Evening star., 1947-11-30
Reports Persist That
He Will Return
This Spring
By Roy Folk

lens? How DO MS personal IrdlCs
shape him for possible presidential
candidacy?
Gen. Macarthur believes thai
Japan is the key to the whole Fal
East. He realizes Japan cannot gel
on it's feet without American help
and that the Orient cannot become
economically stable without self
sufficient Japan.
His Views on Labor
He believes that a close relation
ship between Japan and China as
well as Japan and the Philippines
will benefit American trade.
The general sees Soviet policy In
the Orient as exactly the opposite:
American policy, as he envisages it
strives for economic stability; Rus
sia wants economic chaos.
Gen. Macarthur believe that the
minute Japan is left to chaos, 1t Is
open to communism, as China is
today. This line of thinking makes
him an advocate of policy OF aid
to China. In Gen. Macarthur S
opinion, Washington is not giving
enough attention to the Far East.
He argues that you can't have a
Marshall plan for Europe and leave
the Orient open to communism. The
occupation forces in Japan receive
only 65 per cent of their food al
location requirements, as against
80 per cent in Germany, and Japan
is granted 80 per cent of its fund
demands against go per cent for
the Reich.
The general has spent the last
decade in the Pacific He is better
versed in Far Eastern than in Eu-
ropean affairs. He knows how Eu-
rope impinges on Asia.
| Silent on Politics
On the domestic side, Gen. Mac
Arthur is known to favor strong
and democratic unions with mod
crate leadership. Labor leaders
should be made responsible for their
acts. He considers it dangerous for
unions to combine the functions OF
trade unionism with political action.
Workers should be politically active
as individuals not as unions.
| The general believes in the dig
nifty of labor; he looks to unions as
instruments whereby workers may
fight for the fundamental rights of
man, for security and for decent
living. He is for increased output
per worker so that labor can get
higher wages and management
greater returns.
Some of the new Japanese labor
Legislation is more advanced than
in the United States. Thus Japan
now has an accident compensation
law with better provisions than SIM
liar laws in many States. Japanese
woman workers are guaranteed more
privileges today than American fac
tory girls. The general is interested
in child-labor legislation.
Gen. Macarthur indorses dem
ocratic capitalistic society. He
stands for freedom of enterprise
and competition and is against con-
centration. Big business is neces-
sary. Monopolies are not. In his
opinion, big business does not have
to be monopolistic.
Silent on His Plans
On many other domestic issues,
the general feels he gets insufficient
information and details, 5000 miles
from home, to take stand.
In Milwaukee, the generals home
town, Republican Lansing Hoyt is
organizing State and national Mac
Arthur for President clubs. So far
the general has not publicly revealed
his plans, In the last few weeks
numerous touring Congressman have
lunched with him. All were treated
royalty. But not one of them said
the general had discussed his pos
sible candidacy. The discussions
mostly concerned Japan.
Some observers here say that the
general is running his campaign
for the presidency like military
campaign. Gen. Macarthur is said
to be putting his hope in the dele
gates to the national convention. He
knows the Republican leaders do
not like strong -willed man and an
outsider. These observers believe
that the general Will return to the
States in the spring on the pretext
of making a report to the President
and the Nation. Leading cities
would welcome him with parades
and dinners as he crosses the coun-
try.
Gen. MacArthur's top lieutenants
recently have studied seriously the
chances of Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hover. They consider Ike as Macs
greatest opponent.
With Gen. Macarthur rs a presi-
Dental possibility, it is worth noting
his qualities as politician, leader.
administrator and man. AS a poll
tician, it is admitted, the general is
oversensitive of criticism. He can
not understand why people will pass
comment on a subject without
knowing the full story. He does not.
mind people calling spade spade.
But he gets mad at people who take
potshots at his policies just because
they don't like him as an individual
The civilians and officers work.
ing at general headquarters virtual
ly worship Macarthur, the leader
and administrator. They are alb
solutely devoted to him. and he in
turn backs them to the limit and
shoulders all responsibility.
The diplomats consider Gen. Mac
Arthur in their class. He is states
man and a salesman He had the