Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-09-24

SDCCu4dGlOl do W WIllCll VI GIlS
two men may exert greater in
f1uence over the other. Since the
two cabinet posts are inextricably
linked in their concern with the
most important problems, the
question of this personal rela-
tionship does become significant.
It is said that three days be-
fore President Truman announced
the replacement of Louis John
son by the wartime Army Chief
of Staff. Mr.. Acheson called on
Gen. Marshall at his residence in
Leesburg. Va, and urged him to
accept the forthcoming request
from President Truman that he
head the Defense Department.
Contrasting Personalities
Whether this information, which
has reached many congressional
leaders. is accurate or not is i'm
material. But it is certain that
Gen. Marshall readily consented
to head the Defense Department
because he felt that it is a job
with which he is familiar.
Gen. Marshall is direct and
positive in his approaches to prob
lens under his jurisdiction. Mr.
Acheson is anything but that.
He is diplomatic" Gen. Mar
shall has the bluntness of the
soldier. Mr.. Acheson has the
polish of the successful lawyer
who of necessity must consider
every problem from many angles.
There is no question that in
these complicated days in which
we live military and diplomatic
matters are so interlocked that
it is impossible to divorce the De-
Tense and State Departments.
Diplomatic matters have powerful
Irepercussions on military prob
lens and vice versa. The accu-
sation made against Mr.. john
son that he butted into foreign
relations was unjust. He had to,
in the same way that Mr.. Ache
son had to have a voice in a
number of questions which would,
on the surface. appear to concern
the military alone.
Hence it is essential that the
two Secretaries work in close
collaboration. But while Mr..
Acheson resented Mr.. Johnson's
interference because he did not
consider him qualified to pass on
diplomatic questions, it is highly
unlikely that he would adopt the
same attitude toward his former
chief in the State Department.
Feels Fitted for Role
Gen. Marshall did not relish
either his job as special peace
making" Ambassador to China nor
that of Secretary of State. But
he feels strongly that he does know
the intricate problems connected
with organizing the United States
and other world forces to meet
eventual aggression.
One of the most important
agreements between Secretary
Marshall and Mr.. Acheson in 1948
was on the question of liquidating
the Chinese Nationalist govern
ment in favor of the Chinese Com
munists. The fact is that when
Mr.. Acheson succeeded Gen. Mar
shall as Secretary of State in 1s49
he merely continued and per
fected" the policy of breaking
away from Chang Kai-shek,
established by Gen. Marshall when
he went on his peace-making mis-
sion on Chungking in 1916.
1t is true that Mr.. Acheson went
much further than his predeces-
sor and the State Department
adopted some methods which may
not have been to the taste of Gen
Marshall. But it is improbable
that Gen. Marshall was inspired
in his hostile attitude toward our
Chinese wartime ally simply by
the briefingS of the Far Eastern
and Policy Divisions, which in
1916 contained some particular
friends of the present Secretary
OF State, such as Alger Hiss.
Gen. Marshall was strongly in
fiuenced in his thinking by his
former comrade in arms, Gen.
Joseph StilWell, whose antagonism
to Chang Kai-shek is a matter of
history. The views of a fellow
officer like Vinegar Joe" GER
tainly carried great weight.
Gen. Marshall did not recon-
mend Mr.. Acheson to President
Truman when he resigned for
genuine reasons of health in 1949.
There were other influences which
induced the Chief Executive to
intrust that position to Mr.. Ache
son. But when Mr.. Acheson was
appointed Gen. Marshall turned
the department over to him with
all the details of a staff officer.
Thorough Briefing
He did not try to influence Mr..
Acheson's thinking. but he briefed
him thoroughly on two matters
which he considered highly i'm
portant: The policy of cutting
loose from any entanglements
with the Kuomintang in China
and the resembling of the United
Nations resolution of December,
1919 which aSta hIicbod tho dinIo