“MAN-TO-MAN”

Evening Star, Issue 24265, 5 August 1942, Page 4

“MAN-TO-MAN”

—e» GENERAL MACARTHUR’S PRESS CONFERENCE ALL QUESTIONS FULLY ANSWERED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, July 23. General MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief in the South-west Pacific, is ,not given jto speech-making. He has held only two Press conferences since his arrival in Australia, and both times he spoke “ off the record.” What he said was not for publication. The general’s second conference was held on Sunday last. His first was on March 23, just a few days after his arrival from the Philippines. The General MacArthur who spoke on Sunday seemed a different person from the tired, worn man who had just arrived in Australia. Then he was thin-faced, and had obviously been under severe strain. On Sunday he looked physically fitter, and his personality gripped his audience. War correspondents travelled up to 2,000 miles from operational bases to hear General MacArthur. Most of the editors of Australia’s leading newspapers attended. The general talked for two hours. Nobody left feeling that he had made a wasted trip. General MacArthur did not explain or ■ expound—he illuminated his subject. He invited his audience to ask him any question they wished. Some of his replies took more than 15 minutes. Always he asked his questioner whether the answer, was fully satisfactory. His replies were vigorous. His speech was picturesque and liberaly garnished with slang. He did not talk about the army “ moving fast.” He said; “ They went like hell-for-break-fast.” Tho general began the conference smoking a cigar. But he soon became absorbed in his subject matter —and only an inch of the cigar was smoked when the conference ended. His replies were made as he paced the floor, often seemingly oblivious to his audience and talking only to himself. Never for an instant did he lose the attention of a single individual present, Sometimes he spoke softly, often he was forceful, and once or twice emotion rvas evident in his voice. But always he talked mun-to-man; he was completely informal; he did not evade a single question. At his first conference General MacArthur wore tropical drill. On Sunday he was in dress uniform, with four silver stars shining on each shoulder and row upon vow of m'cdal ribbons extending from the top of Ids tunic pocket al-, most to the shoulder line. Marking the' beginning of the top row was the pale blue silk, silver-starred ribbon of the Congressional Medal of Honour, America’s highest award.