Evening star., 1953-01-24
Korea Is Topic
As Gen. Taylor
Sees President
New 9th Army Chief
Believed Told of
Eisenhower's Plans
By John A. Giles

President Eisenhower held a
top-level conference today on
Korea and presumably told the
new commander of the 9th Army
Of his plans to end the Far East
stalemate.
1t. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
named to the command yester-
day, refused to tell reporters
about his talk with Gen. Eisen-
hover, but said lit was a safe
assumption" the talk was about
Korea.
Shortly before Gen. Taylor ar
rived at the White House,
Charles E. Wilson, whose nomi-
nation for Secretary Of Defense
is before the Senate, also con-
ferred with the President. Mr..
Wilson accompanied Gen. Eisen-
hover on his three-day trip to
Korea in early December.
II got a great lift out of see
ing Gen. Eisenhower mean
President Eisenhower-my old
commander -in-chief," Gen. Tay-
lor told reporters after the con-
ference.
Headed AirbOrne Division.
The 51-year-old paratrooper
explained that he commanded
the 101st Airborne Division un-
der Gen. Eisenhower when he
was supreme Allied commander
during the war. Gen. Taylor
jumped with his division into
Normandy on D-day.
He leaves Washington at 6
PIN Monday for the Far East
to replace Gen. James A. Van
Fleet, who is retiring. He said
he would arrive in Tokyo on
January 29-his 28th wedding
anniversary. However, the gem
eral added with a smile, ''it
wasn't planned that way"
Meanwhile, there was some
speculation as to what new as
signment was in store for CO.
year-old Gen Van Fleet.
1T was assumed that Gen.
Eisenhower had something else
IN mind for his old West Point
classmate or he would not have
agreed to his retirement.
White House Secretary James
Hagerty said the President had
authorized him to say he be-
lieved Gen. Van Fleet sis prob
ably the best-qualifled combat
officer we have in the armed
forces" and that he regretted
very much that ''the passage of
time-and time alone-has re-
suited in the loss of his services
in Korea"
Mentioned for Posts.
Gen. Eisenhower has several
top-notch military appointments
to make within the next few
nths-including the chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-and
Gen. Van Fleet was mentioned
for these posts as well as a civil
ian assignment.
Gen. Taylor told reporters that
while Gen. Van Fleet was retir-
ing after more than IS years
total service and five years in the
permanent grade of major gen.
eral, "like any other officer he
can be recalled"
Gen. Eisenhower, who spent
three days in Korea in early
December, promised during his
campaign that, if elected, he
would make an effort to find a
way to bring the Korean war
to an end.
After his inspection ne said
no miracles could be expected
but expressed confidence q way
could be found to improve the
situation.
Since then he mas had nothing
to say about his intentions but
repeatedly he has developed a
plan of action.
Questioned on Korea Troops.
The new Army commander
was questioned about two other
topics which the President has
mentioned. One was the pro-
gram for training more South
Korea troops to replace Ameri-
cans. Gen. Eisenhower used q
letter from Gen. Van Fleet dur
ing the campaign in which the
latter complained that his rec
concentrations for a speed-up IN
the program had been ignored.
Gen. Taylor said the whole at