Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-19
MacAr+hur's
Appointment
Explained
Aussies, Fail 70 Develop
Top Officer Class
BY PAUL MALLON

lies the explanation for his new
position.
The United States would not
think of asking a Britisher TO
command It's defense of the Pa
cific coast, but Australia had 10
choose either an American or
BritiSher because il never organ
lied a professional peacetime
army and hence has not devel-
oped a large professional officer
class.
In the World Almanac under
armies, you will not find Aus
tralia listed. It's peacetime force
in January, 1889, numbered ONLY
1885 including technicians. etc.
That is natural. While il is
about as large as the United
States. il has about the same
number of inhabitants as New
York City, around 100000.
Australia has had some COM
pulsory military training in the
past and early in the war. or
gained its defense forces, so il
now has a formidable fighting
personnel, without experienced
top generals. All the Aussies
fighting with the British in
Libya and Malaga were volun-
teerS.
THE invitation TO Macarthur
l. was logical beyond conSidera-
ton of the fame he acquired in
the Philippines. He has had eX-
perience with the jungle-desert
type of warfare Australia will
need TO resist invasion.
A truly substantial number Of
American troops have been
landed there, whose officers are
old friends. Furthermore he is
our best soldier, in any climate.
The wisdom Of the Australian
statesmen is attested by the fact
Australian bonds went up $40
the day the appointment was
announced.
THE Jap propaganda threats
Il of Australian invasion sug-
gested the AusSies surrender in
the name-strangely enough-of
Providence. (Where did they
hear of Him?)
Only reaction here was a fear
the JapS would not attempt TO
carry out their threat. Australia
is not Malaga or Java. Five of
its seven millions live in the
southeast corner nearly 1000
miles away from the northern
tip.
In between is nice desert and
jungle where the Japs Will re-
ceive a hearty welcome far from
their home bases, while the
AuSSieS have railroads TO the
factories running back from the
front.
THE height to which the ire of
u Congress has risen was at
tested when the most ardent of
N ew Dealers, share-the-
weather. Farmer-Labor m an,
arose on the floor of the Senate
and spoke these following words:
"A storm of Indignation Is
rapidly rising i'm this country.
when II hits Washington i'm all
Its force IL will sweep away
every obstacle 10 our war effort.
and every person high or low
who stands i'm its way.
THE great majority OF or
gained Dor is cooperating
but there Is minority which
has not followed patriotic policy.
This Is equally true of manage
ment.
"Our government must he
stripped Immediately of nones-
sentials."
The speaker was one of the
last from whom such sentiments
might he expected, Senator Josh
Lee Of Oklahoma. Congress
seems TO mean II this time.
WHAT gets Mr.. Lee. prcSum-
w ably, is situations like that in
a propeller plant in New Jersey
where the most vital Of all our
war necessities cnCountere
Slow-downS due to iuriSdic.
tlonal labor dispute.
With hundreds. If not thou
sands of fighting planes living
around this country awaiting
propellerS, that plant has been
involved in a deep factional row
which has INSTRUCTED produc-
ton
Before tho war AFL tried 10
organize ii. An NLRB election
was held.
The independent union won
1896 10 526. Some Of the losing
526 came over and acuuIcscod
in the majority decision. but lust
enough remained adamant 10
keen trouble going.
The independent unit was
nevertheless certified as the bar
gaining agent September ) by
NLRB.
But on January -. 4 month
after the war started NLRB
withdrew It's decision. AL mon
claimed the independent union
was company dominated. a
charge not made in the first in
stance
a now election is being
sought despite The promised
iuriSdictional truce Of national