Evening star., 1941-07-27
Macarthur 10 Direct
Philippine Defense
He Organized
Former Chief of Stuff
Worked Out Policy Of
Making Invasion. Costly
Nv CARTER BROOKE JONES.


r. recalled to active duty and placed
In command the officer who since
1aa5 has directed the development
of a comprehensive plan for the
defense OF the islands.
Cen Douglas Macarthur, former
rhief of staff of the United States
Army. who retired with the rank
of fun general after a brilliant ca
reer, steps back into command OF
Americas hot spot" in the Far East
stilI under the Armys retirement
age of "a. He is 81 Made chief OF
staff at so. the youngest man ever
to hold the post, ne went on the
inactive list eight years before he
would have been retired by statute
Undoubtedly, it was pointed out
at the War Department, there is
no other man in the service who
has the grasp of the people and
problems of the Philippines and
knows the military strength and
weaknesses of the islands as init
mately. He now will command not
only the Filipino soldiers. but all
United States troops in the archi-
pelago.
Long Friend of Quezon.
It was Gen. MacArthur's old
friend, Manuel Quezon, president OF
the Commonwealth of the Philip
pines, who persuaded him to take
over the task of building up the is
lands defenses. The general served
two tours of duty as commander of
the Manila district in the early 20s
at a time Quezon, a rising young
figure in Philippine affairs. was resi-
dent commissioner to the United
States and afterward president of
the Philippine Senate.
From 1928 to 1880 Gen. MacAr-
thur was commanding general of
the Department Of the Philippines
In these capacities he became thor
oughly familiar with this Pacific
outpost.
His father, 1t. Gen. Arthur Mac
Arthur, as a brigade commander,
helped to drive the Spaniards out
of Manila in 1898. The next year
the elder Gen. Macarthur led the
troops that turned back the Filipino
insurgents under Aguinaldo and
cleared the whole Manila region of
rebels He was military governor
Of the islands for two years.
'1nvasionproof" Defense.
The forces which Gen. Douglas
Macarthur has been commanding
total $4,000 trained and partially
trained men, Army officials here es-
timated. About 100000 are reserves.
10000 are Philippine Scouts and
1000 members of the crack con-
stabulary.
Gen. Macarthur is a field marshal
In the Philippine Army. Since
President Quezon turned over to
him the defense of the islands on
October /, 1885, he has been install
Ing an "invasionproof" system.
He gave himself 10 years to perfect
the plan, but Army officers who have
been in the Philippines recently say
he has gone a long way in the six
years toward building up tough
fighting machine and fortifying the
islands.
When Gen. Macarthur took over,
the Philippines had no troops be-
yond the small constabulary and
scattered detachments of unframed
irregulars. He installed a system OF
universal service calculated to pro-
vide 100000 fully trained men in a
decade.
Fleet of Torpedo Boats.
The Macarthur plan also called
for a fleet of 50-mile- hour tor
pedo motor boats to patrol the coasts,
an air force of $50 planes, mostly
bombers: a small professional Army,
but a large reserve subject to instant
call. Military training was started
in the public schools. After they
left school, youths were kept in the
army five and a half months.
Gen. Macarthur also strengthened
greatly the forts, which American
soldiers were abandoning as the
Philippines prepared for independ-
ence.
Given a defense budget of S8000,-
900 a year, the general drew up de-
fense plans which covered every
foot of shore line in the inhabitated
islands of the archipelago" He said
his scheme would take some years,
but before long the Philippines would
be ready "to give pause to the most
ruthless and powerful invaders" AS
he launched his program, he said
II the Government would follow 1t,
he would hazard the guess that 1t
would take half million men, S10,-
0O0,000,000, tremendous casualties
and three years time successfully to
invade the Philippines" And he
added: Personally, 10 years hence,
I would not want to lead any force
in an attempt at invasion"
Islands Still ProtectOrate.
While the Philippines, under act
of the United States Congress, will
become completely independent July
4, 1945. the islands, meanwhile re-
main a protectorate of this country.
Even after independence is achieved,
the right of the United States to
maintain naval bases on the archi-
pelago is reserved without time limit.
With the passage of the inde-
spendence act, the United States be-
gan Withdrawing troops from the
Philippines, but the war changed
that, and 1t is no secret that the
Army and the Navy have been
strengthening their forces in the
Philippines, as in Hawaii.
While Maj. Gen. George Grunert
commands the Philippine Depart
nent of the Army, he will be sub
ordinated to Gen. Macarthur under
the new emergency setup. Although
Cen. Macarthur retired as gen.
eral, he will be made a temporary
lieutenant general in active service,
it was announced at the War De-
partment Ordinarily there is only
one full general in the armies OF
the United States, the chief OF
staff. An exception was Gen. PERISH
ing, who shared the rank with Gen
Tasker Bliss, war time chief of staff
Graduated At Head of Class.
Gen. Macarthur was chief of staff
from 1880 until 1935-a year longer