Evening star., 1947-01-12
Marshall's Task Is
to Perpetuate
Victory

late so decree, tne 1OrHler CIuel Oi
Staff would become President.
Superlatives seem the only apt
words to describe this self-effacing
military leader who is not a mil
|itarist. From his college days at
Virginia Military Institute, where he
was an All-Southern tackle, to his
elevation to the next highest office
in the Republic, he was destined to
be a hero. Now he has the assign
ment of laying the foundations for
the world peace which was largely
made possible by his wartime serv-
ices. His career is without parallel
in American history. The nearest
analogy in British government was
the premiership of the Duke of
Wellington from 182S-30. The Amer
ican general, however, is more in
step with the times than was the
autocratic Iron Duke"
For his new task his assets are
his tried capacities in another field
and an international reputation for
|selfless, efficient public service under
formidable circumstances; his liabil-
tiles are his limited experience in
diplomacy and the short time at his
disposal.
An unknown quantity is whether
a man of his age, 66 years, can stand
the rigors of the interminable inter-
national conferences and the per-
sistent strain of administering an
ever-enlarging State Department.
Fit in Body and Mind.
His predecessor, James F. Byrnes,
was few months older when he
became Secretary of State in 1915
and was forced to resign because
of ill health. Gen. Marshall, how
ever, has more rugged physique,
is a more careful guardian of his
time and is endowed with greater
serenity of mind. These attributes
may enable him to surmount the
trials of a Secretary Of State, who,
in the absence of a Vice President
must be prepared to take over the
presidency should vacancy occur
Inevitably Gen. Marshall will be
discussed as a 194S Democratic pres
idential candidate and it is con-
ceivable that he would become one
in the unlikely event that President
Truman declared that he would not
accept the nomination.
In the past the new Secretary has
refused to discuss his political
affiliations, explaining that he was
soldier. His father was one of the
few Democrats in Uniontown, Pa,
and during q Republican admins
tration was unable to get an ap-
pointment to West Point for his
son George, who was determined to
be a soldier. That is the reason
the future Chief of Staff went to
v. M. I. The fact that he was not
West Pointer may explain why it
took him 80 years to reach the per-
manent rank of colonel. In almost
any other profession his undoubted
capacities would have been more
quickly recognized and rewarded.
Knows His Own Strength.
The new Secretary undoubtedly
will carry on the Roosevelt Truman
Byrnes foreign policy, including BIZ
partisan collaboration. AS Chief Of
Staff he participated in all the top
international conferences, beginning
with the Atlantic Charter meeting
between Roosevelt and Churchill in
August, 1941, and ending with the
Big Three meeting in Potsdam in
1945. He knows Stain, Molotov and
the other Russian political and mill
tary leaders as well as the British,
French and Chinese chiefs of state
and their advisers.
His recent blunt statement on the
Chinese situation shows that he Is
willing to compromise, but is no
appeaser His endeavors over 13
months to bring about peace between
the Nationalist and Communist
groups demonstrated the patience
and tact he will need in dealing
with the Kremlin He may not have
to get tough with Russia" because
the Russian negotiators, shrewd
judges of men, are less likely to "get
tough" with him than they were
with Byrnes, whose tactics the Rus
SLAMS did not seem to understand.
His very self-efacement implies
that he knows his own strength. He
instructed the War Department
public relations division on Decem-
ber Z, 1941, that 1t could glorify all
other officers, but it must not pub
licjze him or hI1ild him I'm Never