Evening star., 1943-09-29

any future plans for Gen Marshall
At his press conference yesterday
the Chief Executive admitted that
there had been what he described as
leaks from high places, adding that
probably 10 per cent of the high Off
cials in Washington leak badly al
though the other 90 per cent are
pretty good eggs. 1t was also made
plain that the White House resents
published charges that the reported
transfer of Gen. Marshall is a move
to get him out of the way in WASH
ington.
Telling questioner that there
was no news on Gen. Marshall s
status, the President explained that
when he said there was no news on
a subject at this time that might
mean there would be news two
weeks from now, or month or 10
months from now Or it might
mean, he said, that no decision
had been made.
Obviously, the President asserted,
he could not say anything about the
Marshall reports. Then he asked ::
Who's going to time the giving out
of proposed transfer? Is the press
going to do it? No. It's got to be
done when the time is ripe. There
may be discussion about transfers
without any decision having been
made. That is a perfectly natural
thing.
Mr.. Roosevelt read to reporters.
with obvious relish, excerpts from
two editorials in the New York
Herald Tribune which carried point
ed references to the nti-Roosevelt
press. One editorial remarked that
in all the columns about what had
been intimated learned, or said by
authoritative sources" about Gen.
Marshall, there has not appeared
a single solid fact backed up by a
man who would put his name to it
or support it, explicitly, by evidence
that. freshman in history would
look at twice"
whispering" Assailed.
The other editorial said mixture
OF unauthenticated news" rumor.
guesswork and innaendo which had
exploded a teapot tempest around
Gen. Marshall was a brilliant ex-
ample of how to obstruct the con-
duct of the war" and of "the vices
of that whispering gallery journal
ism into which we seem to be sink
ing"
The Chief Executive said he had
expected questions about Gen. Mar
shall. In addition to the editorials
on his desk there was a copyright
story by William K. Hutchinson.
chief of the Washington bureau of
the International News Service.
Passages had been underlined in red
pencil, and the President read the
first part OF the article, after en-
phasizing that it was written by the
head Of one of the great news agen-
cies. 1t was obvious to his listeners
that he objected to some parts. of it.
Behind efforts to kick Marshall
upstairs to global command of
Anglo American forces, the story
said, was plan of influential White
House advisers to give 1t. Gen. Bre-
hon B. Somervell, chief of the Army
supply Forces, control of the spend
ingtof $22, 600, 900 600 in the coming
year through reorganizatio of the
Army production front:
Mr. Hutchinson credited informed
sources with saying the motive was
to use the Army's production pro-
gram. except aircraft, as political
weapon in the 1874. presidential
.csn,pAisn.
SIS gShafer Mentions Article.
Representative Shafer, Republican,
of Michigan referred to the article
on the House floor yesterday and
declared that if he could prevent
thoSe Id the "cabal" mentioned from
taking over the War Department
and building 1t into a political ma
chine. he would be doing the Nation
a service.
Earlier. members of the Military
Affairs Committee, addressing the
House, quoted Gen Marshall as ap-
pealing for an end to talk about
political interference with the high
command which he told them, they
added, is not true and is doing
great harm to. the war effort"
The House talks followed early
morning conversations by members
of the committee with Gen. Marshall
and with Secretary of War Stimson.
Apparently they grew from last
weeks assertion by Mr.. Shafer that
the War Department was threatened
with conversion into a New Deal
political WPA."
Marshall Reports Harmony.
Committee members told the
House that Gen. Marshall assured
them there is complete harmony
and cooperation" between the War
Department and the administration
and among the Army's own high
ranking generals.
Gen. Marshall called me at my
residence this morning to express
very deep regret and deep concern
at some of the statements that have
appeared" said Representative
Thomason. Texas, ranking Demo-
cratic member of the Military
Affairs Committee.
He said 1t was seriously affecting
the war effort, and authorized me
and other members of the commit
tee to quote him and to express the
hope that such statements be not
repeated. Because. as I said, they