The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-01-09

FRIDAY. JANUARY 9. 1912
KEEP THE FLAG FLYING"


men "to fire faster and not TO
give up the ship"
An official dispatch during the
Civil War exhorted: If anyone
attempts to haul down the Amer
lean flag, shoot him on the spot"
Lieut.. Gen. Douglas Macarthur
was more soft.spoken. All he said
was:
Lets keep the flag flying"
The Japanese had bombed Luzon
for a week They had shown all
too frequently a capacity for hit
ting what they aimed at. 1t was
only natural that an officer should
suggest that the American flag
flying from the far eastern Army's
headquarters might serve the ia
panese as target.
But Army men, who saw him in
action on the western front in
the first World War, were not sur
prised when they read MacArthur's
reply;
Take every other normal pre-
caution OF the headquarters, but
let's keep the flag flying
II was "a typical Macarthur
gesture" comrade of the 81
year old far eastern commander
says. for Macarthur is every inch
a soldier.
He has his enemies who will say
that he has been a society sol
der" They will point out that
his first wife was Louise Cromwell.
sister of James H. r. Cromwell
and stepdaughter of multi-million-
aire Edward T. Stotesbury.
He belonged to the "horsey" set,
he wore his brassed hat at an un-
military rakish angle; he liked TO.
wear his ribbons and display his
% or so decorations; even wore
plum-colored ties with his khaki
shirt.
But the men who got shot with
him in France say:
Doug" is no martinez; he is
handsome. trim, well set up leon
inc, but he doesn't impose his
standards on anyone else; he re-
members his juniors names, and
when be says glad TO see you
he means IL.
And no one doubts that Mac
Arthur will do lis part to keep
the flag flying wherever he is in
command.
In the World War" a colleague
recalls. he was always up at the
front line. He WIS always getting
wounded. Yet he was always calm
and serene In the thick of
things be would light a cigarette
as though he we're watching
baseball game"
But the orally-'round-the-flag
boys" days when soldiers took
turns getting shot while defending
the colors are gone. The flag
isn't carried into the front lines
anymore, and the front lines are
wherever the bombs fall. So why
shouldn't the flag be lowered over
MacArthur's headquarters in the
Philippines?
No reason at all-unless you
know Macarthur.
To know Macarthur you have
to know that:
He was born TO the service, son
of Lieut.. Gen. Arthur Macarthur,
military governor Of the Philip
pines in 1900.
He was graduated from West
Point at the top Of his class in
1908.
He served spectacularly as com
mander Of the Rainbow Division
in France.
He was the youngest superinten-
dent at West Point-19l9.
He was the youngest active
major general in the Army 1926.
He was the youngest chief Of
staff Of the Army-1930-l935.
At 80 he was a four star gen
eral Five years later he was
borrowed" by President Manuel
Quezon-the same Quezon who as
an insurgent had surrendered TO
his father-and made a field marsh
all in the Philippines.
On July 81. 1871. President
Roosevelt appointed him command
ing general Of the United states
armed forces in the Far East.
Macarthur. who had served two
previous tours OF duty in the Phil
ippines, was originally commission
ed 10 make the island impregna-
Bile by 1916. He had four years
TO 20 but had gone long way to
ward his goal when the japanese
struck.
The Japanese hated Macarthur
and tried to get Quezon to dismiss
him. They called him Japan
ophobe"
But Macarthur stayed on AMI the
japanese struck, confirming his
distrust of them.
Those familiar with the direct
ness OF his deeds-l8 OF his decor
stions were for gallantry in action
sometimes express amazement at
the occasional roundaboutness OF
his speaking style.
"These islands" he once said,
may not be the door to the con
troll Of the Pacific, they may not
be even the lock to the door. But
they are surely the key 10 the
lock that opens the door-for
America. dare not allow that
key TO be lost"
----O----
Mo- Mod M@no,,