Evening star., 1947-03-16
Clay Leaves Germany
For Moscow After
Receiving Command
BY the Assoeicied Press

FRANKFURT, Germany, Mar Is.
Lit. Gen. Lucius D. Clay assumed
command today of the United States
armed forces in Europe and, as his
first assignment In the new role,
departed for Moscow to confer with
Secretary Of State Marshall at the
foreign ministers meeting.
Gen. Marshall requested the pres
ence Of Gen. Clay, who became
military governor for Germany as
well as European commander. Gen.
Clay flew this afternoon to Berlin
en- route to the Soviet capital. He
Is expected there tomorrow.
Planes Roar Overhead.
Gen. Clay succeeded Gen. Joseph
T. McNarney at an impressive mill
tary ceremony attended by repre-
sentatives of Allied military mis-
sions. Several hundred troops gath
cred on the lawn outside the Army
headquarters building while 200
planes roared overhead.
Gen. Clay will command all
United States land, air and naval
forces in Europe as Commander
in Chief, European Command, a
new title which replaces the title
Gen. McNarney held, Com
manding General, United States
Forces, European Theater
The order is in line with an
announcement last December of -
a unified military command sys-
tenn designed to place RESPONSE
bility for operations in each the
ater in the hands of single
commander, Army, Navy or Air.
Gen. Clay's command will in
clude army forces in Europe di-
rectly under him; naval forces
based in Germany and COM
manded by Rear Admiral Roscoe
E. Schuirmann and air forces
commanded by Maj. Gen. Idwal
H. Edwards
McNarney Decorates Clay.
Gen. McNarney, who will become
United States Army Air Forces rep
resentative on the United Nations
Military Staff Committee, decorated
Gen. Clay with an Oak Leaf Cluster
for his Distinguished Service Medal.
In response Gen. Clay said:
Here in Germany our forces are
devoted to the task of peace. We
shall continue our work in the full
hope that when our mission is COM
pleted, peace and security will have
been %guaranteed throughout the
world by the United Nations"
Gen. Clay said Gen. McNarney's
command had seen "the crystalliza-
ton of American policy, which looks
to the establishment of a peaceful
German state" and added that he
intended to follow the same policies
as Gen. McNarney in the general
administration of Germany.
Task to Ensure Peace"
He lauded Gen. McNarney for
"the special interest which you have
given to the rehabilitation of Ger
man youth" and said it would re-
main one of the prime objectives of
the Army. I'VE have no more i'm
portant task in Germany" he said.
Gen. McNarney in response said
1t was the task of the United States
Army in Germany 'in cooperation
with our Allies, to insure for Europe
and the world a just peace"
He said much progress had been
made iii demilitarization, denaziflca-
ton, Decentralization, restoration OF
communications, transport and pub
lie utilities, achieving limited but
still substantial" industrial produc-
ton, re-establishing the German
school system and "in turning back
to the Germans themselves substan-
tial responsibilities for self-rule
through freely elected government
tai administration"
He said 1--WE are now entering the
second phase of our task-the long
term guidance of the German people
in their economic principles"