Evening star., 1943-10-01
Australian Editor
BIames IsoIationists
In Macarthur Case

Gently UiSited the United States
and is in a position to erpress his
ute1DS on the political aspects OF
the Gen. Macarthur situation.
He is one of the leading journal
lists in AuStralid)
BY ERIC KENNEDY,
Chief Executive Oficer of the Associated
Newspapers of Australia, Publishers O.
the Sydney Sun.
SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. l CBy
Wireless) TO discover why there
are sudden stirring and shouting
. about Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
command and strategy, you must
discover the people in the United
States who started the controversy
You must remember that 1914 is q
presidential year.
In the United States presidential
year is period of tumult when poll
tics is the one absorbing topic of
Senators and Representatives Party
machines started to shape and prop
agate issues as early as May of this
year, and when left the country in
August some plans had begun to
develop.
One of them was the first Mac
Arthur for President" club, founded
significantly in Chicago, the home
of the McCormicks' anti-British
Tribune. 1t was not clear who was
financing this organization. which
launched itself without the sanction
of Gen, Macarthur and without even
discovering his wishes.
Talked to COP Senators.
The movement was foreshadowed
In conversations I had with Repub-
lican Senators in Washington last
May. They spoke of spontaneous
demand by the people for a Presi-
dent who would be above politics
and who would lead them into years
of peace untinged by political
dogma"
1t should be repeated that the idea
came from Republicans and that
IColdCllJ lloOSCfClJ ID n L.
The Republicans think there is little
chance, if any. if the probable Re-
publican candidate is Wendell L.
Wlllkie or Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
of New York. of defeating President
Roosevelt if he is nominated for a
fourth term. Therefore, they are
seeking to draft" Gen Macarthur.
or. if that fails. to create situation
which would embarraSs the present
administration.
The introduction of the Mount
batten- Macarthur controversy sug-
gests that Gen Macarthur has re-
fused to be drafted" for the presi-
Dental nomination. Those who
know him best would not expect him
to resign his command in the mid
die OF a war in order to fight an
election campaign against his COM
mander in chief. President Roose-
welt, so the old. isolationist, anti
British press partisans are seeking
new agitation
Called yelled Cry"
1t is not, basically. an argument
about strategy, of which they can
not be aware or of the ability of
which they may not be good judges
1t is a veiled cry that the American
general may be Subordinated to the
British. 1t is an attempt to prey
upon American patriotism and pride
If Lord Louis Mountbattens COM
mand is to be dominant. that deci-
sion was made by President Roose-
welt, Prime Minister Churchill and
the combined chiefs of staff. Every
commanding general is a servant of
those civil and military leaders
There is no resentment in Great
Britain that Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hover commands the Mediterranean
campaign. On the contrary, he is
held in the highest esteem as
an administrator who successfully
welded the soldiers of many ma
tlonalities into one army.
There has never been any COM
ment in the British press nor by
men vitally concerned that such ex-
perlenced fighting generals as Sir
Harold R. L. G. Alexander and Sir
Bernard L. Montgomery were made
subservient to Gen Eisenhower
This is because it Is not a political
Issue. Unity is of paramount i'm
portance.
Blames Newspapers.
Gen. Macarthur already has made
the pronouncement of a good SOL
dier, that he will serve in any re-
quired capacity to insure victory for
the land he loves. But we may ex-
pect the Chicago Tribune. the New
York Daily News and the New York
Mirror, among others. to keep the
drums beating and maintain a con-
tlnuous endeavor to provoke patri-
otic emotions which can be diverted
into a dislike of President Roosevelt
and the Democratic Party.
The same group hailed Nine.
Chang Kai-shek and backed her
recent campaign in the United
States. 1t did nothing less than ap-
peal to the American people for
more aid to China above the heads
OF the administration and above the
decisions of the chiefs of staff on
which is laid the responsibility of
winning the war. That was another
attempt to embarrass the admins
tration. but the President, who is
also good politician, handled the
situation superbly.
The real danger to the world in
herent in political jockeying is that
the isolationists may have some sue
cess in provoking anti British feel
ing by their present tactics. Think
ing people all around the world
realize that the English-speaking
nations must emerge from the war
united to such a degree that the
unity will continue. Otherwise,
there is little chance of lasting
peace.
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