The Wilmington morning star., 1943-09-22
MARSHALL SLATED
TO HEAD ALLIES
CONTINUED From Page One)

General Dwight D. Eisenhower
in the Mediterranean theater,
General Douglas Macarthur in
the Southwest Pacific and Ad-
miral Lord Mountbatten in
Southeastern Asia might stir
debate in Britain. 1t is under
stood to be wholly acceptable
to Canada, however, and SO far
as known to French forces in
the Mediterranean.
One thing is absolutely GER
tain. General Marshall stands
SO high in President Roosevelt's
estimation both personally and
for his professional attainments
that the White House would
veto any change in his present
assignment that Marshall HIM
self opposed, that was not
definite recognition of his abili-
ties and-perhaps most of all
that President Roosevelt did not
regard as an important contri-
button to victory over the AXIS.
The primary and dominating
element of Allied war plans
still is to smash Germany first,
then turn the full weight OF
ever increasing Anglo.Ameri-
can armed power on Japan.
For that reason General Mar
shall is expected to assume
command of the "direct attack
across the English Channel on
Germany in France and the low
countries" for which Prime
Minister Churchill told Parlia-
ment today the present Medi'
terranean campaign was IAN
essential preliminary"
"Our toughest job is to reach
Berlin and Marshall is the
toughest soldier we (the Allies
have got to do it, a high
placed government official told
this writer today.
1t was also indicated that in
General Marshall the Anglo
American joint chiefs of staff
saw the only officer of either
nation to whose supreme COM
mand both could intrust the
tremendous task of completing
the victory. 1t will involve. 1t
is indicated, not only placing
Britian's main army, her home
fleet and her home air forces
under other than a British CONF
mander for the far-reaching Of
fensive actions across the chan.
mel contemplated: but even link
ing the operations in the Paci-
fic. in Asia and India and in
China with unified central
field command in due course.
I believe General Marshall
gave some hint Of his own
view of the relative importance
of his present assignment as
Army chief of staff: the super
field command for which he has
been nominated in his testi-
mony this week before Con-
gressionaI committees. In urg-
ing that no legislative step to
halt or delay the flow of men
into the ranks be taken, such
as the proposed ban on draft
ing pre-PearI Harbor fathers,
he made it clear that he regard
ed his task of organizing and
training the victory army as
virtually completed.
The American Army has
Preached its peak" in training
and was poised for aggressive
action" he said, adding that to
defer or halt planned new man.
poWtT quOtdS lot tltc Amy
now "wouId emascuIate the tail
end of our Army" He made
it clear that in his Judgment
the job at home from now on
will be the furnishing of ade-
Guate requirements in men and
munitions for forces now on
the fighting fronts or scheduled
to embark soon.
BY implication that apprise-
mcnt of the status of the Army
as of today means that the
function of chief of staff at
home is destined to become
largely routine matter of
meeting the requirements of
the force overseas. There is no
question that General Marshall
would prefer field command
even if it did not include globaI
functions.