Evening star., 1951-04-19
Statements of Yes Mem
On War Now Expected
Congress Members Believe
Military Will Hew to Line
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
When Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,
supreme commander Of the North At
lantic Pact forces, speaks, either before
committees Of Congress or the public,
as he surely will in the future, will it
be the voice Of Eisenhower or the voice
OF President Truman and Secretary Of
State Acheson?
Members of Congress are saying fatty
that the dismissal of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur from supreme command of the
United Nations forces now operating in
the Pacific area has given them an i'm
preston that hereafter they are only
going to hear Eyes men" when they call
high Army, Navy and Air Force officers
before them. If they, the officers, dis
cuss military policy or political policy
they will hew to the administration
line-or else.
This question of getting information
and advice from Gen. Eisenhower is no
light one. He will have to advise Con-
gress regarding the number of Amer
lean men needed to take part in the
allied force, ready to oppose aggression
on the part of the Communist countries
Or any one else. He will have to ad-
wise Congress on what arms and NUM-
tions to send to help build up the
armies Of our Allies. He will have to
inform Congress whether the other ma
tions of the North Atlantic Pact are
doing their share in the creation of these
defense forces-and If not why not.
Vital to Peoples Security.
Here are matters of policy of vital
interest to the security of the American
people. Does Gen. Eisenhower have,
now, to limit his recommendations and
his statements involving foreign and
military policy to the lines laid down
by the State Department or the Presi-
dent or both? If Gen. Eisenhower's own
Judgment should conflict with that of
the administration on important points
lis Congress through its committees
going to be able to learn the Eisenhower
position?
Members Of the Armed Services Com
mittees OF Congress insist that there
should be no retaliation by the Presi-
dent or the administration against q
military man for any testimony he may
give before congressional committee.
II Gen. Macarthur had been called be.
fore the Senate Armed Forces Commit
tee and testified to the opinions he ex-
pressed in his letter to Representative
Joe Martin, Massachusetts,, minority
leader Of the House, which brought Mac
Arthur's diSmisSal-and President Tru-
man had then dismissed Macarthur.
Senator Russell Of Georgia, chairman Of
the committee, would have brought in a
resolution Of censure of Mr. Truman.
The only difference in what did hap
pen is that MacArthur's statement was
made to Representative Martin, q mem
ber Of Congress. who had written Gen.
Macarthur asking his opinion on the
bombing Of Red Chinese armed forces
across the Manchurian border and the
use OF Chinese Nationalist soldiers, now
on Formosa, against the Reds on China's
mainland, instead Of to committee Of
Congress. It is difficult for the public,
perhaps, to understand this difference.
Opinions Should Be Weighed.
Furthermore. an interesting specula-
ton arises. Had Gen. Macarthur ac-
cepted an invitation to return to WASH
ington to speak before a congressional
committee and said what he said to Mr..
Martin, would he have been summarily
dismissed by President Truman? Pre-
sumably he would have been fired If the
President Is as earnest in his position
on the Korean situation as he says he
Is. But would the howls from defenders
Of Mr.. Truman's action have been aS
loud against Gen. Macarthur for stating
his own opinions on military policy to
be used in the Far East II Macarthur
had declared them before q congress.
sional committee?
Coming from commander Of armed
forces in war, opinions of military
strategy should be given consideration.
The Commander in Chief. as the Presi-
dent, has a right to discard these opin.
ions. But should Congress and the peo-
pie be kept in the dark?
II there is ban on public statements
by Army officers regarding policy, by
presidential edict, it clearly does not
reach to statements made by Army off,
GERS which go on all fours with the
policies of the administration. Gen.
Omar Bradley. like Gen. Macarthur a
five-star general, and at present chair
man of the Joint Chiefs Of STAFF, in q
speech to the Radio and Television
BroadcaSterS in Chicago, went down the
line for the Truman policy in Korea
with which he has great deal to do.
II WdS du dIlSWcT W \IclI. MdCAI LLluTp
although he did not use MacArthur's
name-and intended to be so.
Gen. Bradley, by the way. was the
man who spoke of the Fancy Dan"
admirals of the Navy who disagreed
with the administration policy last
year-one feature of which was the
junking Of plans for a super aircraft
carrier. Admiral Denfeld, then chief Of
naval operations. had his comb clipped
by the administration and there was
censure of other officers. Since then the
policy regarding the Navy has been re-
versed completely, and. we are going
ahead with the super-carrier. Some Of
Admiral Denfeld's statements were made
before congressional committee at
that time, but this did not save him.
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