Evening star., 1951-05-05

the directive of the goth of March
had been received before you wrote
the letter. you would have written
it in any event?
Gen. Macarthur - That 4
couldn't tell you. 1t was a.
casual letter in reply to request
from a distinguished member of
this body. and I would have hon
ored it.
Senator Kefauver-But from his
letter I took it that you knew that
it would be released by him in the
debate that was going on in this
country.
Senator Quotes Letter.
Gen. MacArtpur-I didn't have
the faintest idea of whether he
would or whether he wouldn't re-
lease it. The concept never entered
into my head.
Senator Kefauver Gen. Mac
Arthur, he said in his letter that
there was this discussion going on,
he had been in debates on the sub
ject, and in the last paragraph he
says in part:
II would deem it great help if
I could have your views on this
yH0i1of oithov nm a rnnf5Iaofiol
basis or otherwise Your admirers
are legion, and the respect you
command is enormous
In your letter you didn't say
about it being on a con-
f1dential basis, so l take it you
must have assumed from his letter
it would be made public because
he discussed the debate and the
argument that was going on,
Gen. MacArthur-I never gave
it the slightest thought, Senator
1t was a matter for his discretion
entirely.
Senator Kefauver-One clause
in the letter that strikes me is:
Here we fight Europe's war
with arms, while the diplomats
fight it with words"
Was that intended to be a slap
at the State Department or what
did you mean by that?
Gen. MacArthur-It wasn't in
tended to be anything except a
statment of actual facts.
Senator Kefauver-Gen. Mac
Arthur but do you think it
proper or would you think it
proper for a brigadier or major
general under you to take issue
with your general concept as the
theater commander by writing
letter to member of the Congress
when he knew that it would be
used in the debate about the way
your campaign was being car
ried on?
Gen. MacArthur-I wouldn't
have the slightest objection to any
officer in my command stating his
views on any subjects in any way
he wished, just so he did it in a
courteous, polite way following the
normal code of a gentleman's con-
duct.
Senator Kefauver-You mean If
in the reconquest of the Philip
pines some major general had had
a different view about how the
whole campaign should have been
carried on, had written me let
ter, knowing that / was going to
publish it and cause a debate
about the general strategy of your
Pacific campaign, you would have
sanctioned what he did?
Gen. MacArthur-I would ask
you to examine your own files to
see if you haven't gotten a great
many complaints from juniors in
the service of the seniors that are
over them.
Matter of Discretion.
Senator Kefauver - Yes, but
they always say, BE sure and
don't show this to anybody"
Gen. Macarthur - Well, once
more that is a matter of your dis
cretion. Representative Martin
exercised it.
Senator Kefauver - But my
question is, when you were con-
Quoting the Philippine campaign.
if your chief of Staff-Who was
your chief of staff?
Gen. MacArthur-Gen. Suther-
land was my chief of staff. think
he is a West Virginian.
Senator Kefauver-If he had
written to me knowing that I was
in a big debate in Congress about
whether you were, right or not in
deciding how you were going to-
make that magnificent reconquestl
of the Philippines, if he had writ
ten to me expressing different
opinion from the one you had, and
criticizing even mildly what you
had decided to do, knowing that
I was going to inject that opinion
into a debate, would you have
sanctioned him doing so?
Gen. MacArthur-Certainly. 7
can't tell you how many times my
staff has disagreed with me not
only privately but publicly. The
only thing / ever required was
complete honesty of their opinions.
9Nator Kefauver-You do not
thiGk an opinion different from