GENERAL’S CAREER

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26394, 12 April 1951, Page 7

GENERAL’S CAREER

Record In Two World Wars

General MacArthur has had one of the meat distinguished careers ip the history of the United States Arffiy. Since his successes as leader of the Allied campaign against the Japanese tafoe Second World War he has been almost a legendary figure of greatness in the United States-4he mori legendary because itis now 16 years since he has vfeited the United States. At the military academy of West Point, young Douglas MacArthur (who is now 71) won the highest marks ever recorded. Leaving the academy in triumph, he went to serve under his father, another famous soldier, who was then Military Governor of the Philippines. He had nine years as a staff officer in the United States before he arrived in Europe in World War I at the age of 37. He rose tp be a brigadier-gen-eral in the United States Army, and the Secretary of War at the time described him as the best front-line general in the American Army. On Ms return to the United States he became superintendent of West Point, a post reserved for exemplary officers. In 1930, after a term in foe Philippines, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the American Army. When he retired from the United States Army, after several years as Chief of Staff, he was lent to the Philippines and given the rank of field-marshal in that country’s army. He formally retired in 1937, and settled down, at the age of 57, to enjoy life on his extensive estates. Six months before Pearl Harbour, however, he was recalled to the American Army as Commander-in-Ch>ef of toe Far East forces. A surprise air attack by the Japanese destroyed in one raid the air defences of the Philippines, and in the siege that followed the American forces were brutally overwhelmed. General MaeArthur and his wife and son escaped by motor torpedo-boat and set up headquarters in Australia. He made one prophecy: “I will return.’’ Succeas Against the Japanese He greatly enhanced his reputation for generalship in the years that followed. With comparatively small forces and by a brilliant strategy of attack that left Japanese garrisons isolated and immobilised in nig wake he advanced across the vast South Pacific from Australia and recaptured the Philippine archipelago in a fashion that astonished the world. Some critics claimed that the years of brilliant successes were marred to some extant fay psychological blunders—his flamboyant statements and gestures, and his failure to keep in touch with toe feelings of his own troops. Then came the atomic bombs. General MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender on the flag deck of the US< Missouri with hjs hand# ostentatiously in his pockets. That day he began his reign as governor of the 80,000.000 people o'f Occupied Japan. His desire to make Japan a democracy on toe American pattern was highly praised, but there were critics of his methods, and in particular there was criticism at home for his failure to follow implicitly the line laid down by toe men in Washington. Then came foe Korean War. In recent months, (Jenera! MacArthur has been criticised BOt enly by some of America s Allies, but by some newspapers and some officials in th-? Truman Administration. He was as stoutly defended by many leading Republicans. He made statements on poHcy, he made suggestions on the future conduct of the war, which were at variance With the policy of the State Department, and be made his own truce offer to the Chinese Communist? just before the United States and the United Nations were about to gnake a different one. The main cause of the disputes he had fat Washington was toe contention by General MacArthur that he needed to bomb Chinese supply bases. In Manchuria. Critics of policies feared this might lead to war with Chkia.