Evening star., 1943-09-05
Allies Open Fifth Year War Invasion Against
Army Leaders
Continued From Page BID

written. there was no doubt that Gen.
Eisenhower would be In chief command
when Allied armies for the first time set
foot on the Mediterranean mainland Of
Axis territory.
The Army inherited numbers Of lieu
tenant colonies from the first World War.
Many others, like Eisenhower, had at
tended the principal service schools,
acted as regional officers at various posts
and served tours on the General STAFF
in Washington. 1t was Gen. Marshall
who discerned In Eisenhower a genius
for battle administration on a cont.
mental scale and for the subtle diplomatic
skill and tact which are indispensable to
military alliances. i
Credit to Gen. Marshall.
Astonishment has frequently been ex-
pressed that In the brief space OF some
two years this country has been able to
develop so many brilliant generals for
coping with the great Axis armies which
during many years had been preparing
for war. 1t is generally agreed that the
parsonage fundamentally responsible,
though he has shrunk from public praise,
Is Gen. Marshall, with his uncanr,y
knack for sizing up men. The list OF
those whom he has unearthed or devel-
oped, and intrusted with full authority,
speaks for itself.
Gen. Arnold has built up the Air
Forces from a negligible section Of the
Army to an organization on parity with
the ground forces, including infantry,
artillery and armor. The name OF Gen.
Someryel has become q proverb for
toughness and capacity, in the re-
doubtable job Of supplying and arming
the new force of 100000 soldiers. Gen.
McNair had direct charge of their train
ing. the soundness of which has been
demonstrated by the rapidity with which
American troops never before under fire
have been transformed into veterans.
The roster Of Gen. Marshalls boys"
on service overseas includes such notably
successful leaders as 1t. Gen. George S.
Patton, jr., commander Of the 7th Army.
and his two corps commanders, 1t. Gen.
Omar N. Bradley and Maj Gen. Geof-
frey Keyes; Maj. Gen. Alexander M.
Patch, who wound up the campaign on
Guadalcanal: 1t. Gen. Robert L. Eichel-
berger, commander OF ground forces In
New Guinea; 1t. Gen. Millard r. Har-
mon, commanding general, under Ad-
miral Halsey. of United States Army
Forces In the South Pacific area; 1t.
Gen. Mark w. Clark, knight errant Of
the African expedition and commander
Of the United States 5th Army; 1t. Gen.
Simon B. Buckner. IT,, commander In
Alaska, and 1t. Gen. George H. Brett,
chief OF the Caribbean Defense Com.
mand, including the Panama Canal.
Then there are 1t. Ger. Carl spaatz,
commander of the North African Air
Forces, and Maj. Gen. James Doolittle,
leader Of the raid on Toxic and COM
msnder Of Strategic Air Forces in North
Africa: 1t. Gen. Robert c. Richardson
| jr., commander Of the Hawaiian Depart
| ment, and 1t. Gen. Jacob l.. Deyers, who
succeeded to command of United States
Forces in the European theater after the
| death Of another Marshall protege, 1t
Gen. Frank M. Andrews, in an airplane
crash in Iceland.
So far as is known, there has been
only single disappointment in the
Chief OF Stairs long slate OF appointees.
One OF his major generals, possibly
through no fault of his own, met with
reverses In combat area abroad. He
was promptly recalled and transferred
to an administrative post in the United
States.
Printed by Special Arransement With the d.
Louis Post-Dispatch)