CANADIAN VIEW

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26395, 13 April 1951, Page 7

CANADIAN VIEW

“NO TEARS SHED IN OTTAWA ”

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) OTTAWA April 11. There were no tears shed in the Canadian capital to-day over Mr Truman’s dismissal of General MacArthur, says the Canadian press. The Minister of External Affairs (Mr Lester Pearson) declined to comment, but the official attitude was one of approval and coincided with the representations Canada has made in Washington. The Canadian Government has’ been distressed by the recent statements by General MacArthur and held the hope that at least he might be effectively muzzled, if not dismissed because of danger that his public utterances would lead the United Nations beyond its limited commitments in Korea. The main reason for the lack of official Canadian Government comment was that the dismissal was felt to be entirely a matter for Mr Truman.

“We can onlv applaud the decision to drag him down," said the "Montreal Star” in a leading article. “Clearly General MacArthur’s statements and his apparent determination to run the Korean war his way and to risk pushing the Allied nations into a much greater war had become mischievous. Nothing in this sorry incident detracts from General MacArthur’s brilliance, but this having been said, it must also be said that success went to his head. It is to be hoped that those who encouraged General MacArthur and thus placed politics above country, will go down with him.” The “Toronto Star” said: “Mr Truman's status has been enhanced by his action, because it took courage on his part to dismiss a national military hero.”