Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-05
Macarthur
Both Human
And Capable
General Is Painstakinq
Loves LimeIight
BY HUGH $. JOHNSON

by HUGH -. JOHNSON
IT Is rare to pick up paper
these days, and not find a
biographical or character sketch
about my ClaSSmate, Douglas
Macarthur Since he is Just now
about the most luminous figure
on the globe, that is easily un-
dcrstood. Everybody wants 10
know what manner Of man he is.
Because he Is a most unusual
type and time for research l. so
short. the danger to Mac is that
he VIII be made into a myth a
paragon Of perfection 10 which
no man can aspire in daily living
Weeks ago. this column tried
n very short profile but confined
itself TO guess from his char
aCtcr and personal knowledge Of
the ground as 10 how he would
conduct the retreat from Lin
gaNan and the defense of Bataan
guess Of which the very last
verse Is yet 10 be written, but
which was, otherwise 100 per
cent accurate.
NOC cant be brought mp from
L boyhood with a man under
old West Point conditions and
believe he j. any myth or not
understand him AS we'll As YOU
would your brother.
More than one battle and AZ
least one campaign Cthe march
through Georgia. was decided
by the knowledge by one com
mander OF Just what the other
would do in a given set Of CIR
cum>tanccS, knowledge cleaned
from the check by ioWl living
among A few score cadets AZ the
academy and IN service after
ward
For example Sherman Tor ono
NJ his staff knew that tho way
10 Savannah was open because
the headlonG Hood would surely
strike AZ his communications.
and wear himself out against
the rock bound Thomas.
NO. MACARTHUR is no Nd
~ mTahie Crichlon and far
from being Supcrhuman he l. a.
COmpanlonahlc -comrade- ~ a
man could wish ancCtlonatc.
generous Con~lderate and kind
He does have certain qualities
IN me super Ia tive. He was
simply born without IN" emotion
Of fear. He docs not lose his
head IN making decisions under
any excitement He has far
better than a good m cntal
equipment
BY itself Il is not genius but,
when YOU add 10 u fourth SUI
perlativc quality II amounts 10
tho m . thing That fourth
quality Is a passion for p"ricc-
tiOn in everything he docs For
this. he viii make any sacrifice
Of umc and effort HIS was not
the best brain that ! encoun-
tered A. West Point but lt>
product marched with the best
because ne made ~ 50.
LIE HAS one great Wcaknc,,
III He has the instinct Of q
great actor for The imcIICh'.
When Nc got, u he is not un-
likely 10 pose. He deserves ~
now a. richly * any hero IN
history. but even when h"
doesn't. he j. apt 10 use words
appropriate 20 that glare and
some times they could make
HIM look a little silly
Perhaps the only record by
Robert f.. Lee Of departure
from icy conversational proprl-
ctN was when somebody showed
hum the order OF the bomba>tIc
Federal general Pope coming
from the west 10 retrieve the
disasters OF the army Of the
Potomac.
II assured his soldiers that hc
was accustomed 10 seeing only
the backs of his enemies and.
in derlSlon Of precedent com
mandcrS. was captIoncd Head
quarters IN the Saddle ~. Leo :
comment vas.
Queer place for a generals
headquarters"
Almost Immediately the bat
tie Of the second Bull Run cor
Second Manassas was fought
and Stoncwall Jackson had made
the great White hope of tho
western front look like . busted
lance corporal Al country far.
Macarthur Will never make
exactly that kind Of a bull be-
cause. regardless of his fair for
fine writing and pulp-papcr,
come the daVnS ne has every
thing else II takes 10 be- a great
soldier and. whTCh j. tho point
OF this piece, a very human
soldier.
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