviet people, our efforts will be negated,'
and the crisis we face today repeated at
some future time.
--Leonard Greenbaum
Cometh Spring
AS THE baseball season opens in full force
today, an enthusiastic public will be
ready to enjoy another thrill packed five
THAT ISSUE is the Constitution of the United States-which pro-
vides that, if a General wants to run the government, he must
take off his uniform and become a civilian like the rest of us. He can-
not have the perquisites and protection of the uniform and give or-
ders tQ the White House too.
Furthermore, you cannot have a General who has been run-
ning for President and who may still have political ambitions
overruling the President of the United States. That also is implicit
in the Constitution.
As far as President Truman is concerned, my personal feelings
toward him are about the same as yours. He has castigated me just as
much as he has you. But there is a difference between respect for the
office of President and respect for the man. The former is something
which must not be soiled of sullied by unfair Senate debate. And the
office of President carries with it not only the power but the obliga-
tion, under the Constitution, to remove a General who challenges the
Constitution.
It might be healthy if you or Senator Wherry introduced a
resolution embodying the exact terms of the MacArthur letter to
Joe Martin, and let the Senate debate it-debate the bombing of
Chinese bases, the landing of Chiang Kai-Shek's troops on the
mainland and the full probabilities and objectives of war with
China.
This is an important, vital question upon which we should have
full debate, upon which the public should be fully informed. I hope
such a resolution will be introduced.
But do not, I urge; confuse the issue by challenging the basic
principle of our Constitution in regard to civilian rule.
DAILY
OFFICIAL
BULLETIN
1!g
tC~t tl t
*
*
(Continued from Page 2)
sign up in Office 15, Barbour Gymna-
sium.
Bridge Tournament held every week
in the Union Ballroom will start at
7:30 p.m. this Wednesday.
Journal Club of the Romance Lang-
uages Department: Wed., April 18, 4:15
p.m., East Conference Room, Rackham
Bldg. Mr. Ricardo Defendini will speak
on "Croce's Aesthetics: An Explana-
tion and a Critique." Graduate stud-
ents of the Department are invited.
Hillel social Committee: Reorganiza-
tion meeting, Wed., April 18, 4 p.m.,
Lane Hall. All past members and any-
one interested in becoming a member
of the social committee are urged to
attend.
Open Houses which have been sched-
uled for all candidates running for the
Spring elections to be held April 24 and
25 are as follows. Every candidate is
urged to attend, for his own benefit.
Tuesday, April 17, 5-6 p.m., Helen
Newberry with Betsy Barbour at 420 S.
State. 6:30-7:15 p.m., Chi Psi, 620- s.
State; Kappa Sigma, 806 Hill. 7:30-8:30
p.m., Tyler House, East Quad.
Wednesday, April 18, 5-6 p.m., Kappa
Kappa Gamma, 1204 Hill; Sigma Phi,
426 N. Ingalls. 6:30-7:15 p.m., Sigma
Chi, 548 S. State; Phi Sigma Delta, 1808
Hermitage Rd.
Thursday, April 19, 5-6 p.m., Mosher
Hall. 6:30-7:15 p.m., Stockwell Hall.
7:30-8:30 p.m., Jordan Hall.
Friday, April 20, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mar-
tha Cook, 906 S. University. 4:30-6 p.m.,
Student Religious Associationat Lane
Hall, 204 S. State.
Sunday, April 22, 1-2:30 p.m., Alice
Lloyd Hall,. 2:30-3:30 p.m., Osterwell
House, 338 E. Jefferson. 7-8 p.m., West
Quad Rally.
Monday, April 23, 5-6 p.m., Kappa Al-
pha Theta and Phi Delta Theta at 1414
Washtenaw. 6:30-7:15 p.m., Psi Upsi-
lon, 1000 Hill; Zeta Beta Tau, 2006
Washtenaw. 7:30-8:30 p.m., Sigma Del-
ta Tau, 1405 Hill.
,i.
At The State
I HAVE JUST returned from a trip through Europe. and I can report
that you cannot travel abroad these days without sensing how
vital is the issue now before our country. Many of the European na-
tions have been through the struggle between military and civilian
rule. They have seen the elected parliaments of Italy and Germany
weaken. They hive seen the people-shaken in their confidence of
the democratic system, confused by unfair debate-turn to military
dictatorships.
It is out of such confusion, when nations have weak civilian lead-
ers and strong military leaders, that dictatorships spring.
It is easy to fool the public with a lot of phony flag-waving on
an issue which your father and no other President worth his salt
would have stood for-namely, permitting a General to thumb his
nose at the civilian branch of the government and get away with
it.
But the times today are too dangerous. And it is in days such
as these, when we do not have the most astute brains in or around
the White House, that we need leadership and courage such as yours
outside the White House to keep us on an even keel.
Sixty-First Year
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4.. .
THE ENFORCER, with Humphrey Bo-
gart and an All-Irish cast.
N OW THOROUGHLY baptized a 'good
guy' rather than a 'bad guy,' Bogart--
as a N.Y. Assistant District Attorney-puts
this fast-moving cinemadrama effectively
through its paces.
The story is based on Murder Incorporated
of , a few years back, which provides the
certain amount of brutality that these pic-
tures seem to require.
Two factors keep this picture out of the
Typical-Hollywood-Clam classification:
Bogie, himself, is very good at holding
audience attention and directing it toward
the, onntinuiing thp~mp of the monvie- Andi in
Respectfully yours,
Drew Pearson
by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
(Copyright, 1951,)
BARNABY
Yes, your Fairy Godfather
t o ight the first time!
r'
ITENNESSSEE These garish commercial
flub-a by Tb t{ lt J . 1-0~b
ITHERE!
You qo owoy,
" I