Evening star., 1949-12-11
Decision by Denfe|d
On Offer Of New Post
Expected This Week
By John A. Giles

The decision of Admiral Louis
E. Denfeld on whether he will ac-
cept Naval command in London
is expected to be revealed this
week and there were increasing
indications last night that the
ousted Chief of Naval Operations
would turn down the offer.
The admiral, in Washington for
the Gridiron Club dinner, con-
ferred yesterday with Secretary
of the Navy Matthews but neither
made known what, If any, de-
cision was reached.
Mr.. Matthews offered to name
Admiral Denfeld commander OF
Naval forces in the Eastern At
lantic and Mediterranean with
additional duty as the Navy's chief
representative abroad in North
Atlantic treaty matters. Head
quarters of the command is To-
Gated in London.
Admiral is on Leave.
The offer was made after Mr..
Matthews fired the admiral Oc-
tober 27 as operations chief-with
the authorization of President
Truman-as an aftermath of the
House Armed Services Committee
investigation into the bitter uni
f1cation row. Since that time the
admiral has been on so days leave.
Should the admiral turn down
the London post he is faced with
two choices:
/. Retire and accept one OF the
posts in civilian fife which he said
recently had been offered him. A
number of his friends have urged
him to take this action.
Admiral Denfeld's retirement at
the end of his leave was predicted
eight days ago in an article by
The Stars foreign affairs col
umnist, Constantine Brown. The
58-year-old admiral. who gradu-
ated from the Naval Academy In
1912, could retire on three-fourths
of his base pay. or $8,592 a year
2. Ask Mr.. Matthews to assign
him to some other post. If he de-
cided to remain on active duty
until he reaches the statutory re-
tirement age of 81 years he might
be named to a number of posts.
May Get U. N. Post.
There was some speculation that
he might be named the Navy rep
resentative on the Military Stan
Committee of the United Nations
Security Council. a post held by
Vice Admiral Bernhard H. Bier
since 1945.
Another post to which he might
be assigned is commander OF the
Eastern Sea Frontier. 1t is now
held by Admiral Thomas c. Kin
kaid, who is scheduled to retire
next year.
And, concievably, both positions
might be combined to give 1t in
creased prestige for Admiral Den
field. Mr.. Matthews has said that
he wanted to see the former op-
erations chief end his Naval
career with distinction.
Admiral Denfeld had held the
sea arms top post since December
1947, and he had been considered
supporter of the administra-
tons ratification policies until he
testifiedon Capitol Hill and backed
up his fellow officers charges that
those policies were cutting the
Navy back to a secondary role In
the defense team.
It was later that Mr.. Matthews
wrote the President that a har-
monious relationship with Ad-
miral Denfeld was impossible but
he made clear that they were
moving toward this point before
the admiral testified.
Cole Polls Officers.
AS the case of Admiral Denfeld
came up once again Representa-
tive Cole, Republican. of New
York, announced that he had
polled top Navy and Marine Corps
officers and found a very great
preponderance of Navy support
for the admiral's views. He said
this raised the question of whether
or not Congress was Ito acquieSce
in the punishment of a witness for
having given frank and honest
testimony before a congressional
committee that does not happen
to coincide with the views of his
superiors, military and civilian"
Admiral Forrest P. Sherman
was named to succeed Admiral
Denfeld and he has begun a move
to build up the Pacific fleet. 1t was
learned yesterday that in line with
| his expressed concern" over the
weakness Of the Navy in the Pa
cific another aircraft carrier and
several submarines soon will be
shifted there from the Atlantic.
The transfers. to be announced
soon. are another indication of
administration concern over the
turn of events in the Far East
where Communist forces are stead
lily overrunning Nationalist China.
Mnsone lnsfoIl Frv