Evening star., 1945-11-21
Eisenhower and Nimitz
Prepare 70 Take Over
Top Posts in Services
By. the Associated Press,


went a major shift in top com
rnands today in the midst of al
interservice controversy owe
proposals to merge them.
President Truman announce.
the biggest shakeup in the defens
departments since before the wal
with these four changes:
l. Gen. George c. Marshall, 64
year-old Army Chief of Staff, re
tires, to be succeeded by Gen
Dwight D. Eisenhower, SIS.
2. Admiral Ernest J. King. VIII
will be 81 Friday, retires as Chic
of Naval Operations, and Admira
Chester w. Nimitz, 60, takes hi
place.
3. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, So
who recently was acting Allied su
preme commander in the Mediter
ranean theater, succeeds Gen. Els
enhower as commanding general O
the American forces in the Euro
pean theater, commander in chic
of the United States occupation
forces in Germany and American
representative on the Allied Con.
troll Council of Germany.
Spruance Heads Pacific Fleet.
4. Admiral Raymond A. Spru.
ance, wartime commander of the
5th Fleet, who has been described
by associates as -bloodec
fighting fool" becomes commander.
tn-chief of the Pacific Fleet in place
of Admiral Nimitz. Admiral Spru.
ance is SO.
The shifts were announced at 8
late afternoon news conference yes.
terday. Mr.. Truman also said Gen
Brehon B. Somervell, commander ot
the Army Service forces, and Gen
Henry H. Arnold, chief of the Army
Air Forces, had asked to be relieved
too, but he had not consented tc
their retirement at this time.
However, the War Department
said today that Gen. Somerven will
be retired when discharged from ar
Army hospital, where he is con.
valescing from a minor operation
He has been treated for hernia al
Ashford General Hospital, White
Sulphur Springs, W. Va, and has
requested terminal leave when he
leaves there.
The President said both Gen
Marshall and Admiral King hao
sought retirement after Japan sur
rendered, but that he had prevailed
on them to stay until now.
Asked about the difference in
views on the Army-Navy merger
with Gen. Eisenhower favoring it
and Admiral Nimitz now opposing
Mr.. Truman said he would state his
own attitude in message to Con-
gress and after that all will be in
the same boat. He did not amplify
Truman Praises Marshall.
In a formal statement, the Pres
ident said Gen. Marshall feels that
his primary duty of directing the
mobilization, training and employ
ment of the wartime army has been
completed and that decisions bear
ing on IAN interim and postwar
army" should be made by successor
Mr.. Truman reiterated his view
that Gen. Marshall sis the greatest
military man that this country ever
produced-or any other country, for
that matter"
Pending Senate action on Gen.
EiSenhower's nomination, the Pres
ident named the 55-year-o old Kansan
as acting chief of staff. effective
Immediately.
Admiral Nimitz will eeturn to the
Pacific to turn over his command to
Admiral Spruance, then return here
for a few weeks rest before taking
over Admiral Kings place. Mr.
Truman said the change would come
some time after Christmas.
Immediate reaction on Capitol
Hill to the command shifts was
uniformly favorable.
Changes Long Expected.
The Marshall Eisenhower and
King -Nimitz changes have long
been expected. Their names were
on nearly every lip during the war,
but the public has heard only inter-
mitently about Gen. McNarney and
Admiral Spruance.
Gen. McNarney. native of EN-
porium, Pa, last May was given
large proportion of the credit for
the successful conclusion of the
Italian campaign" by Field Marshal
Sir Harold Alexander, in comforting
on Gen. McNarney the Order of
Knight Commander of the Bath.
After wartime duty in Washington
and London, Gen. McNarney went
to the Mediterranean theater as
deputy supreme Allied commander
and commander of the United
States Army forces in 1914 He now
Is in Washington.
Admiral Spruance was in charge
of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands
invasions and of the carrier task
force hits at Truk, the Palau Islands
and the Marianas
Marshall in Army 43 Years.
Gen. Marshall is leaving after 43
years of Army life. He served as
staff officer in World War I and
became chief of staff September /,
1899, at the outbreak of the Euro
pean war.
Gen. Eisenhower, his successor,
was Allied commander in chief
throughout the North African in
vasion and supreme Allied COM
mander of the western invasion of
Europe. He was tank corps Off
Ger in World War I.
Admiral King was the first officer
to have the double title of COM
mander in chief of the United
States Fleet and chief of naval
operations, although the former
title was abolished several months
ago in a Navy reorganization.
Admiral NimitZ, the new chief Of
naval operations, was jumped over
% senior admirals to succeed Rear
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel as
Pacific Fleet commander shortly
after Pearl Harbor.
Gen. Eisenhower, in Chicago for
the American Legion Convention,
sent a telegram through the War
Department to President Truman
expressing thanks for the conf
dence reposed in him by the ap-