LOST ALL CHANCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25514, 19 April 1944, Page 5

LOST ALL CHANCES

REPUBLICAN NOMINATION GENERAL MacARTHUR’S POSITION WASHINGTON, Apl. 17. “ General MacArthur’s very fine statement clarifies the atmosphere. I still think that the general is available and can be drafted,” said Mr A. L. Miller. . He added: “General MacArthur is the one man who could provide experienced military leadership in White House, shorten the war, and bring the boys back home.” Concerning General MacArthur’s repudiation of suggestions that he was criticising the Administration, Mr Miller declared: “ I never felt that he was attacking the New Deal, although he agreed with some of my thoughts.” Most of the Republican leaders agreed with Mr Miller’s interpretation of General MacArthur’s availability for nomination.

Political realists in Washington, says the political correspondent of the New York Post, believe that the general lost whatever chance he had for the Republican nomination, first, through Mr Wendell Willkie’s defeat at the Wisconsin primary: and, secondly, through the release of the Miller correspondence. He adds that General MacArthur looks very much like several other Re publican candidates. It is tragic for his high reputation that this has happened, but possibly it is fortunate for the country. New York Sun comments that the Miller correspondence disqualified General MacArthur not only for presidential. but also for vice-presidential, 1 nomination. Prominent Republicans point out that before the letters were published there was a good chance that the ticket might be Dewey and MacArthur, but not now. General MacArthur’s political activity while on active duty overseas in an important military command would be difficult to defend. It would certainly be used by the Democrats as an argument, that the Republican Party condones politics in the military service. The Democrats ; in the forthcoming politidal campaign • unquestionably are going to emphasise | the President’s trials and tribulations, * and will endeavour to show that there : is a political cabal in the South-west Pacific seeking to undermine the Com-mander-in-Chief.