Evening star., 1951-04-14
The Political Min ~sssli
Party for Peace Label
Sought by Democrats
Sentiment for Macarthur
Stems From Two Sources
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
The uprush of sentiment In support
OF Gen. Douglas Macarthur, dismissed
from his high commands by President
Truman, stems from two sources-(a)
the great admiration Americans have
for Gen. MACARTHUR as soldier and as
an administrator in Japan, (b) the re-
sentiment of millions of Americans
against the Truman administration.
Arguments urged by Truman defend
ers-that the military commanders must
always be subordinate to civil authors
ties, and that the President as Com
mander in Chief was forced to discipline
Gen. MacArthur-fall on many deaf
ears. Too many people do not believe
in the Far East policy of this admins
tration; too many people believe that
the Truman administration has been
blind to the Vaccinations of the Com
munists in this country-and too soft
in dealing with Reds and Red symplna-
thizers; too many people believe that the
administration has been responsible for
waste and worse.
The Presidents radio address the night
after he had dismissed Gen. Macarthur
was an obvious attempt to convince the
country that he is the great advocate of
peace-and Gen. Macarthur bent on
bringing about third world war Sem
ator Humphrey of Minnesota, Demo-
crat, carrying this theme to the floor
Of the Senate, charged that the Repub-
hcan Party is the war party, since its
members support Gen. Macarthur In his
controversy with Mr.. Truman over the
Far East policy, and the Democratic
Party is the peace party.
Difficult to Sustain Charges.
Both Mr.. Truman and the Senator
from Minnesota will have dificulty sus-
tanning these charges against Gen. Mac
Arthur and the Republican Party. In
the first place, it was President Truman
who put this country into the Korean
war, and indeed, who persuaded the
United Nations to move in the matter.
He acted properly, in this writer's 'opin-
ion, when he did so. But that does not
make him exactly the symbol of peace.
He is now promising that there will
be no World War III, if the course he
advocates in Korea is followed-and the
Communists behave themselves.
His promise is reminiscent of another
Democratic President, Woodrow Wilson.
who was reelected in 1915 on the slogan
He kept us out of war;" and the entry
of the United States under that Presi-
dent into World War 1 a few months
later. 1t recalls. too. a promise made by
a third Democratic President, Franklin
D. Roosevelt, during his campaign for
election to third term in the White
House. Mr.. Roosevelt assured the moth
ers of America he was not going to
send American boys to fight on European
SOIL He was successful at the polls.
Both Wilson and Roosevelt had the
whole hearted support of Americans
in those wars-but not by the widest
stretch OF imagination can the Demo-
cratic Party be called the peace
party"-not by the record. Yet that is
the cry which the Democrats face
an election next year-are going to
carry into the campaign, provided the
United States is not engaged in World
War III before the 1852 election takes
place. They figure there are Just as
many votes in such slogan as there
were in 1916 and in 1910. "itsN
Jared by Sentiment.
Administration Democrats have been
Jared by the wide sweep of anti
Truman sentiment. Some of them would
have been delighted to turn down fatty
the proposal to have Gen. Macarthur
speak to a joint session of Congress.
Some Of them still would like to turn
1t down. 1t has been apparent, however,
that there are enough Democrats in
Congress who would go along with the
Republicans If vote were taken to put
through the resolutions for joint ses-
sion to hear Gen. Macarthur, offered by
Minority Leader Martin in the House
and Minority Leader Wherry in the Sen
ate. Further, a declination of an oppor-
tunity for Gen. Macarthur to address
Congress would leave bad taste in the
public's mouth. The people want to
know Gen. MacArthur's side of the story.
Gen. Macarthur, who has served his
country so long and so ably, as soldier
in two world wars and in the Korean
war, and as the Supreme Commander
in Japan since the close of World War II,
did not deserve the treatment he re-
ceived-a kick out of ofhce-without a
full hearing in Washington before his
orders were made public. The Presidents
action has caused tremendous disunity
in this country-notwithsta the
constitutional right of the Commander
in Chief to take the action. It's impos-
sible for the country to prepare itself
properly for a great war, which the
President knows as well as another may
be thrust upon us, unless there is unity
of purpose and while we use up our time
and energies fighting each other.