Evening star., 1951-05-04

IELLS his S1OR R1-OcH. N1dCt
stand in the Senate caucus rOOr
with President Truman over c.
you any estimate as to the amount
of equipment that would be neces-
Sary?
Gen. MacArthur-No sir. I furn-
iShed them.
Senator Russell-You furnished
them?
Gen. MacArthur-When I went
down there I recommended at once
to the Joint Chiefs of Staff that a
professional mission be permitted
to go down there to make a study
and I sent a group of officers under
Gen. Fox. :.
He was one of the deputy chiefs
of staff of the Far East Command
and they made a comprehensive
study of what would be essential to
put those forces in fighting trim.
That report was very compen-
dious one, was submitted to Wash
Iington. In general it was approved
and it is my understanding that il
is being carried out now, being i'm
plemented.
Ready in Four Months.
Senator Russell-Did Gen. Fox's
report have any estimate as to the
; time that would be required tc
teach these men to use their weap-
ons?
Gen. Macarthur - We recon-
mended on that mission that a
military mission should go with
these supplies to insure their pro-
lper distribution and to insure the
proper training in them. I think
lit went down to the battalion
strength.
My own estimate would be after
the material was there, that those
troops would be in very good shape
probably as good as they ever could
be made outside of combat, within
four months.
Senator Russell-IS it your opin-
ion that if we had in the past, or
do in the future see fit to carry
out this recommendation and equip
these troops and supply them the
means of reaching the mainland of
China, they could maintain them
selves there?
Gen. MacArthur-AS to their use,
Senator, there is no question that
such a decision should be left to
their commander The possibility
of huge amphibious force landing
all that crowd on the mainland
might not be, feasible. They could
be used in various ways. They
could inflltrate into Indo- China
They could go in small forays and
come back or they could go to the
mainland just exactly as they came
to Formosa, in their own junks and
so on.
Would Relieve Pressure.
At that time when they crossed
the Straits there into Formosa, the
Red enemy was not able to stol
them. He did not have enough
air, he did not have enough navy
to stop them, and with the protec-
ton that naturally comes from ou1
air and our navy, if he moved from
the mainland to Formosa, 1 fancy
he could move back from Formosa
to the mainland, but whether that
would be the most efficient use ot
: those troops, I would hesitate t6
say.
The Chinese are peculiar in their
own methods. That is a subject
that should be left up to the COM
mander-in-chief of the Chinese
forces.
Even as threat they would
have relieved the pressure on my
command. 1t would have been a
100 per cent different picture il
they had not been held in leash
j Senator Russell-General, I hac
considerable sympathy with thu
original rejection of the use of the
| Chinese Nationalist troops in Kores
at the outset until the Chinese Red.
lntervened. 1 thought that would b.
very provocative.
Gen. MacArthur-When Formoss
was threatened by the Chinese Com
munists, the best use that coulc
have been made of those troops wa:
to leave them right in Formosa, but
the minute that threat was relieved
those troops should have been util.
lied in such ways as might have
seemed best.
i think we could use some of then
to great advantage in Korea.
Refers to Correspondence.
I Senator Russell-Did you evel
make any recommendation after the
Chinese Communists intervened ir
the war, that we accept the Offer
OF the Generalissimo of the orig.
l.. inal $4,000?
Gen. MacArthur-I did. recon.
mended that we should utilize those
troops.
Senator RuSsell-In Korea?
! Gen. MacArthur-I have forgotten
whether said in Korea. (Aftel
consulting memorandum I have
this correspondence, Senator, thai
covers the reply to the question yor
asked. (About one and two.
thirds pages deleted by censor)
T Senator RuSSell-WaS that re.
ceived from the Defense Establish.
ment or from the State Department;
Gen. MacArthur-Who originated
it I do not know, sir. It came
!. through the Department of the
,, Army, but the State Department
does not deal directly, did not dea
directly with the theater com.
: mander.
The channel of communication
as said before, was the join
Chiefs of Staff, and the Chief O.
] Staff of the Army is the immediate
S agent thereof.
Questioned by COnnalIy.
Y Senator Connally-I just have twt
r brief questions and I will reserve
the other questions.