Evening star., 1950-10-16
Presidents PRESTIGE,
MacArthur's Position
Enhanced by Talks
Wake Conference Showed
Leaders Harmony on
Far East Problems
By Dauid Lawrence

man accomplished a great deal
not only for his own prestige but
also for the position of Gen. Mac
Arthur in Asia by the dramatic
meeting at Wake Island. Specifl-
cally the significance Of the occa-
sion might be summarized this
way:
l. To a vast public throughout
the world, the President gave the
impression that he and Gen. Mac
Arthur are in complete harmony
in seeking to earn the good will
of the Asiatic peoples by the dis
interested and unselfish efforts of
the United States.
2. The President expressed on
behalf of the American people
their gratitude toward Gen Mac
Arthur and through him to the
armed forces for the splendid vic
tory in Korea.
3. Whatever Ill feeling or mis-
understanding may have arisen a
few weeks ago-due to the clumsy
order to Macarthur to withdraw
the message on Formosa he sent
to the convention of the Veterans
Of Foreign Wars-has been re-
moved. There is conspicuous evi-
dence now of confidence by the
President in Macarthur.
Importance of Meeting.
4. The very fact that the visit
between Mr.. Truman and the gen.
eral took only an hour is an in
dication of the Importance of the
personal contact rather than what
was said at the meeting.
5. Mr. Truman removed all
doubts in Europe that he and
Macarthur were working together
on major policies of all kinds.
Many Americans lose sight of the
meaning that reports of friction
can have among foreign Offices
abroad. This in turn makes it
difficult to get support for impor-
tant resolutions bearing on Far
Eastern matters when they arise
in the U. N. and when the position
and prestige of Macarthur as
u. N. commander are involved.
1t is a safe bet that the general
did most of the talking in that
single hour of the meeting. Un-
doubtedly the general, who is quite
a brilliant conversationalist, gave
the President a fascinating de-
scription of the Korean war and
what lies ahead. The job is far
from finished on the military side.
Also delicate problems of civil ad-
ministration and liberation of
North Korea are yet to be tackled.
AS for Formosa, this is now a
o. N. matter. It couldn't be set
tied at the Wake conference. The
plan is to set up q. N. commits
sion to study the disposition of
the island on an international
basis. Action may not come till
next year on the final plan but
meanwhile the United States will
move to get the U. N. to cooperate
in maintaining the status quo.
The hope is to have American and
Allied naval forces stationed there |
to protect Formosa against in
vasion. The idea is to keep these
naval forces there indefinitely in
order to discourage Communist
China from starting anything that
could lead to war.
Macarthur Backs Rhee.
AS for the setup in Korea, Mac
Arthur feels that President Rhee
should be confirmed in his present
position and that the South Ko-
rean government now in existence
should be able to take over in the
north only after elections have
been held in that area similar to
those which took place in South
Korea under U. N. auspices.
DR.. Rhee has constitutional
term to serve which runs until
1852. There is no disposition on
the part of the United States to
concur in the views of some ma
tions that want him ousted. To
upset DR.. Rhee as head of the gov
ernment would. in the opinion of
high officials, mean a blow to
American prestige not only in
South Korea but in the Far East
The hostility to DR.. Rhee comes
from Communist sympathizers
and from certain advisers among
U. N. nations who are leftish in
their viewpoint and want to ap-
pease communism in the Far East.
All in all, this probably didn't
come in for detailed discussion
at the Truman Macarthur meet
ing where there was time for only
broad points of view.
AS for the effect on the Demo-
cratic Party's fortunes in the elec-
ton, the value of the Wake Island
meeting remains yet to be ap-
praised. 1t still is far cry from
high taxes, draft, neglected re-
servists, knuckling down to labor
union bosses, on the one hand,
and the newsreel photos of Gen.
Macarthur and Mr.. Truman
clasping hands in celebration of
a victory that Mr.. Truman nearly
lost by listening to advisers who
almost scuttled the Navy and
Marine Corps. For without the
brilliant help of both, the victory
wouldn't have been won so soon
and, politically speaking, there
would have been a landslide at
the polls against the Democrats.
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