Evening star., 1951-05-04

|
port today to return to the Cap
the situation in the Far East.
what we can supply in the way OF
ground forces. -.
Senator Johnson-Did I under
stand you to say that the foreign
commanders in Korea shared your
views about the kind of program
that should be put into effect
there?
Gen. MacArthur-Every officer
that I have talked with there, is
in general agreement.
Senator JohnSon-And by that
statement, of course, you include
Gen. Ridgway?
Gen. MacArthur-I would, OF
course, prefer to let Gen. Ridgway
speak for himself; but, I will say
Eyes" . think you will find, if
you will 60 into the reports that
he made, that he is quite in agree
ment.
! Senator Russell-Senator Hicken-
looper.
! Senator Hickenlooper-Gen. Mac
Arthur, I would like to get into a
little different phase of the matter
there, in the Orient, in Korea and
in China, than has been discussed
heretofore. I would like to ask
lyou about the British attitude.
Not only in Korea, but in connec-
ton with any activities by the
Chinese Nationalists on the main
land of China; and to try to tell
you what is in my mind, by way Of
this question, I will just say:
Have the British been vigorous
in resisting the idea of bombing
Istrategically, in Manchuria, or of
taking the wraps OF OF Chang
Kai-shek, for the purpose of let
ting him use his troops in the best
method possible against the Reds?
No Direct Dealings With British.
Gen: MacArthur-I know nothing
directly; but from what has been
carried in the press, and other ac-
counts, should say they resisted
| it about as strongly as was possible.
Senator Hickenlooper-Do you
believe that Hong Kong, the Brit
ish foothold there, has anything to
do with that? In other words, is it
believed, over there, that if they
support any such action by Chang
Kai-shek, or support strategic
bombing in Manchuria, that they
will lose Hong Kong to the Reds?
Gen. Macarthur: I could not tell
you, Senator, except by speculative
comment.
I have had no direct dealings
with the British, except the small
token forces that operated under
my command.
Senator Hickenlooper-May I ask
your opinion on another matter,
then? That is, if you care to ex-
press it, or if you have an opinion
on it? Assuming that the Chinese
Reds would be able to consolidate
China, that is, win a complete VIC
tory and that some sort of a
cease-flre or appeasement or some
thing of that kind, were had, that
would give them the ultimate DO
litical victory they want, which is
the consolidation of Red China, oc-
curred.-Do you believe that the
Red Chinese would permit the
British to stay in Hong Kong very
long after that consolidation?
! Gen. MacArthur-My own per-
sonal opinion would be no.
Senator Hickenlooper - They
would not permit them to stay there
very long?
Gen. MacArthur-That would be
my belief. I think that the port
of Hong Kong is now a means by
which great quantities of materials,
strategic and otherwise, pour
through into Red China.
If Red China took that away
from the British, it would react
against them. I think it is bene-
flcial for the Chinese under pres
ent conditions to allow that port
to remain in the hands of the Brit
ish, and to receive the constant
flow of strategic materials that goes
through there.
Recalls Report on Materials.
| I happened to see one of the
last papers before relinquished my
command in the Far East, a report
from the American Consul General
as to the strategic materials which
had gone through Hong Kong and
reached the Red Chinese. All these
materials were on our prescribed
strategic list. And, as I recall the
figure, it was for three weeks.
And it consisted of these strategic
materials alone-of $210 million
Honk Kong dollars, worth OF goods
as I recall. These figures are moi
accurate but they are approximately
so. I think the Hong Kong dollar
is now probably about five to one
So that would be about $40 millior
worth of strategic materials-rail.
roads, steel products, ties, petrole.
umS, various matters of that sort
which cleared through Hong Kong
alone. Now I am not talking
about what might be cleared from
Singapore up to Tientsien, or Using
tao, or those places. This wa
through the port of Hong Kong
alone.
I I correct myself, that the tota'
that passed through there of stra.
tegic materials which were pro.
scribed and those which we're mo-
prescribed was $40 million.
Senator Hickelooper - In tht
event the Chinese Reds are able tt
consolidate their control over the
mainland of China andy. be vic.
torious in that effort, would they
rest until they had taken ovel
Formosa also? In other words, L