Evening star., 1951-05-05
Continued From Page A-3.)

e1fooAooo4ANC P4oDoD4y 4&O11 OAAS AL
and the Navy.
Senator Kefauver- Understand
Gen. Macarthur, I am not bein
critical. We all have quite
question in our minds as to jus
what we would be committin
ourselves to If we supple
Chiang's troops and they mad
a landing on the mainland Q
China.
Considering 100000 troop.
which I believe you said Chan
had. how many technicians d
you think we would have to hav
with them in order to teach then
to use the equipment we woult
send them?
Gen. MacArthur-I think tn,
recommendations of the board
appointed. Senator. were abou
500 officers and men.
Senator Kefauver-Now, Gen
Macarthur, suppose we had tina
number Of men with them ane
we got involved very deeply ane
things were going bad; do 70,
think that would commit us tt
sending more people to the main.
land of China?
Gen. MacArthur-I don't think
1t would commit an iota, Senator
not an iota.
Should Welcome Any Help.
Senator Kefauver-You do no;
think that, having given Chang
that support, if things went
wrong, or went bad with him, thai
he and his friends would feel thai
we were under military or mora
obligation to supplement hi:
forces to whatever extent was
necessary to secure victory?
Gen. MacArthur-I think hi
would welcome any help that We
would give him; but I do moi
think that he would feel that We
were under any legal or manda.
tory obligation. We would not be
The fundamental reason thai
would animate me in this, is thc
interest of our own country. Il
1t was to be to our interest tt
help an ally, we should do it; il
it ran contrary to our interest,"
believe our own interests are the
paramount consideration, not only
there, but every place else.
Senator Kefauver-Gen. Mac.
Arthur, you have had the expert
ence very often, and we have hao
it to some extent, that if you
maybe give little assistance, and
things are going bad, that you are
called upon to put in a little bit
more, in the hope that they will
improve.
What if we started out with
our 500 officers and technicians,
and then presented you, as thea
ter commander, with the idea that
Chang could only get one divi-
sion to bolster up things, and then
things would be going our way
again?
Do you think you might arrive
at conclusion Of that sort?
Gen. MacArthur-I can con-
ceive of no strategic or tactical
position where I would put in
formed units of American ground
troops in continental China.
AS far as the technicians, and
others, are concerned, we had
about thousand officers and men
that were on the republics side
all during the civil war. That did
not involve us in anything that
led to ground troops going in.
And, I see no connection be-
tween the employment of formed
ground units of the United States,
and the assistance that would be
furnished by a few technicians
and officers. to help train and
supply an ally's units.
Senator Kefauver. Now, Gen.
Macarthur, I assume that you
would recommend that the Amer
ican Navy be used to launch
Chang on an invasion of the
mainland of China, that is. to
transport his troops and help him
get them on the land; and, if you
feel so. how much would be neces-
sary?
Gen. MacArthur-The employ
ment OF the Chinese forces, as l
said yesterday, would be a ques-
ton basically to be decided by the
Chinese commander in chief.
Whether he would attempt this
grandiose amphibious landing,
with all his forces, on continental
China, would be extraordinarily
doubtful; but, within the limita-
tionS of the naval forces that we
have, in the Western Pacific, I
would render him such assistance
in his strategic plans as it would
be possible for us to do.
Senator Kefauver-In other
words, if he did undertake to
decide upon a campaign to put
an amphibious. or major amphibi-
Gus landing on the continent of
China, you would recommend that
we. help him to the extent, pos
sible-
Gen. MacArthur-To the extent
1t was possible, with our forces
there, unquestionably.
Senator Kefauver-And, sup
pose, that would also mean we
would continue to pour in sup
plies for whatever amphibious
force he was able to get on the
continent, is that correct?
Urges Reasonable Support.
Gen. MacArthur-Within ou1
capacity, and other demands that
we have to meet in other areas
7 would say, give him reasonable
support. AS a matter Of fact, we
are doing so now.
Senator Kefauver-Well, I un-
derstand there is support being
given now, which is primarily for
the defense of Formosa, however