Evening star., 1951-05-16
|VMI Settles Down
TO Routine After
Marshall
By Wallace {. CIoyton
Stor Stoff Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Va. May 10
Cadets at the Virginia Military
Institute were back at classes to-
day. and workmen were tearing
down the temporary stand where
Defense Secretary Marshall. VMI's
most distinguished graduate. yes
terday received ceremonial trib-
ute from his old school.
Gen. Marshall. who left VMI in
1901 to begin a career that even
tually brought him to leadership
of his Nations forces in the
worlds most titanic battle, came
back to this small Southern town
to be honored as his alma mater
has honored no graduate in its
|112-year history.
Clad in a conservative gray
business suit, the sprightly De-
fenSe Secretary sat in 80-degree
heat, flanked by present members
of the VMI cadet corps, while his
old friend. Bernard Baruch. dedi-
Gated an archway leading into a
new section of the fortress-like
barracks in his honor.
Two other archways in the old
section of the barracks already
bear the names of military heroes
close to the heart and the tradi-
ton Of VMI, "The West Point of
the South" They are the George
Washington arch and the Gen.
Stonewall Jackson arch. Gen.
jackson, an instructor at VMI for
IL years before the Civil War. was
killed at the battle of Chancellors-
vile.
Baruch Cites Military Weakness.
Mr.. Baruch. touching briefly on
the conflict of viewpoints between
Gen. Marshall and Gen. Mac
Arthur, blamed much of the pres
ent controversy on the Nation s
military weakness.
I'm our present situation, what
ever is attempted on behalf of
peace must fall short, because of
lack of supporting military
strength" Mr.. Baruch said.
I'VE are trying to enforce a
global doctrine of opposition tc
communism with military estab-
lishment which is sorely strained
by the demands of only one the
ater. Until we have mobilized
few if any of the issues which
have been raised can really be
solved"
Without mentioning Gen. Mac.
Arthur by name, Mr.. Baruch said
Il wonder how much of the
controversy in recent days is really
a reflection of the difference be-
tween the leader of troops anc
the organizer. A great leader
of troops is naturally jealous ir
desiring that every resource
be marshalled which might in.
crease the chance of their win.
ming or of decreasing their losses
But the organizer has tt
think not only of the men fight.
ing on the one front, but ot
all the fronts of war and de.
fense. He must weigh each the.
ater and its relative Importance
upon the scales of far-funl
strategy"
Audience of 5000.
The audience of 5000 included
such Washington visitors as Gen
J. Lawton Collins, Army Chief O
Staff: w. Stuart Symington
chairman of the Reconstruction
Finance Corp, and Deputy Sec
retary of Defense Robert A
? Lovett.
Gen. Marshall reviewed tn
changes in the world since he en-
rolled in 1897, when, according t.
a letter from his father still KEEP
. in VMI files. he was a you'll
bright, full of life"
In lighter vein, Gen. Mar
shall said the changes had .beel
, accompanied by a lot of confu
sion.
Just before Gov. Battle pre-
sented Gen. Marshall with Vir'
ginia's Distinguished Servic'
Medal, the Defense Secretar,
spotted his personal barber in th'
crowd packed around the tree
! lined parade ground.
He stepped over to the barber
Joseph Abbate, 1916 South Six
teenth street, Arlington. who ha
been cutting Gen. Marshall's hal
in his Pentagon barber shop sine,
1889
when did you get imp" Gen
Marshall asked. surprised. Mr
-lAhhate tn1d renorfer.S ha hod to1,