Evening star., 1951-05-06
By Don Whitehead
AsseeIc,ed Press Stosf Nvriter

GV1As MaC64 b1luI HAS ldlQ DGIOfe
the American people the clear-cut
choice Of following the Truman
Administrations following Gen
Macarthur.
In essence, this is the great issue
that has emerged from the gen.
erals three days of testimony
before Senators who are lookine
into reason for his custer by
President Truman.
Both Gen. Macarthur and the
Administration are planning tc
carry the fight to the Nation for q
final decision.
President Truman has asked the
people not to make up their minds
until all the facts are known. And
Gen. Macarthur has disclosed
through an aide that he is plan
ming to carry on the fight through
. series Of speeches probably
starting with an address to a
Joint session of the Texas Legis-
lature.
Russian Angle Cited.
The choices are:
!. Accept the Macarthur plan
to beat Red China into surrender
by bombing, q naval blockade, the
use Of Chinese Nationalist troops,
and the use Of q few more Amer
lean ground troops In Korea.
The risk Of Russia coming into
the war must be taken, Gen. Mac
Arthur says.
He warned that Communism
already has begun an armed at
tack on the free world and "if you
don't meet it In Korea you are
doomed to destruction" He ar
gued a victory in Korea is the best
way to forestall a surprise atomic
attack on this country-and that
Communism must be opposed all
over the world wherever it is.
z. Accept the administration
plan to limit the war to Korea,
on the theory that Allied forces
eventually wa make the war so
costly the Chinese will be forced
to sue for peace. The administra-
ton does not want to take the
risk OF drawing Russia into the
conflict.
Basic Disagreement.
There it is. All the other ar
gumentS pale into fuzzy outline
when placed against this basic
disagreement on the best way to
win a war.
The 71-year-old general has
waged o. magnificent fight for his
cause-right or wrong-with an
eloquence that equals his vigor.
In three days of testimony that
wore out men 20 years his jun
ior. the general refused to ad-
NIT that he had ever made
wrong decision in Korea or that
he did not have the right to speak
out against the administrations
policies.
He parried critical questions
with easy assurance-and he kept
drumming on the theme that his
plan was the only plan that has
been offered to end the war hon.
orably.
Urges Extraordinary Effort.
He summed up the issue this
way:
Your entire drift has been not
to do anything, just keep on flight
ing. losing, bleeding there. I think
we should make some extraor-
dinary effort to bring 1t to an
end"
It was this belief which led to
his custer by the President-be-
cause the general continued voic-
ing publicly his views in opposition
to the administration policies.
With supreme Self-confidence
some people call it his ego-the
general challenged the wisdom of
Mr.. Truman in firing him. He
said his summary" dismissal from
grave responsibilities was done in
q manner which jeopardized the
security Of this country.
And in his testimony, the "fad-
ing old soldier" raised as many
questions as he -answered-ques-
tions which will plague the admin
tstration, the people, and historians
for wears to come.
Question of Intelligence.
Some of these questions are:
Who was responsible for the
failure to anticipate the entry of
Red China into the war-Gen.
MacArthur's intelligence corps or
the Governments top intelligence
agency?
Who has final responsibility for
battlefield strategy and tactics
the theater commander or the
Joint Chiefs Of Staff?
Does an officer have the right
and the duty-to dispute his
commanders actions publicly
when he believes the commander
Is wrong?
Is the professional Judgment"
Of the military leaders being
swayed by political influences?
Was Gen. Macarthur correct
in splitting his forces in Korea
and attacking last November
without knowing the enemy's full
strength?
The general has made clear he
is resting his case with the
people and with history as the
final judges. Mr.. Truman like
wise has said that the facts, In
the end, will bear him out.
Let's take a look at some Of
these questions:
Intelligence
President Truman says, in ef-
feet, that Gen. Macarthur gave
him q wrong steer last October
ut Wake Island by saying he
didn't believe the Chinese Reds
would enter the war. But Gen
Macarthur. through an aide, de.
clared neither the Central Intel
ligence Agency nor the State De-