Evening star., 1951-05-07
Macarthur Asks
Too Big a Risk,
.Tobin Insists
Secretary Defends
Presidents Action
In Talk to Lawyers

In Talk to Lawyers
Secretary of Labor Tobin de-
clared today that Gen. MacAr-
thurs proposal for prosecuting
the war in Korea constitutes a
gamble which the United States
cannot afford to take.
Mr.. Tobin asserted that this
country is resisting the Commu-
mist advance the world over. but
that President Truman is doing
all possible to limit the area of
actual conflict. He said the Tru-
man policy offers the best chances
of preventing a third world war.
In speech to the Federal Bar
A SIS o C ton, Secretary Tobin
sharply criticized Gen. MacAr-
thurs foreign policy views. His
address was one of the first pub
lie utterances on the Macarthur
debate by a top administration
official since the general was GUST
ed as Supreme Commander in the
Far East.
| No Appeasement, He Says.
1t was strong defense of Presi-
dent Truman's decision to replace
Gen. Macarthur.
THE American people know
that this action in no way implies
appeaSement or leniency toward
Communist aggression, Secretary
Tobin said. They know our entire
record bellies such an attitude. We
have stood firm and unwavering in
opposition to Communist aggres-
sion.
The issue was not Macarthur
or Truman-MacArthur or Ache
son-or Macarthur or Bradley.
The issue was, and is, the likeli-
hood of world war or the possibili-
/ ty of preserving peace.
1T was on that issue and with
the greatest reluctance that the
President of the United States was
forced to act. Having exhibited
tremendous patience and tried
every alternative, the President
was forced to take decisive action
in the public interest.
Calls 1t Personal Sacrifice.
|. "The Presidents action was
taken at great personal sacrifice.
He is a humble man and he put
himself and his administration
last and our country and its peo-
pie first.
i Nevertheless, your President
took such action because the best
Iadvices he could obtain from his
civilian and military leaders. and
his own best judgment. convinced
him it might help avert a world
war"
/ Mr.. Tobin said Gen. Macarthur
holds the view that his program
would not lead to World War III.
He may be right and he may
be wrong" the secretary COM
Imented. ITO gamble on our guess
Of what the Kremlin would do is
to gamble with the lives of mil
lions of people including American
men, women and children. We
cannot afford to take any CANDLES
we do not have to take when so
much is at stake"
Quotes Macarthur in 1882.
Touching upon a legal subject,
Secretary Tobin emphasized the
Importance to each American Of
the Constitution. He said the
founding fathers" had prophetic
vision in seeing the danger of mill
tary control of the United States.
Subsequent history, he added.
clearly demonstrates the evils
which exist when military officers
make civilian policy. Then the
Secretary quoted from a state
ment by Gen. Macarthur in 1882,
when he was Chief of Staff, as
follows:
1.-The national strategy of any
War-that is, the selection of ma
tional detectives and the deter
mination of the general means and
methods to be applied in attain
ing them. as well as the develop
ment of the broad policies appli-
. cable to the prosecution of war
are decisions that must be made
by the head of the state acting in
conformity with the expressed will
of Congress-
i Gen. Macarthur pointed out
that such far-reaching and vital
decision could not be delegated
by the Commander -in-Chief to
any subordinate authority. Any
such attempts would not consti-
tute delegation, but rather abb
dication.
The Federal Bar Association.
whose members are lawyers in
Federal departments, is conclud-
ing a tWo-day convention at the
Willard Hotel. A second cabinet
officer, Attorney General McGrath,
was to address the association
this afternoon.