Evening star., 1947-01-08
Momentous Change

/ applauQ DOIl Lne Outgoing ana LHe
incoming official. But the tributes
now being heaped on Secretary OF
State Byrnes and his successor in
that office, General Marshall, are
more than conventional pleasantries
They are the sincere expressions OF
those who know only too we'll that
| the Nation at a critical moment is
losing the services of man of out
standing ability, and who are CRATE
full that the Presidents choice to
succeed him is also a man whose
demonstrated capacities merit the
fullest confidence and respect.
Few men have had a career in
public life comparable to that of
Mr.: Byrnes. At one time or another
as a member of the House, as a
Senator, as Supreme Court justice,
as Assistant President" and, finally,
as Secretary of State-he has played
prominent part in every phase of
national public service. And it may
be doubted that any man has more
intimate and expert knowledge of
the practical workings of our polit-
ical system.
Out of this experience he acquired,
and took with him to the State
Department, reputation as a
"compromiser," although not in the
discreditable sense of that term. For
a time, in his dealings with the
Russians, it seemed that Mr.. Byrnes
might be too much given to COM
promise. This impression prevailed
throughout the Moscow and London
Conferences, but it soon became
evident that there was a point in
compromise beyond which the Sec
retary of State would not go. He
was willing to make concessions,
many of them, but he refused to
yield on matters of basic principle.
and the greatest progress toward
real peace was made when even the
Russians, late in 1916, apparently
learned that this was the case.
It is a matter of profound regret
that Mr.. Byrnes has to leave the
State Department at time when
his record of achievement is great
est. His health has been failing for
some months, however, and in a
matter of this kind mans decision
must be respected. He has wanted
for long time to 60 back to his old
home in Spartanburg, South Caro-
lima, for rest, and the point has
been reached where he feels it is
imperative that he do so. He takes
with him the gratitude of a people
in whose behalf he has labored and
the knowledge Of job well done.
= Although it had been reported
some months ago that General Mar
shall was being considered as a
successor to Mr.. Byrnes, the an
nouncement last night of his selec-
ton came as a distinct surprise.
General Marshall has just con-
cluded trying year in China, seek
ing with scant success for some
means of bridging the gap between
the Nationalist government and the
Chinese Communists. When it was
learned that he was on his way
home to report to the President
there was little expectation that he
would return to China For it was
we'll known that he, too, wanted to
quit public service and retire to his
farm near Leesburg, Va.
But now all that is changed for
an indefinite future AS Secretary
of State, he will be next in line as
successor to the President, and it
is inevitable that speculation will
name him as a candidate for the
presidency in 1948
1t remains to be seen how General
Marshall will react to the conditions
that will surround his new role. He
is essentially a military man, albeit
military man who, by virtue of
his participation in international
affairs with President Roosevelt and
his experience in China, has an ex-
ceptional acquaintance with the
workings of diplomacy. 1t is obvious
that, in taking over the helm at
the State Department, he will be
handicapped by his year of virtual
isolation in China. But this will be
no inSurmountable handicap to the
man who rendered such distin-
guished service as the directing
genius of the greatest military effort
that this world has ever seen.
In February, l943, the American
people did not know General Mar
shall as we'll as they were to come
to know him. But it was at that
time, in an address to the American
Society of Newspaper Editors, that
James F. Byrnes declared his faith
i'm ultimate Allied victory was based
to a large extent on his personal
confidence in "the craftsmanship
and military genius" of General
George C. Marshall.
Time vindicated that judgment
by Mr.. Byrnes, and one may con-
fidently predict that General Mar
shall once again will measure up to
the confidence being reposed in him.
- rL: To~l