Evening star., 1950-09-07
Truman Apology Held
Almost as Clumsy as
Insult 10 Marines
Now Accuses, in Effect,
House Armed Services
Committee Members
Bv David Lawrence

By David Laurence
President Truman's attempt to
explain away. by a second letter,
his attack on the Marine Corps
is almost as clumsy as his first
communication. He now has gone
from the frying pan into the fire.
= Originally he insulted the Marine
Corps by accusing it of maintain
ing "a propaganda machine al
most equal to Stalin's." Now he
accuses, in effect, both the Re-
publicans and Democrats of the
House Armed Services Committee
-31 of them-as being among
those who may not be aware of
the best interests of our defense
establishment as a whole"
For these 81 members have
unanimously approved a recon-
mendation that the Marine Corps
be represented on the United
States Joint Chiefs of Staff. They
voted by roll call on the proposal.
Chairman Vinson has announced
his intention to press legislation
to bring this about.
The Presidents effort to placate
the Marine Corps was half
hearted. He drew distinction
between the Marine Corps and
its friends outside the service. Who
are the Marines who fought for
their country and are now accused
of maintaining "a propaganda ma
chine almost equal to Stalin's"?
The President should name them
and not generalize about anony-
nous propagandists of the Stain
variety.
What Records Show.
The records will show that the
publicity from Marine veteran
organizations is negligible IN
quantity. If any one wants to
look at propaganda. let him ex-
anime the thousands and thou
sands of words going out from the
Defense Department these days
to defend Secretary johnson.
In the Defense Department.
about $500 officers are engaged
In information or public-relations
duties. There are only Is of these
attached to the Marine Corps, the
remainder being officers Of the
Army, Navy and Air Force.
Mr.. Truman's awkward expla-
nation as to what he meant by
condemning the Marine Corps
throughout his administration to
remain as "the Navy's police
force" is not convincing. The ex-
plicit definition he now gives of
the law covering the Marine Corps
functions is far broader than
could possibly have been derived
from any such phrase as "the
Navy's police force"
The words police force" are we'll
known at the Pentagon Building.
They are we'll known to the House
Armed Services Committee, for
that is exactly the status which
certain officers of the general staff
of the Army were accused of try
ing to give to the Marine Corps
last year by arranging to reduce
the Marine Corps budget so that
its combat effectiveness would be
seriously curtailed. The whole
tragic story Is a matter of public
record. The probabilities are that
Mr.. Truman has heard the same
phrase so often from the lips of
prejudiced observers in uniform
who surround him that he used it
quite naturally to express his de-
termination that the Marine Corps
would not be expanded as has
been urged by Chairman Vinson
of the House Armed Services Com
mittee.
QuibbIe Over Words.
The President did write in his
second letter that he sincerely re-
gretted the whole affair but he has
not made a fortnight acknowledge
ment Of error. His letter is in the
nature of quibble over the mean /!
ing of the words he had used
before.
Actually the proposal for repre-
sentation on the Joint Chiefs is not
and never has been urged by the
Marine Corps itself. General Gates,
commandant. testifying last year
before Congress, said he wanted
only this: To make sure that the
Joint Chiefs of Staff would allow
the Marine Corps voice when
ever amphibious warfare was un-
der consideration and the Marines
were affected. This is a simple re-
quest and should be established
as a custom. 1t does not need leg
islation. The President could order
1t done with the stroke of a pen.
If he did this, much of the feeling
that he is against the Marine
Corps would vanish.
Unhappily. the President has re-
opened the whole unification con-
troversy at time when most peo-
pie here were beginning to feel
that differences were being ironed
out and harmony was being devel-
oped. Now the suspicion will be
fostered that it was the President
who was back of the anti-Navy as
well as anti-Marine Corps beha-
vior Of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
and the Secretary of Defense last
year. The suspicion will not be al
layed until the President and the
House Armed Services Committee
iron out their new differences.