Evening star., 1951-04-28
The Political Min
Macarthur Issue Thrust
Into Partisan Arena
Democrats HurI Broudside
To Support Trumon's Story :
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
The Macarthur issue has been thrust
into the arena Of partisan politics in a
big way-although Gen. Macarthur in
his address to Congress strongly OPP
posed such course. The Democratic
National Committee has just sent to So.
600 party workers throughout the coun-
try broadside giving President sTru-
mans side Of the story of the dismissal
of Gen. Macarthur from his Far East
ern posts and arguments in support OF
the Truman policy in Korea as opposed
to the more aggressive military policy,
advocated by Gen. Macarthur.
According to a statement by Demo-
cratic National Chairman William M.
Boyle, jr., on the front page of the
broadside. President Truman welcomed
the issue, and believed the American
people would support him. AS a mat
ter Of fact. the President made the po.
litical issue against Gen. Macarthur
and his anticipated Republican sup
porters almost Immediately after he had
issued the order firing the general. He
went or the air 20 hours later and
and any one who supported him were
moving to get this country into third
world war-and that he, Mr.. Truman.
was out to preserve world peace. It was
only few hours later that the admin
istration hatchet men were trying to
picture Gen. Macarthur as warmonger
and the Republican Party as the war
party. and the Democratic Party, headed
by Mr.. Truman, as the peace party.
Incredible but Political.
Notwithstanding all this, Mr. Boyle, in
his statement explaining the publica-
ton of his broadside, accused Republi-
can leaders in Congress with resorting
to almost unparalleled misrepresenta-
ton in an effort to make political cap
ital out of this exercise of a proper
presidential authority" (the dismissal of
Gen. Macarthur And Mr.. Boyle added
that members of the Democratic adj
ministration had refrained from inject
ing partisanShip into the situation. An
incredible statement. but just as po-
litical as the broadside put out by the
national committee. Two days before
Gen. Macarthur addressed the joint
meeting of Congress, Senator Kerr Of
Oklahoma, one of the busiest gadflieS on
the Democratic side, and other Demo-
cratic Senators were busy belittling Gen.
Macarthur in the Senate debate-and
they have never stopped in this attempt
since.
Republican gladiators including Sena-
tors Taft, Wherry and Capehart were
not slow in rising to this political bait
and debate. They have, indeed, espoused
the Macarthur cause and his military
program for the Korean war. including
the bombing of Red bases in Manchuria,
the blockade of Chinese ports and the
aid of Chinese Nationalist forces on
Formosa to invade the Chinese main
land. Whether they are right or not,
and whether they intended to fall into
the trap or not, they have agreed to
meet Mr.. Truman on the very ground
he picked for political battle.
Haste for Advantage.
They might have looked before they
leaped. To Gen. MacArthur's own
advice-not to make partisan political
issue of himself and his military recon-
mendations-they paid no attention.
Also, they knew that Gen. Macarthur
was to come before the Senate Foreign
tees within a few days and be given an
opportunity to state his side Of the
case fully-laying all the cards on the
table. In their haste to take political
advantage, as they saw it, of the tre-
mendous personal ovation given Gen.
Macarthur and the denunciation Of
Mr.. Truman which accompanied it,
they have continued day in and day out
to attack, in the Senate and out, the
Truman administration of affairs in
the Far East. They have shouted for
the scalp OF Secretary of State Acheson
and they have blamed the Far East
policies of both the Roosevelt and
Truman administrations for the build
up Of the Communists they have
been correct there.
Mr. Truman and the Democrats.
however. have continued to insist that
the only real issue is whether the
American people want to avoid a third
world war by following the Truman
policy in Korea or whether they want to
take the risk of Gen. MacArthur's policy,
which they say is practically certain to
bring world war. It's an issue on which
Mr.. Truman has been supported by a
very considerable number of Republican
and independent newspapers. It's an
issue to which many Americans are
giving thoughtful attention.
One weakness of the Truman admin
istration in this affair lies in the sum-
mary treatment of Gen. Macarthur. a
great soldier and servant of the country.
There, indeed, the people are solidly
L. IS Adj re
ance before the Senate committees
equals in appeal his appearance before
the joint meeting of Congress, the
President will have tough time, peace
issue or no peace issue.