Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-16

Leahy said that Marshall would
never send message like that to
anybody, much less to Macarthur
When Admiral Leahy, at the news
paperman's request. asked Mar
shall about it. the general laughed
1t off. Having served under Mac
Arthur-whose abilities he respects
1t is difficult for him not to regard
Macarthur as a senior officer. Gen
Eisenhower, OF course, is one of his
own boys. Gen. Marshall never or
dered Macarthur 10 do anything
Instructions to Macarthur from
Washington went through the Joint
Chiefs Of Staff. The same channels
were used for instructions to Eisen-
hover, but Gen. Marshall would sup
plement them, in the case of Eisen-
hover. with personal messages OF
his own. A member of Marshall s
staff described Eisenhower's senti-
ments toward the Chief of Staff as
those of a son to his father.
Gen. Marshall is curious,y sensi-
tive to criticism of the Army, espe-
cially that type of criticism which
Indicates that the War Department
does not know what it is doing. He
contends that the War Department
has put lot more time and study
into policies than the critics, which
probably is true His sensitiveness
however. is one reason for his
promptness to initiate investigation
OF the cause for criticism, although
he does not always think it worth
while to correct public impression
based on incorrect statement of fact
Unless it is important, he is inclined
to silence rather than explanation
Only once has the general gotten
himself involved in public row, and
that was when an eminent Ameri-
can figure" Zone of the terms en-
ployed to describe the ANONYMOUS
spokesman cut loose early in Jan.
uary OF 1874 with sharp words to the
effect that it was a damnable out
rage against the people of the United
States that the United States Army
had been ordered to take over the
railroads in the middle of a war
Those who heard the remark also
witnessed a wholesomely genuine
demonstration of righteous indig-
nation.
But the point overlooked, in the
uproar which followed. was that the
eminent American figure" was not
criticizing the potential strikers-al-
though organized labor Spokesman
were quick so to interpret it. The
eminent American figure" was con-
demning the spectacle of the Army's
being ordered to take over the rail-
roads and the Interpretation of that
spectacle abroad. The incident was
phenomenal. in that the eminent
American figure" though thinly
clothed in anonymity, was generally
identified as Marshall, and Mar
shalPs words carried such weight
that mere suggestion of their source
made the statement a bombshell.
Gen. Marshall never did admit
that he was the eminent American
figure" and I am not saying he was.
4 4
Driving back from Leesburg one
Sunday evening, Gen. Marshall had
to stop for gas. The filling station
was crowded and there was some
delay before the general, driving his
own car and wearing civilian clothes
got near the pump. The car ahead
delayed things further. 1t was oc-
cupied by two privates and their
girl friends and they were having q
lot Of fun, deciding to fill themselves
with soft drinks while the gas was
going into the tank. After getting
their gas the soldiers kept right on
drinking cokes, holding up the Chief
Of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff thereupon got
out and respectfully asked the SOL
diers If they would mind moving to
one side, so he could get some gas.
Keep your shirt on, buddy" one
of the soldiers replied-and kept on
having q good time.
Whereupon the Chief of Staff OF
the United States Army retired
meekly to his car and sat there,
keeping his shirt on until the
privates went on their way.
In addition to his craftsmanship
and his military genius, Gen. Mar
shalfs place IN history is all the
more secure because of his added
ability, under the enormous pres
alres OF the past four years, to keep
hts shirt Cd.