Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Van Fleet Appraisal
To Guide U. 5. Policy
On Far East Affairs
BY Roy Folk

BY Roy Folk
North American Newspaper Alliance.
TOKYO. July 10.-A tight
tipped mission from Washing
ton Is now winding up q 90-day
survey of the military needs Of
anti Communist nations in the
Far East. On its findings will
be based the future Of much of
American military and diplo-
matte policy In this corner Of
the world.
The headline maker Of this
mission Is Gen. James Van Fleet,
who retired on April 20 last year.
He is the, special representative
Of President Eisenhower and has
the personal rank Of ambassador.
But the chief Of star who man
ages the survey team Is Wilfred
Mcneil, assistant secretary and
comptroller Of the Defense De-
partment.
The group is unlike any other
high-level mission in the thor
oughness with which it is
tackling its job. It has visited
every country in its assigned
area-Japan, South Korea, For
Inosa and the Philippines--two
or three times, first, to hear the
briefings that generals always
sell to visiting dignitaries, sec
Ond. to Spot-check the situation
on field trips.
And finally the team takes q
last look that will confirm or
change its preliminary conclu-
sions. The man responsible for
this triple checking Is Mr.. Nc
Neil.
Interim Report Gloomy
Gen. Van Fleet interrupted his
tour to ny back to Washington
to deliver an interim report June
8 to a joint session of the Senate
Foreign Relations and Armed
Services Committees. Senators
later. said the report was
gloomy" depressing" and ''un-
settling"
The report was delivered in
unusual secrecy-even the ON
cial stenographer was barred
from the room. The general re-
turned to Seoul on June / to
begin the second part Of his
survey.
The mission has concentrated
on those American agencies
which are lending military or
economic assistance in Asia. This
was done with a twofold pur-
pose, Mr.. Mcneil said.
/. To make certain the United
States is getting full value out
OF its assistance programs.
2. To see how rapidly Asiatic
armies can be built up so Amer
lean soldiers can be withdrawn.
Waste in Chiang's Navy.
In Formosa, for example. the
mission found things that weren't
quite to its liking. It discovered
waste in Generalissimo Chang
Kai-Shek's navy.
In going over Chinese Nation
Alist ship inventories, which had
been forwarded to Washington
without any check, it found that
some Of the ships listed were
completely unfit for navigation.
1t came upon useless tugboats
that could barely do five knots
and yet were being maintained
with American funds. The Ma
tionalistS kept the tugs in COM
mission to give jobs to some Of
their officers.
The mission was astonished by
the amazingly accurate inven-
tories the Chinese soldiers kept
1T military depots. but was Just
as surprised to find no overall
coordination Of military supplies
ct the top.
These and other findings viii
result in orders from washington
that, it is hoped, will increase
efficiency and cut costs.
FormOsans Defense Conscious.
Just as important is the mis-
.sion's evaluation Of the future.
Again, on Formosa, it came
across an army that Is growing
older day by day; an army that
, is forced to- rely on, FormoSanS
for new recruits.
The mission thinks that the
Formosans will fight to defend
their home island. Whether they
will follow Gen. Chang in an at
tack on the mainland remains a
question mark.
In Korea, despite Syngman
Rhee's boisterous desire to add
another Is divisions to his army,
major obstacles prevent such an
enlargement, according to the
missions findings. The South
Korean economy cannot support
without American help the 90
divisions Mr.. Rhee now has under
arms and there is q definite
limit to the manpower resources
Of South Korea. It Is doubtful
whether South Korea has the
young men to make up another
IS divisions.
In Japan, the problem is one of
economy, the mission found. The
Japanese have more manpowar
than they know what to do with.
But their economy is weak and
presently unable to support q
large army, navy and air force.