MacArthur’s Methods.

Evening Star, Issue 26154, 16 July 1947, Page 4

MacArthur’s Methods.

.Criticism of certain of' General MaoArtbur’s directives, . particularly when they ’threaten the trading privileges and: security of other nations, is to berexpe'cfced as the Supreme Commander seeks the economic ; rehabilitation of Japan. The •; predominantly -American «hape assumed by the Allied occupation, and unilateral action in respect of whaling and the phosphate industry on Auguar Island, brought protests, much the same as those now coming from England on - the restricted trading facilities offered British firms.

General Mac Arthur, vain arid arrogant, but gifted with ability of am unusnally high order, has preferred to regard himself all along not so much as an administrator as an originator of policy. In theory he is immediately responsible to the Allied .Council of four members in Tokio, and, through that council, to the Far Eastern Commission, which represents' all the nations which declared war on Japan. The Supreme' Commander’s attitude to the' Tokio Council has beep little more than , that of friendly interest, while his latest statement— that the commission had “ ratified all the action be had already taken, in Japan."’—underlines the belief that in practice the. General’s directives have received apnroval general'v after they have been put into effect. As the individual mainly responsible for the “ democratisation " of Japan, General MacArthur holds a unique position. It is to his credit that Japan to-day presents a happier picture than is painted by the zonal control authorities in Germany. He is undoubtedly in the best position to assess the measure of Japan’s recovery, the avenues along which rehabilitation should be prosecuted, ?nd the further steps necessary .to curb ultranationalisation.

'The valqe of the Supreme Commander's opinions is sometime? overlooked when b® tends to make exaggerated statements, such. a? be did in regard to the elections in April apd bis more recent claim that Japan could not. rearm for modern war within a century. General MacArthur probably has a soldier’s penchant for accepting a surface defeat as complete and final without taking.full cognisance of the almost unlimited national aspects involved. That lie is the best man who could have been found for this position is undisputed, however, and he appears to have satisfied what must be an awkward master, the Far. Eastern Commission. •