Evening star., 1947-01-08
Marshall sAecepfanee
OF China Post Ended
Dream Of Retirement

1ne last Time JnaC news aDOut
Gen. Marshall hit Washington like
yesterdays bombshell was on the
rainy afternoon of November II,
1915, when his appointment as AM
bassador to China was announced
at the White House.
It had been hectic afternoon for
the newspapermen.
Earlier the same day Ambassador
Patrick J. Hurley, declaring dramat-
ically that third world war was in
the making, announced his resigna-
ton as Ambassador to China. That
announcement took Washington
including the Secretary of State, Mr..
Byrnes-completely by surprise. For
1t had seemed to Mr.. Byrnes, and to
others at the State Department as
late as on the morning Of the same
day, that Mr.. Hurley was satisfied
about his Chinese mission and was
about to 60 back.
Then came the Marshall an
nouncement-in time for a bare
bulletin in the last edition of The
Star. There were several stories,
later on, about how the President
had got Gen. Marshall on the tel
ephone at his Leesburg home and
asked him to go to! China and how
Gen. Marshall had replied with a
military Eyes, sir"
Told of Incident.
But Is was some months later that
Gen. Marshall told some friends
about what had happened that aft
ernnoon. He had srecently retired
as Chief Of Staff. His house at Lees
burg was full Of packing boxes, Just
arrived, containing private papers
and personal property accumulated
during the Army years.
He and Mrs. Marshall were plan
ming years of happy rest, doing what
they pleased. And on this day the
general was busy helping in the un-
packing of his boxes. After lunch
Mrs. Marshall had left him to go
to her room for an afternoon rest.
The telephone rang and Gen.
Marshall answered it. It was the
President. And the President came
to the point very quickly, outlining
the situation created by Mr.. Hur-
ley's resignation and asking Gen.
Marshall to take the job. Gen. Mar
shall was stunned. The thing he
remembered most about the con-
versation was that he hung up while
the President was still talking
hung up, only to realize what he
had done and quickly called back to
explain to the President why he had
hung up.
Explains to Guest.
The general turned to guest
in his home and told her what had
happened. But this was to be the
first evening at home after his
retirement, he said. So, let's not
say anything about it to Mrs. Mar
shall. She had been looking for
ward for so long to his being at
home, undisturbed. There was still
the chance for a quiet dinner. Mrs.
Marshall could hear the news the
next day.
When Mrs. Marshall came down
for dinner, she and the general
were glancing over the papers
there was nothing about the ap-
pointment' in the papers they had
received at Leesburgh. But some
body turned on the radio. And over
the radio came the news that Gen.
Marshall had been appointed Am
bassador to China.
AS the story goes, Mrs. Marshall
looked at the general and he looked
at her. But neither said word.
And neither one of them mentioned
the news during their quiet dinner
the first of what both of them
had been hoping would be a long
period of unbroken, quiet little
dinners, uninterrupted by any calls
from anybody.
A few days later, he was on his
way to China. Now he is on his way
back-headed for another job that
will make even more remote the
prospect of quiet little dinners at
home in LeeSburg.