Evening star., 1954-09-30
By Robert K. Welsh

~@~~c
Gen. James A. Van Fleet, tipped
+ off Chinese Reds that invasion OF
Korea would not be met by a
United States counterattack on
China itself.
The subcommittee was in re-
cess after hearing Gen. Van
Fleet, retired former 9th Army
commander in Korea, discuss
diplomatic and military mistakes
he believes the United States
made in Greece and the Far East.
Chairman Jenner of Indiana said
after yesterday afternoons ses-
sion that he will call more hear
ings to determine the extent and
source of such erroneous" pol
icy and strategy by this country.
Information to Enemy"
Gen. Van Fleet was invited to
testify at the public hearing as
q result of his appearance last
Tuesday at a closed session. He
declared that the Chinese Reds
never would have invaded Korea
If they thought their home bases
would be attacked by United Ma
tions forces.
MY own conviction is that
there must have been inforn1a-
ton to the enemy that we would
not attack Chinese home bases
if they invaded Korea" he told
the subcommittee.
Asked if he knew or ever
"speculated" as to the source OF
such assurance" tothe Reds,
he repledi: II have no evidence
but I merely have a guess that
the Reds got it through some
Embassy in Peiping." The United
States has no diplomatic rela-
tions with Red China.
Senator Jenner welcomed
Gen. Van Fleet to the hearing
by commenting: Victory in
Korea was denied to you, not by
your fighting generalship and
not by your valiant men. but by
an unidentified they What
ever the motivation of they it
now is fairly clear that the an
nounced reasons were prepos-
ferrous and the results disas-
trous."
The chairman explained thai
the subcommittee was not con-
cerned with foreign or military
policy as such. But he main
tanned that the internal security
of the country involves ques'
tions as to why some high policy
makers "arrogantly discounted
the Judgment of field and thea
ter commanders"
Questioned on Greece.
Subcommittee Counsel Alva c
Carpenter first questioned Gen
Van Fleet about his experiences
in 1948-50 as head Of a United
States military advisory mission
to Greece.
Gen. Van Fleet said the Stat
Departments policy in 1850 wa
to have Greece include "Commu
nists, left-wingers and collabo
rators" in her government. II
said Greece was threatened witt
loss of United States financia
aid unless Gen. Nicholas Plas
tiras was appointed Prime Min
lister. He described him as 81
leftist easily Influenced by Com
munists. Gen. Plastiras remaine'
in Office only a short time.
The name of Homer Bigart
q New York Herald Tribune
correspondent and twice WHINE
of Pulitzer prizes, cropped ur
Gen. Van Fleet criticized MI
Bigart for articles he said wer
seemingly sympathetic to tn
Communist cause during tn
fighting between government an
guerilla forces in Greece severs
years ago. But he described MI
Bigart as a good American
who apparently "goes rather t
extremes to get the enemy poin
of view"
The New York Herald Tribun
said Gen. Van Fleet apparentl
referred to a trip Mr.. Bigal
made in June, 1948, into tn
Greek mountains to intervie
the Greek guerrilla leader, Gel
Markos.
"As Bigart said in his first dis
patch, any Balkan correspond
ent would have given his rigl
arm to see Markos,' then my!
terious figure" the newspapt
i added.
"All of Bigart's articles wei
objective accounts of his exper
ences. Incidentally, short
after his stay in Greece, Biga
Wc11b W 11uIlSdAy OAL oil dooA64
ment and was soon expelled /
the Communist-dominated go'
ernment there obviously becau.
his news articles didn't plea'
the Reds"
Criticizes Bradley.
Other high points of Gen. Va
Fleets testimony during mo-
than two hours in the witne
chair included statements tina
/. Gen. Omar Bradley. retire
former chairman of the Joil
Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Lawte
Collins, former Army Chief
Staff, we're among those wi
shared in what he called "ol
of the greatest errors this coul
try has ever made in sizing
enemy intentions" The errc
Gen. Van Fleet explained. W
In estimating that the Reds wou
strike in Western Europe al
not in Asia.
2. Defense of the island
Ouemoy, held by Chinese N
tionalists off the coast of CHR
is "vitally important" to t
United States. Gen Van Fle
said a defeat there would "me