Evening star., 1949-12-13
Another Naval Hero
Rumored Scheduled
For Johnson's S Ak
Burke, Picked by Boord
For Reur Admirol's Post.
May Be Token Off List
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
Is President Truman about to
punish and humiliate another
naval officer of outstanding
achievement just because he tes-
titled before the House Armed
Services Committee last October?
Word has been passed around
in the ~Pentagon that Captain
Arleigh Burke. who was unan-
imously named by the Navy's
selection board to be a rear ad-
miral, has been already or will be
taken off the list as consequence
Of the extraordinary intervention
of Secretary of the Navy Matthews
or Secretary of Defense johnson
or both.
1t is known that Arleigh Burke
was considered by almost every
body among naval officers OF high
rank to be such splendid officer
that he was certain to be picked
as a rear admiral. Indeed, the
late Admiral Mitscher, who COM
manded Task Force SO in the
Pacific, is said to have singled out
Arleigh Burke, in his reports, for
commendation as a future leader
of the United States Navy.
-- Called "31-Knot Burke"
It was Arleigh Burke who COM
manded the famous destroyer
squadron %, which was known as
the Little Beaver Squadron"
Under cover of darkness, Capt.
Burke took his destroyers into
Rabaul Harbor and destroyed
shipping there-a feat which
transcended the heroic achieve
ment of Capt. Richard P. Hobson
in Spanish American War days
when he entered a Cuban harbor
and bottled Spanish ships.
Capt. Burke's work with the
squadron of destroyers earned him
the title of "31-knot Burke" His
squadron is credited in the official
records with having destroyed one
japanese cruiser, nine destroyers.
one submarine, one auxiliary YES
sci, four barges, and approximately
80 aircraft of the enemy. He par
ticipated in % separate engage
ments with the enemy. He wears
the Navy Cross, the Distinguished
Service Medal with Gold Star. the
Legion of Merit with Gold Star,
the Silver Star Medal, and num-
ber of other citations and dec
orations.
Capt. Burke served as chief of
staff to Admiral Mitscher in the
carrier task force attacks on Ja-
pan. Although not naval aviator,
he has been a student of naval air
power and is considered one of
the finest. If not the finest, all
around naval officer to emerge in
recent years. Entirely apart from
his bravery and heroism. he is
credited with remarkable efficiency
as naval officer.
Headed "Operation 49,"
But, unfortunately for him.
Capt. Burke was ordered by his
supcriors in January 1949 to
serve as assistant chief of naval
operations and to head up Opera
ton %" in the Navy Department.
This Is the division OF organiza-
tion, policy and research that
came under criticism by Air Force
partisans although the Air Force
has operated and still maintains
its equivalent. Capt. Burke. in
his testimony, did not attack the
B-36 or the Air Force but merely
presented his views on warfare as
related solely to the Navy.
Under the law, Congress has
specified that, once the Navy's
selection board has made its
choice, only the President Of the
United States can take a man OF
the list and order the board to
reconvene and pick somebody
else. The Chief of Naval Opera
tions has nothing to do with the
procedure and cannot put on or
take off any names.
If Mr., Truman has ordered
Arleigh Burke to come under the
guillotine, it means that politics
has taken possession of the De-
fense Department politics and
vindictiveness. 1t would mean
that no longer can anyone ex-
pect to make a career in the Navy
on merit and that only politics
and ability to conform to the
wishes of the politicians will assure
promotions.
= It is to be hoped that President
Truman will not deliver this grave
insult to all naval officers who
have risked their lives for their
country. It is to be hoped that
the news around the >Pentagon
Building is wrong and that neither
Secretary johnson nor Secretary
Matthews has participated in this
petty business. For what is at
stake is principle-whether pro-
motions in the Navy and in the
other armed services are to be
related to politics and bootlicking
or to efficiency and merit.
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