The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-22
Marshall, Macarthur
Are Military Mysteries
Continued from Page ~

q new assignment for General Mar
shall. On equally reliable authority,
some Of Marshall'S highest ranking
colleagues have appealed to the Pres
ident to leave him right where he
Is. They argued that the American
joint chiefs Of staff have become
q proven team and should not be
disturbed.
Admiral william D. Leahy, Mr..
Roosevelt's personal Chief Of Staff,
is senior member of the joint chiefs.
The others are Marshall, Admiral
e. j. King, Commander Chief Of
the U. s. Fleet and Chief Of naval
operations, and General Henry II.
Arnold, commanding General Army
Air Forces. Each Of these gentlemen
flies q four starred flag.
First Marshall development came
16 days ago In q published report
that he had been picked to COM
mand Anglo-American troops for
next years expected invasion Of
western Europe from British bases.
| Among some of Marshall's assoc
iates and In Congress there began
to develop gradually alarm and q
determination to oppose his he-as-
signment, however much he, him
self, might like to swap his global
desk Job here for q field command.
Manifestation
outward manifestations OF that
alarm and determination came last
weekend, notably In an Army and
Navy journal editorial decrying such
o move and asserting that powerful
forces sought to get Marshall out
of Washington.
The Army and Navy Journal is
not an official publication. But 1t
Is house organ Of the military
services, nevertheless, and its edi-
torial had considerable impact here.
That was true especially in con-
gress where Marshall's prestige Is
enormous and where there is some
strong feeling that he is more essen
tial as ssEef OF staff than as q bat
tie general In Europe, or anywhere.
One published report over the
weekend suggested that Marshall
might be given big Allied COM
mand in the west to Offset any feel
ing among Americans that Lord
Louis Mountbatten had encroached
in any way on MacArthur's scope
of operations In the Asiatic- Pacific
theater. That slender link might
warrant consideration Of the posi-
bility that the Marshall Macarthur
mysteries are in some way related.
The first current whisper Of q
global command for Marshall en-
bracing all British and American
armed forces came late last week
In several conversations here al
though nothing was published. AS
long ago as last January there was
current among some responsible ad-
ministration members belief that
Marshall was in line for such q po-
sition. But there were no develop
mentS.
Interpretation
One Interpretation placed here on
reports Of the sudden and vigorous
revival Of such plan Is that pub.
lie discussion of Marshalls possible
transfer to an Allied command lin
tied to Europe was. arousing too
much opposition. Therefore, 1t Is
suggested it was desirable to make
the proposed new post so attractive
that none could challenge the pro-
priety Of the shift.
During last months Quebec con-
ference, which brought Mr.. Roose-
welt, Churchill and high Anglo
American military leaders together,
1t Is authoritatively stated that Mar
sf1alls assignment to the European
command was discussed.
Another report goes further to
suggest that the possibility of seri-
Gus opposition to Marshall'S trans
fer was foreseen. Thereupon there
were suggestions that Marshall
might transfer his headquarters to
London and undertake additional
active military command duty
or acting chief of staff functioned
here in Washington until he re-
turned. Such an interim successor
would be picked by and be accept
able to Marshall. Such dual re-
sponsibility might be interpreted as
O degree of global command.
The Presidents military advisers
- or some Of them - are UNDER
stood to have argued then, as now,
that Marshall Is invaluable where
he Is. That for him to undertake
all or part Of his chief Of staaf
responsibilities from q London
headquarters would be o mistake be-
cause washington is the natural
center for q global war. London
was opposed as too far from the
| Pacific theater.
Substantially those arguments
are believed TO have been put Wig
orously 70 Mr.. Roosevelt within
the past week.
Although the Army and Navy
Journal and other publications have
charged that certain forces were
| attempting 10 Dust Marshall a. chief
OF staff = kick him upstaiTs-theFe
has been no public Identification
OF those fofces other than some e0Ia-
gFessioaal flngeF-p0inting ct the
British.
But. perauaaiFRlv nulfenlie Il tle
word passing around washington o.
N4mes a4aAA nmM - sAaa IMesesaa44sMH ri.