Evening star., 1960-01-17
PORTRAIT OF A GENERAL
BY SAUL PETIT
Associated Press Writer

~ SACA
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK. - Gen Douglas
Macarthur will be 80 years old
January 26 and, as usual, will ap-
pear somewhat larger than life
size.
There will be birthday greetings
from all over the world for tile
~~------~-------
A historic figure Of towering pro-
portions, known TO millions yet re-
mote, Gen. Douelos Macarthur lives
behind siIken curtoins Of seIf-imposed
isolation. Here, in O rore, reVeoIina
portrait Of Macarthur today, the cur
tain is ported.
General of the Army, the senior
officer of all branches of the
American military service, possibly
the most decorated soldier in
American history, a hero of St.
Mihiel, Bataan, Corregidor, New
Guinea, Manila, Tokyo and In
chon, and the man whose life has
probably touched more history
than any other living American
There will be messages from
presidents and prime ministers,
from generals and admirals, from
the great, the near-great, the
never-great. Included will be the
greetings of a former President
and Commander IN Chief of the
United States (Hoover, not Tru-
mani.
But the climax of the birthday
will come in the evening, as it
has every year for the last eight
since Gen. Macarthur returned
under forced draft from Tokyo
and Korea. At about 6:45 pm. he
will accept the arm of an escort
Ing general, depart from the
splendid isolation of his Waldorf
Towers apartment and descend
by elevator to a stag reunion of
his old World War II staff.
Judging by past birthdays, the
ensuing program might remind
viewers of the late show of the
regimental ritual of the old Bengal
Lancers back when India was
still a Kiplingesque outpost OF
empire.
AS the general approaches the
door of the hotels Jansen suite,
his old staff already will be as
sembled inside, in black tie or
uniforms for those who can still
get into them. At a given moment
someone will shout 'Tenshun!"
and the general will enter. him.
self in black tie.
The Birthday Celebration
AS he moves in the men will
sing Happy Birthday" The gen.
eral will pass among them, shak-
ing each hand firmly, gazing
deeply into each pair of eyes from
a face which, though thinned by
age, remains chiseled in epic lines
1t is still a face which seems 20
suggest that it alone stands be-
tween mankind ana Armageddon
After a drink or two-during
which the men will begin to re-
fight the Second World Wharf.-The
party will then pass into the mir
rored dining room. to an elaborate
three-wine dinner.
At the table Gen. Macarthur
will be flanked BY the ranking
officer of each branch Of the
service under him in the Pacific
Gen. Walter Kruger of the
ground forces, Admiral Thomas
c. Kinkaid of the Navy and Gen.
George c. Kenney of the Air Force.
AS the brandy glasses are
drained and the old warriors light
fresh cigars, the roll will be called
and each man will rise and answer
in alphabetical turn. Some names
will be followed by good-humored
cat-calling, even occasional bun
throwing.
But there will be none of this
when Macarthur rises. If there
were. said one general and ad-
mirer, it would be followed by
the most silent moment in
history"
Birthday greetings will be
spoken for each branch of the old
command by Kruger, Kenney and
Kinkaid Then Gen Macarthur
will speak, perhaps in recollection
or on the general theme of leader
ship or the state of the world. AS
always, he will speak IN Cicer-
oman rhythms, rollins phrases
and rising clauses each marching
by in highly polished cadence
The evening will close with all
members of the staff rising and
singing the old barracks ballad
which ends "Old soldiers never
die, they just fade away"-a line
which has evoked the warmest
emotion in the generals admirers
and the coldest derision among his
detractors.
The elevator will rise again to
the 37th floor of the Waldorf
Towers and Gen. Macarthur Will
once more disappear into his
seven room apartment, from
which he rarely departs these
days.
Sees Few Visitors
Here in the muted magnificence
of his oriental furnishings, IN a
living room 47-by-28 and adorned
by delicate carvings, ancient
screens and a pair of cleaning,
two-foot high silver vases given in
gratitude by the Emperor of ia
pan, Douglas Macarthur lives out
his years. making no direct con-
tact with the public, seeing no
reporters and allowing his past
and present to come to him.
AS chairman of the board of
Sperry-Rand Corp, Qargely an
advisory job which earns him
S68,800 a year., Gen. Macarthur
runs board meetings once a
month in his living room. All