Evening star., 1941-12-21

the United States Army in the far Pa
cific. Friday the President promoted
him to full general. Events seem to have
proved that his fair for showmanship
and his love of personal display-the
source of much criticism in the past
have been added assets among a people
with an Oriental love of splendor.
Gen. Macarthur has many firSts to
his credit. He was youngest head Of
West Point He was the youngest chief
of staff and the first chief of staff to be
asked to serve an added year beyond
the traditional tour of duty in that post.
He was the first field marshal of the
Philippine Army. He is the first officer
to bear the rank Of commander of the
United States Army Forces in the Far
East And he is likely, if the Army pre-
walls over the Navy, to be the United
States generalissimo in the Pacific, rep
resenting both the Army and Navy on
the allied council that Is now being
formed
Father Served in Islands.
The irony is of course, that in this war
the Philippines are only one piece.on the
vast chess board of the Pacific. And
sometimes a good chess player sacrifices
one piece to preserve another and
thereby achieve final victory. Such a
decision would be bitter one for Gen.
Macarthur to make, since his roots 60
so deep into the rich tropical earth Of
the Philippines.
L. A.%k
Arthur, who as major general Of volun-
teers in the Spanish War cap
tured the town of Malate, which pre-
pared the way for the taking of Manila.
Later he commanded q division against
the insurrectionist leader, Aguinaldo, and
finally he was named military governor
charged with the task Of restoring order
to the war-torn islands.
In the sons mind there was appar-
emily never any doubt about his career.
He entered West Point and was gradu-
ated with highest honors in spite Of
the competition he got from a runner
up, Ulysses Grant, Sd, who would have
been head Of the class under ordinary
circumstances. But Gen. Macarthur was
llO SS1uEVlltoi. AAC "oo Ode W
write his name in the sky in capital
letters.
Besides an alert mind, he had other
equipment. For one thing he was spec
tacularly handsome and, for that matter,
still is Equally important. he developed
very early a political skill which has
helped him to steer through Army and
civilian jealousies and rivalries and with
this went a strong sense of the dra-
matte.
Won World War Glory.
The first World War was for Doug
las Macarthur the same kind OF chance
for glory that the Civil War had been
| for his father, who enlisted at the age
of 16 and rose to colonel at 20. And he
took it in his stride. AS commander Of
the Rainbow Division he made a sensa
tional reputation. One Of his citations
in 1918 read:
"As brigade commander, Gen. Mac
Arthur personally led his men and by
the skillful maneuvering OF his brigade
made possible the capture of hills 228,
242 and the Cote de Caatillon. He dis
played indomitable resolution and great
courage in rallying broken lines and in
reforming attacks, thereby making vic
tory possible. On a field where courage
was the rule, his courage was the DOM
inant feature
Such citations are seldom given to
general officers In fact, there was some
apprehension that Gen. Macarthur was
for commanding officer almost too
needless of his own personal safety Re-
turning in blaze of glory, he was
named superintendent of West Point,
from which he had been graduated only
16 years before.
From West Point he was ordered to
the Philippines for his second tour of
duty there. Straight out Of the Point he
had gone to the islands as young Sec
ond lieutenant in the Engineer Corps to
supervise the building OF docks and
wharves. During his second tour the new
brigadier general was so successful that
he was returned in 1928 to be COM
mander of the entire Philippine Depart
ment of the United States Army.
Up to the time of his appointment as
Chief Of Staff the record of his career is
an improbable success story All the good
fairies in the world were perched on his
shoulder to guarantee him health, wealth
and happiness. In 1882 at the bottom
Of the depression, when the tide of re-
action against the first World War and
the evils that came out Of it was strong
est, Gen. Macarthur had something OF
a comeuppance.
President Hoover, who had unhappily
of the American freighter Aztec, the first
American armed ship to be attacked in