Evening star., 1946-04-21
Ralph IngersoN
Writes oVWid
War Record
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War keCOrd
TOP SECRET
By Ralph IngsrsoH. (Harcourt
Brace; 5000
There is a great deal of meat in
this book. There is a military &C
count of the Anglo-American in
vasion of Europe. There is politi-
cal analysis of SHAEF. There is
Ralph Ingersoll's estimate of the
future course which American for
eign policy must take. There are
some reflections on the lessons
which America may or may not
have learned from her war expe-
rience. All these elements are pro-
vocatively put, and sum up to a
brilliant whole. I recommend the
book for reading as one of the most
absorbing and realistic coverages of
its well-covered ground yet to ap-
pear. For reviewing, however, I
found it difficult precisely because
it does hold such a lot of meat.
Of all its parts, that treating of
SHAEF is the most likely to arouse
ire or sympathy. Mr.. Ingersoll sees
the organization as a British de-
vice aimed at giving Britain con-
troll of American arms. Having
made that charge from the vantage
point of an observer attached to
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Mont
gomery's staff, he carries out his
proof through an indictment of
SHAEF's conduct during the en-
tire invasion, which he saw as a
member of the staff of Gen. Brad
lev. He states that the British con-
ceded an American supreme COM
mander in order to get active COM
mand of the armies in the field, and
that they used all their strength
political, diplomatic, and merely
personally inf1uential-to control
Gen. Eisenhower's decisions. He is
ironically deferential in his treat
ment of the general, but makes 1t
clearly evident that he considers him
a pushover for most of the British
Vaccinations.
Britain's war, he says, was for the
British empires future security.
Victory in Europe was Of less i'm
portance to our ally than securing
her own interests in the Mediter-
ranean and Balkans. The United
States, on the other hand, was for
beating Hitler and getting it over.
Britain sabotaged us on that point
wherever she found it eXpedient and
was able. Gen. Eisenhower was one
of the important instruments by
which she carried this policy out,
according to Mr.. Ingersoll.
Mixing his political and military
narratives, he retells the story of
the invasion. While there is lot
of personal experience in the mar
rative, it comes out mainly in terms
of Gen. Bradley's struggles with
British interference. Had Bradley's
advice been followed, says Mr.. In
gersoll, we could have ended the
war victoriously in September, 1914.
But Britain, following her deter
mination to have English armies
in occupation of Germany before
the Russians arrived, demanded the
lions share of our gasoline and a
lot of our manpoWer for Montgom-
cry and Montgomery was always
getting stopped. The dressing
down which Mr. Ingersoll gives
Field Marshal Sir Bernard "a boor''
and a bad general" a little man
with a beret and bark is just
about the dressing down of the Gen.
tury. On the other hand, his tribute
to Gen. Bradley is of the highest,
for his qualities both as man and
as officer.
Taking up the lessons which we
might have learned from seeing
Germany while the Nazi pail was
still on her, Mr.. Ingersoll says that
our soldiers were insufficiently edu-
Gated to profit by their war expe-
rience. His belief is that the aver
age GI never knew what it was
about, fought only because he had
to, wanted only to get it over and
get home, and ended up hating all
foreigners. The views he brought
home will be limited accordingly.
Our future policy. Mr.. Ingersoll
fears, may we'll fall between the
schools of those who think the
United States should be the MAS
ter of the World" and those who
see us as the Servant of the World"
We should be neither, in his view;
we should be an adult Nation act
ing among adult nations, namely:
Great Britain and Russia, each OF
which has its plans for the future
and would see advantage in egging
us on to the other. There will be
an effort to wangle us into a COM
bine with. Britain against Russia
and corresponding effort to in
volve us with Russia against Britain.
We should not be fall guy for
either. Not isolation, but an active
and intelligent assumption of our
legitimate interest in world affairs
should be our aim.
Mr.. Ingersoll is here unemotional-
Even in his patent dislikes he gives
his reader an impression that he
has reason. He is often amusing.
His book, as I said, is recommended
reading.
The Golden Coin
By Lin Taiyi. (Day; S2.75.)
kx,