Evening star., 1951-04-29
Macarthur Popularity
Called in Question
Writer Says General May Fail
To Hold His Public
By Fronk R. Kent

UnQueStionably the Truman -Acheson
administration and its supporting Joint
Chiefs OF Staff have been put on the
defensive by the power and force of
Gen. MacArthur'S remarkable speech
TO Congress. Just as unqueStionably an
other effect of that speech has been to
arouse an overwhelming popular senti-
ment behind him in all parts of the
country.
1t now remains to be seen whether
these advantages can be held by the
general during the tests to which he
will be subjected when he appears before
the Senate Committees on Armed Forces
and Foreign Affairs. Also, there are the
charges made by Senator Nixon of
California, that a campaign of cal
culated diSparagement already has been
launched against him. For it is abun-
dainty clear that the Truman admins
tration, the Pentagon and the State
Department are not going to accept this
popular approval Of Gen. Macarthur
without vigorous protest and real fight.
In the first place, these committees are
controlled by stalwart Administration
Democrats. Well-briefed in advance, it
is anticipated that by adroit questioning
these will be able to dissipate some of
the glamour through which the people
now view the general and reduce his
present heroic stature to that of an ord-
nary man. The anti-MacArthurites make
no secret that they will be bitterly dis
appointed if they do not succeed in this
purpose. They count, of course, on great
aid from the testimony of those high
military figures who already have as
serted they unanimously favored the
Truman decision to dismiss. Perhaps
their objective will be achieved On the
other hand, members of the Macarthur
staff are confident that he not only will
Substantiate every statement he has
made. but will emerge from the cross
examination with undiminished prestige.
AS to the anti-MacArthur propaganda
there are several things to consider.
One is that the generals speech, free
from bitterness and rancor as he said.
nevertheless generally held challenge
to Mr.. Truman who chooses to regard
1t as an 'attack on the Government
and one not to be taken lying down.
Certainly, public approval Of Gen. Mac
Arthur is public disapproval of Mr.. Tru-
man. It would be abnormal, indeed, if
he and his friends, whose fortunes are
linked with his. did not use everything
they have to change that situation.
Even with an incumbent as low in pub
lie esteem as Mr.. Truman the prestige
of the presidency is enormous. It con-
trolls engines of publicity and propa-
ganda more powerful than any which
an opposing individual or group can
muster. Its influence is sufficient auto
matically to discourage some criticism
and to inspire some advocacy. Always,
it has strong journalistic support.
+
Altogether, this is an exceedingly
formidable combination for any man
even great. military figure such as
Gen. MacArthur-to take on, partic-
ularly when augmented by various hos
tile columniStS and radio commentators
with wide audiences. Some Of these are
of the professional liberal" type who
oppose the general because he is neither
a New" nor Fair" Dealer. Others
include several with obvious personal
grudges.
Against all this. Gen. Macarthur has
his own personality and prestige plus a
practically unprecedented public sup
port. How much of this he can retain
depends good deal on himself. He
may make mistakes. He may talk too
much. The Joint Chiefs of Staff may
be able to prove that his views on what
should be done in Asia are dangerously
unsound. A tickle public (always a
sucker for propaganda may not stand
by him. No one can tell about that,
But these things are certain: Cd That
the committee hearings and investiga-
tions will bring out a number of trerl-
chant facts not now known to the pub
lic-or to Congress; co that the con-
troversy makes even more remote any
idea of bipartisan foreign policy; 90
the prospect is that there will be en-
gendered a bitterness and feeling well
calculated to affect the 1852 conven-
tions. Concededly all this is unfortu-
nate for a country facing crisis. But
considering the manner in which Gen.
Macarthur was dismissed it is not easy
TO see how it could have been avoided.