ALLIED FAR EAST COUNCIL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 7

ALLIED FAR EAST COUNCIL

MR MACMAHON BALL’S RESIGNATION

CRITICISM OF GENERAL MACARTHUR (Special Correspondent N.ZJ’.A.) LONDON, August 25. Discussing the Canberra conference on Japan and the resignation of Mr W. Macmahon Ball; British Commonwealth representative on the Allied Far East Council, the “Economist’’ says: “General MacArthur had never asked for these advisers, as he thought he was getting along quite nicely without them. He was, however, prepared to tolerate them provided they did not speak till they were spoken to, and then not for long. “The Soviet representative showed himself unwilling to play the humble role which the Supreme Commander assigned to him, but in America it was by then well known that Russia was out to make trouble, and General MacArthur’s reputation on the whole gained rather than suffered from his sniping. ‘‘lt was otherwise, however, with u ’hat General MacArthur himself plaintively called the ‘pinpricking* tactics of Mr Ball. He could not be dismissed as a Bolshevik and his unkind analyses of the reassuring reports sent m from Allied Headquarters were deemed both impertinent and ungrateful. coming from a small nation which General MacArthur considered himself to have saved from destruction during the period of his enforced absence the Philippines. The pricks went on getting worse Until the Australian delegate Drought to a head by speaking of the Supreme Commander’s record as eighteen months of continuous failure.’ There was alarm in his entourage lest the Supreme Commander should have a nervous breakdown. “It was in this moment of crisis that Dr. Evatt arrived in Tokyo. He was the only man who could deliver General MacArthur from Mr Ball. This put nim m a strong diplomatic position, and the removal of the obstreperous Mr Ball was not effected without a deference on the part of General MacArthur to the views of the Australian Minister of External Affairs, such as could not have been expected a year Jgo. General MacArthur was by now . rully educated in appreciation of the importance of Australia, and Dr. Evatt returned to Canberra after reaching agreement with him and his advisers an a wide range of tonics.”