Evening star., 1951-04-18
General Devoted to Young Son;
His Wife Is Perfect Hostess
Mrs. MoeArthur Always coIls Him General
First Marriage Ended in Reno Divorce

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luncheon guests in the large EN-.
tbaSSy drawing room, alone or with
Col. Fluff. and talked to them with
cheerful high spirits still-some.
times half an hour later-the
supreme commander entered. AS
he came in the door. which was
a tidy distance away. she would
utter a mild exclamation like
why. there is the general!"-al-
most as il he were an unexpected
visitor. He would advance rapidly
grasp her. say "Jeanie Dar-
ling!"- and kiss her warmly, In
front OF the guests, as II they had
not seen one another for weeks
though they had in all probability
not been separated for more than
two or three hours.
During lunch she. carefully as
sisted in giving the guests voice,
in case they were too tinnid to talk
or in the event that the generals
|eloquence was in full majestic
flow. by interrupting gently and
Saying. "But, general, Mr.. x wants
to ask you about this-or-that.' u
Previously. before he had entered,
she had found out tactfully what
subjects the guest was most eager
Ito discuss.
MAINTAINED Unpretentious Role.
Mrs. Macarthur maintained her
role without the slightest preten-
sion. At parties she did nothing
to differentiate herself from other
officers wives. though, of course,
people new to Tokyo felt a certain
thrill when she entered and the
assemblage whispered, Mrs. Mac
Arthur has arrived" She stood in
line to cash a check at the bank
like anybody else, shopped at the
PIX, asked no special privileges,
and was universally admired.
In her husbands actual work
she took little part, except that,
for a period. she read and clipped
the American magazines for him.
II she ever felt that his strange
working hours made it difficult to
maintain an easy household rou-
tine. she never gave q sign OF 1t.
In plain fact. she probably saw
more of him than do most wives
or husbands who work a conven-
tional nine-to-f1ve day.
Their boy. Arthur, is a hand
some, alert. somewhat delicate
child who is the utter apple of
his fathers eye. Some years ago
Arthur broke his arm skating.
THE general" heard 1t put
went crazy" The fracture was
Simple. with no complications of
any kind; yet the youngster was
hospitalized for days, and the gen.
eral demanded that dozens of x
rays be taken-one or two would
have been enough. OF course the
hospital was turned upside down,
because Gen. Macarthur inter-
rupted his own routine to visit
him every day. The child has not
oeen permitted to go skating since.
Arthur. so L heard it said. is
deliberately kept from being a
genius. Whenever he shows a
special aptitude for something this
is discouraged. so that he will
grow up as a strictly normal
youngster. The chief thing to re-
port about him scholastically. at
the moment. is that he is a bit
slow with his spelling. For a time
growing up in Brisbane, he spoke
with an Australian accent: now
It has q British tinge. Arthur has
had few playmates: 1t happens
tnat not many parents In the gen
erars periphery have children of
MS age. He has three dogs. of
whom he is very fond.
Once Gen. Whitney got an ur.
gent call from Gen. Macarthur
early in the morning; he found
MIN IN his sons bedroom, wearing
an old West Point blanket as a
oathrobe. and playing with Arthur
ana all three dogs. The general
saw the boy the first thing every
morning and instantly on his re-
turn to the Embassy at night.
FOR some years the person clos
est to Arthur, next to his parents
was the Chinese nurse, All Chu
pronounced All Ju). She is a
remarkably attractive old cllarac-
1er. VINO cannot read or write.
After the family settled in Tokyo.
Mrs. Macarthur found Arthur a
tutor in the person of Mrs. PHYLLIS
Gibbons, known universally as
Gibby." Mrs. Gibbons was a
schoolteacher in the Philippines
Of British nationality, who got
caught by the japanese there and
who spent three years to a day.
from December %, 1941, to Decem-
per 2s, 1944,< in an internment
camp IN Baguio. "Gibby," a tall
lady Of great distinction. was as
close to the MacArthurs as anv-
body, and no one was more highly
valued.
She was the queen Of the Mac
Arthur court" and a delightful
person. The boy. too, was devoted
TO her, and she adored him. C.He,s
. nice youngster. Such lot Of
nonsense has been written about
MIN. He's very nice. I'm teaching
him American geography now out
OF your Inside USA.'") Many
people in Tokyo. anxious for the
Macarthur favor, treated the boy|
as II he were q veritable crown
prince. But there was no nonsense
like that with "Gibby." Her whole
effort was to make his as normal
and unspoiled as possible.
TOMORROW-Lunch ,Dith
the MGcArthuYs, The Generals
health-schedule.
From the book, THE RIDDLE OF MAC
AHIHUR, published by Harper 4. Hros !
Copyright 1e50-51 BY John Gunther.
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