Evening star., 1951-04-30
General Is Welcome,
But Today Is Really
Mrs. Macarthur Day
BY The Assoeiosed Pres.

ner famous husband, Douglas
Macarthur, to the home folks to-
day in a long-delayed homecom-
ing.
It is a day Of triumph for ST.
--year-old Jean Faircloth Mac
Arthur, who is returning home for
the first time since she married
in New York IA years ago today,
at 38.
And it is a day of triumph for
flag-bedecked, frenzied Murfrees-
boro. This Middle Tennessee city
of $4,000 population, usually quiet
and quaint. hopes to pitch its
native daughter the anniversary
party of a lifetime.
Happy Anniversary"
The general and his wife took
off from Idlewild Airport in New
York at 1851 am. (EST) today.
The generals plane, the Bataan.
is due to land about noon at
Sewart Air Base near Murfrees-
boro.
This is the 14th anniversary
of my wedding" the general said
just before he and his wife and
their son Arthur. 1S, boarded the
big Constellation. Its just like
starting a new honeymoon"
The crowd at the airport shout
ed Happy Anniversary"
In Murfreesboro, Welcome, :,
Jean, General and Arthur" signs
are strung everywhere. Pictures
of Gen. Macarthur are all along
the streets. United States and
Confederate flags and bunting add
to the holiday air.
It is obvious that Murfreesboro
doesn't plan to take a back seat
to anybody on showing a big time
to Jean and her family. Local
folks expect 100000 persons to-
turn out for the five-hour well
come.
A lot of formal ceremony and
brass. civiliansand military. is on
the program that kicks of with
arrival of the Bataan. Gen. Mac
Arthur will speak briefly.
But most OF the program is
geared to suit Jean.
She gets q silver tray for her
anniversary and a lifetime mem
bership in the local auxiliary of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Many old friends are to greet her
at a luncheon. And she will go
to her old home to be met by sew
eral former servants.
Arthur Remembered.
The folks aren't forgetting her
and the generals 13-year-old son,
Arthur, either. He gets a rod and
reel. a life membership in the
Boy Scouts of America and some
scout paraphernalia.
When the word got out that
the MacArthurs were coming. 16I
committees got busy on the plans.
Another committee was set upI
to coordinate the committees.
That's what Murfreesboro thinks
of Jean.
It has known her since she, was
q child, when her mother moved
here after a divorce from E. c.
Faircloth, a wealthy Nashville
banker and businessman.
Became World Traveller.
Soon after the slight. piquant
girl finished school, she became
a world traveller. 1t was on a trip
to the Philippines in October,
1885, that she met Gen. Mac
Arthur.
They discovered later that her
grandfather, Capt. Richard Beard,
and his father, who became 1t.
Gen. Macarthur, fought on oppo-
site sides in the fierce battles
around Murfreesboro in the Civil
War.
Gen. Macarthur spent yesterday
resting in his suite at the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel in New York.
During the afternoon, he had an
hour and a half visit from Senator
Bridges, Republican, of New
Hampshire.
Senator Bridges is member
Of the Armed Services Committee,
which will hear Gen. Macarthur
in joint session with the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
Styled Courtesy Call"
The Senator's visit was describ-
ed as a courtesy call by MAJ.
Gen. Courtney Whitney, Gen.
MacArthur's aide.
Senator Bridges avoided report
ers when he left.
Another visitor yesterday was
Maj. Gen. Emmett (Rosy) O'Don-
nell of the Air Force. Gen. ODon-
nell, tactician for Korean War
strategy, paid a 5-minute courtesy
call on the deposed Far Eastern
commander.
The MacArthurs faced a packed
schedule today:
Land at Sewart Air Force Base
II miles from here and be well
coined by the military and civil
ian party, including Gov. Gordon
Browning. Mayor Jennings A..
Jones, Mrs. Marie Beard Glenn,
aunt of Mrs. Macarthur, and sew
eral friends of Mrs. Macarthur.
Stop in Smyrna for the general
to put a wreath on a war dead
memorial.
Big Parade.
Proceed to Murfreesboro for pa
rade and VFW membership to be
awarded.
Parade in Murfreesboro, ending
with Gen. Macarthur being greet
ed by Filipino visitors.
Go to the Middle Tennessee
State College football stadium for
the speaking program, at which
former Congressman Harold
Earthman, a friend of Mrs. Mac
4 ~