The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-02-05

clerk: Doesn't that guy upsts
That guy upstairs" = Douglas
Macarthur, field marshal of the
Philippine army knew only too
well what time 1t was. He knew
not only the hour of day. but the
hour OF history. Time, precious
time in which to make the Philip
pine Islands secure. was fleeting.
10 h ives working, striding
mp and down. - was his
habit, through the long ex-
panse Of his living room. lined
with hooks and autographed
photographs Of former army
buddies.
AZ he worked he occasionally
looked out his window at the lights
blinking IN the harbor below.
Manila Bay. There was q name
to conjurs with in American his
tory. Manila Bay = start Of the
chain Of events that was to give
these islands the independence
that he was now working to en-
able them to def nd
BELIEVED implicitly
IN THE PHILIPPINES
TT was he who believed most
L stubbornly that they could be
defended. His old and good friend,
Philippines President Quezon had
put the question TO him bluntly:
Are the islands defensible ?"
That's a relative question, Mac
Arthur had said. Nothing is de-
fensible against any possible COM
bination Of forces. But, he said.
the Philippines can be made 80
strong that the cost Of conquest
would exceed any economic JUS
tification for trying to conquer
them.
MacArthur's belief In the
Philippines defensibility was
!. bolstered by his determination
to defend them. This sprang
in part from his Philippine
background and his love of the
Filipinos. More than that, he
saw their importance TO the
q. q ~Whils not the door 10
the Pacific, or even the lock
Of thu door 10 the Pacific,
they are truly the key which
turns the lock which opens
the door to the Pacific" he
had said. He wanted that key
kept away from Americas
enemies.
When Macarthur went to the
island a. military advisor to the
Philippine Army in 1885, defense
forces there numbered about 10,-
900 - Philippine scouts and con-
stabulary. His was q 10-year plan
to make the islands strong enough
to preserve their independence by
the time they won it-1e46.
WORKED CEASELESSLY
To BUILD DEFENSE
He would raise q conscript army
Of 10000 a year. bringing a 10-year
total of 400, 900. These men, train
ed at the model West Point he es-
tablished on the islands, equipped
with planes and given sea protec-
ton with q fleet of motor torpedo
boats, would do the trick, he
. thought. He worked ceaselessly to
build this defense.
Despite the hard work, life
In Manila was pleasant for
Macarthur. In 1897 he had
married for the second time.
His wife was the former Jean
Marie Faircloth, of Murfrees-
boro, Tenn. The MacArthurs
had one son, now four years
old, named Arthur after the
generals father.
In Aurfreesboro, they think of
Gen. Douglas Macarthur a. Jean
Marie Faircloth's husband.
They call him the general" be-
cause that's the say Jean Marie
refers TO her husbgnd when writ
ing of him to friends. These
friends were long worried over
the whereabouts Of Mrs. Mac
Arthur. When the war broke out,
she was living in Manila, now
occupied by the japanese.
But recently her aunt, Mrs.
Marie Beard Glenn, of Louisville,
Ky. said that Secretary of State
Hull had notified her that Mrs.
Macarthur and the boy were safe
In the Philippines. Exact location
Of their haven was not revealed.
Mrs. MacArthur's brother,
Cameron Fairchild, Nashville,
Tenn, bread company execu-
tive, and for that matter the
people of Murfreesboro. have
never seen General Macarthur.
Even Jean Marie has not visit
ed home since she married In
YNnTEp Tim