Evening star., 1949-03-04
Louis Johnson Will Fulfill Long, Time Ambition
As Defense Chief; Won't Stand for Bickerinq

SECRETARY vi NdGlOlldl DClCIAoC
succeeding James ForreStal.
His appointment to the Nations
top defense post, announced yes
terday. has been rumored since
the November election. 1t comes
in the way of a reward for Mr..
Johnson for taking over, after
several others had refused, the
difficult task of raising funds for
President Truman's hard-presSed
campaign.
Mr.. johnson did his task we'll,
thereby earning the gratitude of
President Truman, who does not
regard loyalty in any light way.
With Mr.. Truman elected. funds
rolled in to such an extent that
the Democratic National Commit
tee ended up with its biggest sur
plus in years. Chortling in his
bluff way, Mr.. johnson accepted
all such belated offers.
Strong on Preparedness.
1t has been an open secret, more
or less, that Mr. Johnson wanted
and thought he deserved the de-
fense post. The appointment indi-
Gated that Mr.. Truman thought
so, too. Thus Mr.. johnson, a we'll
to-do lawyer with an extensive
practice in his home State of West
| Virginia, in Washington and in
New York attains a post of even
greater promise than he aSpired
to 10 years ago when he was As
sistant Secretary of War.
Mr.. johnson has been interested
/ in, and often connected with, de-
fense matters since his service in
World War I. He is a past ma
tional commander of the American
Legion, and as Assistant Secretary
of War from 1887 to 1910, then
the second highest post in the War
Department. he was one of the
Nations first and foremost advo-
gates of adequate preparedness.
~ His philosophy in this respect
was summed up in a speech years
ago when he said, with biblical
allusion, that "a strong man, well
armed, keepeth his palace in Or
der" His views are unchanged
and he can be counted on to back
strongly the Truman doctrine OF
opposing Communist aggression
throughout the world.
Hell Knock Some Heads"
I A burly individual, standing over
feet and weighing more than
200 pounds, Mr.. johnson is Wig
orouSlv outspoken. Testifying be-
fore the Senate War Investigate
ing Committee last year on mo-
billzation plans, he blamed Army
brass hats" for ditching mobili-
Zation plan drawn up in 1889 un-
der his direction.
His friends say he won't tolerate
warning factions within the mill
tary establishment and the bick-
ering which has gone on among
the three Services-Army, Ali
Force and Navy-since the Unfit
cation Act was passed in 1e47.
He'll just knock a few heads
together" one friend observed
He'll be the boss-there'l be no
question about that"
Mr.. johnson was born January
10. 1891, in Roanoke, Va, and
attended the University of Vir-
ginia, where he gained campus
I prominence as wrestler and ora
tor. A rugged physique developed
on the mat and an articulate style
polished on the rostrum have
served him we'll ever since.
After graduating in 1912 with a
law degree. Mr.. Johnson moved
to Clarksburg, w. Va, his home
ever since, and soon found him
self in politics. During his first
few months in Clarksburg he was
named district attorney of Harri-
son County, and in 1917. before
the United States entered World
War 1, he served as a member
of the West Virginia House OF
Representatives.
Served in World War I.
During World War I, he became
an infantry captain and took part
in the Meuse -Argonne offensive
After the war, he resumed the
practice of law and continued, al
the while, an active interest in
political matters. An enthusiastic
Democrat, he went to the party's
1924 convention as a delegate, and
in 1882, the year he became COM
mander of the Legion he was q
Roosevelt supporter.
In the 1886 campaign, Mr.. John
son headed a veterans Advisory
Committee lined up to support the
Democratic ticket. A year later
he was named Assistant Secretary
of War when Harry Hines Wood
ring moved up from that post to
Secretary of War.
AS Assistant Secretary, Mr.
Johnson's principal responsibility
was drafting an industrial mobll-
ization plan for use in the event
of war. Always a vigorous and
seemingly untiring worker, he in
tensifled his activities after the
outbreak of the war in Europe and
under his direction the 1889 mobil-
ization plan was drawn up.
Plan Sidetracked.
Testifying before the Senate
committee last year, Mr.. Johnson
said he was convinced as early as
1889 that the United States would
inevitably be drawn into the war.
So he directed his energies toward
preparedness. Seeking to line up
public support for preparedness
program, he estimates that he
made more than 400 speeches
throughout the country before in
West Virginia Wesleyan
To Admit keqro Students