The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-09
interpreting
The War
BY KlRkE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press News Ar.,,

President Trumans appoin,r,.
of General Omar N Bradley .
administrator of veterans sff.ir,
to succeed Brigadier Genera
Frank T. Hines, resigned, +oo,
Washington by complete surprj,
for more than one reason.
1t not only tended to take ,es.
sure off the Congressional il. eli.
cation OF that administration BIT
presumably removed Bradley from
the group of European war se,.
soned four star army commando,
available for redeployment agsjnst
Japan.
There has been no indication .,
yet from any quarter as 10 inst
where General Eisenhower bieb.
est ranking American subordinate,
except General Doolittle. com.
manding the Eighth Air Force ar.
to be fitted into the campao,
beyond the Pacific. General PAT.
ton. whose Third Army was IN.
cutting edge of Bradley's 18th Ar.
my Group in the amazing sveen
from Normandy 10 the German
frontier after the Averanches
break-through. has expressed the
hope that his next ASSIGNMENT
would be TO fight the Japs."
The maneuvers that gave Pat.
tons tanks their chance, however
were devised and executed nv
Bradley For that and for other
reasons military historians are
certain to write Bradley down az
one of the outstanding army aroup
commanders developed in the war
in Europe. His re-deployment
against Japan in some similar
capacity had been more or less
taken for granted up to the Pres.
dents announcement that he had
been offered and accepted the lob
of "modernizing' the Veterans
Administration for the heavy ad.
, ditional burden this war has
created for it.
There is a factor involved in
redeployment of American gen.
erals from Europe against Japan,
however, that has a bearing on
the situation. It is automatic that
commanders-in-chief in the field
to very large extent select their
own chief subordinates. In the first
world war General Pershing as
commander of American expedi.
tionary forces in France and Italy
also had the final say as to what
division commanders even should
be sent to join him. He picked his
own Army and corps commanders
and doubtless General Eisenhow.
er did the same for his American
Armies.
General Macarthur as Army
commander of the Macarthur
Nimitz twin command against Jap
an would naturally have decl'
sive say in selection of the top
flight officers who are to func'
ton under him. 1t would be no
more than natural as his forces
are expanded that he should pick
his group and Army commanders
among the generals with whom he
has been associated in action up
to now and whose special capa-
cities he has learned,
No disparagement Of veteran
commanders of the European war
would be involved. The war with
Japan both up to now and on 10
its conclusion will be striklng-y
different sort of war from that
in Europe in many respects
will involve amphibious operations
over greater distances than were
negotiated in any European &C.
ton, call for experience with Jap
anese defensive techniques learn
ed in hard school in the Pacific
Redeployment against Japan
involves many problems And moi
the least troublesome element Of
the job is redeployment OF the
considerable number Of three ana
four star generals Of proven capa
city made available by GermanyS