Evening star., 1950-09-06
Writer Says Truman
Has Committed Worst
B|under in Career
Marine Corps BeIittIed
While Fighting in Korea
In Traditional Manner
By David Laurence

President of the United States
ever committed since the founda-
ton Of the Republic.
Mr.. Truman has belittled the
United States Marine Corps. He
has done so at a time when the
Marines are fighting in Korea with
a spirit and an efficiency in keep
ing with their traditions.
For the Commander In Chief O
the Armed Services in the midst
of active military operations to de-
nounce any branch Of the service
as possessing a propaganda ma
chine that is almost equal tt
Stains" is to disregard morale
and spirit altogether and accuse
that service Of deceit, fraud ane
distortion Of the truth.
For Stains propaganda ma.
chine, lately exemplif1ed by YakoN
Malik, is an object Of scorr
throughout the world, and to imply
that the Marine Corps has beer
lying about It's magnificent recore
Of fighting throughout American
history is to insult the tens oi
thousands Of Marines who lie
buried under white crosses in al
parts Of the world where they
nave fought so bravely.
Wholly Inaccurate.
The President went further-he
made q contemptuous and wholly
inaccurate statement about the
status Of the Marine Corps itself
He spoke Of it as "the Navy's po-
lice force" when the unification
law specifically gives the Marine
Corps the status Of a separate
unit Of the armed services. TIC
speak of the Marines as. just po-
licemen who guard the decks OF
warships or do police duty ashore
is to overlook entirely their posi-
tion or their quality as a mobile
fighting force. They happen to be
attached to the Navy from juris-
dictional standpoint, but this does
not mean they act for the Navy
alone.
The Marine Corps was not q
mere police force when it's men,
bers turned the tide Of battle al
Chateau Thierry in World War
and there wasn't a warship Of the
Navy within a hundred miles o!
the place where the critical battle
was fought.
The Marine Corps was not &
mere police force as its foot SOL
diers swarmed on the beaches o.
Two Jima in World War II in ont
OF the deadliest battles of all his
tory and raised the flag on Noun
suribachi on February %, 1945
The picture Of this achievement /.
embedded In the minds Of al
Americans as one Of the mos
dramatic scenes in the history Of
the United States.
The Marine Corps was not 9
mere police force Of the Navy
as its men unflinchingly moved
straight into bullets and artillery
fire as they landed on the beaches
In waves at Tarawa. Guam, Saipan
and Guadalcanal. Marines dropped
by the thousands in their tracks,
but their comrades never faltered.
What Aroused Ire?
What have the Marines done to
arouse the ire Of President Tru-
man? Nobody here can account
for Mr.. Truman's outburst OF
temper-his own office associates
say they never saw the communi-
cation before 1t was mailed. Il
was written in response to a re.
spectful plea from Representative
McDonough of California, Republi.
can, who urged that the Marine
Corps commandant be added te
the Joint Chiefs Of Staff. Mr.
Truman didn't know apparentl,
that this very same proposal hac
been approved by roll-call vott
unanimously on February % las
by the 81 members Of the House
Armed Services Committee-Dem
ocrats as we'll as Republicans. TIL,
recommendation read as follows
THE Joint Chiefs of Staff struc
ture, as now constituted. does no
insure at all times adequate con
sideration for the views of al
services. The committee will spon
sor legislation to require rotation
Of the position Of chairman of th'
Joint Chiefs of Staff among th'
services after 2-year term, ant
to add the commandant of tn,
Marine Corps to the Joint Chief
Of Staff as a member thereof"
Mr.. Truman in his letter t.
Representative McDonough mad,
o curious comment to the effec
that when the Marine Corps goe
into the Army, it works with ant
for the Army and that is the wa,
1t should be-" But there is NJ
provision in law for the Marine
Corps to be taken over by tn,
Army. 1t works with the Army OF
joint operations just as the Navy
does or the Air Force does bu
Congress specified by law that th'
Marine Corps was not to be alb
sorbed by any other service or lost
its identity.
Mr.. Truman declares defiantly
that as long as he is Presiden
the Marine Corps will remain
as. just the "Navy's police force.
This is not the kind of message
to be broadcast to the Marines
now in the foxholes of Korea
nor is it a message to send to tht
mothers and fathers and relative!
Of the Marines who have died II
the service of their country.
Mr.. Truman can't impair thu
glorious record of the Marines. HI
has only succeeded in impairine
his own prestige as Commando
In Chief of Americas Armed Serv
ices.
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