Show Marquis Childs I Worship Hero-Worship Doesn't Aid MacArthur WASHINGTON Of nil all th the angry ry controversies ersi between General thur MacArthur the to top lop military men directing directing- World Worl d War YAr II TI in the Pentagon perhaps dr none was WA n as bitter ns as that over ove r the outcome of th the battle of oC the Bismarck Sea That er controversy v nUl may be revived by hy An nn official l lair air force history shortly to b be bere re released I ea ed The Incident strikingly illustrates illustrates illus the difficult relationship between en Washington and th the general who has become becom a proconsul proconsul proconsul pro pro- consul for America in Asia President Truman recently discovered dis ilis covered ered these difficulties fo for Cor himself in a row that seemed t to pit MacArthur l ns RS a soldier against ng-Aint politicians and diplomats diplo mat mats During the last war it was wal 9 MacArthur l against other military military mili mill tary Lary commanders commander notably Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- Admiral miral Che Chester Nimitz com com- in chief of or the Pacific fleet with whom relations were ere to put it mildly strained Lon Long Military historians with access access access ac ac- cess to files filos still classified hav havo long debated the Bismarck Sea Se battle hattle After ACter that battle MacArthur MacArthur MacArthur Mac Mac- Arthur claimed that B 1 B 5 under under under un un- der his Southwest Pacific command command com corn mand had sunk 22 transports transport and destroyers out of oC a Japanese Japan Japan- ese como convoy with a loss of no noless not t less than Jap troops Air force Corce headquarters f In n Washington ton made a careful study of this claim In addition to all the material available a at MacArthurs MacArthur's headquarters the they had intelligence reports obtained through the breaking breaking- of oC the Jap Ja p code Their conclusion was that probably not more than 11 H ships were sunk out of a convoy that never included more than 16 ves es sels The lo loss s of life liCe was put as much less than MacArthurs MacArthur's es es- es n 4 Angry ry Telegrams This called forth a series eries of angry telegrams from flom MaCArthurs MaCArthur's MacArthur's MacArthurs MacAr MaCAr- thurs thur's headquarters One of thc these e telegrams rams signed by MacArthur l suggested that those responsible for rating down the victory should be subjected to possible punishment by a court martial martinI Air force headquarters braved MacArthurs MacArthur's anger and stuck to its e estimate of losses in the Bismarck Sea battle The official air force history is also reported to stand on this version But MacArthur in September of of 1945 in one of oC the most interesting direct quote interviews interviews inter inter- views he has ever er granted ranted repeated his original claim He said aid the Japanese had lost 22 ships and planes in what hedes he des described c rib e d as the decisive aerial engagement in his theater theater theater thea thea- ter of or the war Some people have doubted the figure in that battle but we have ha the names of oC every ery ship sunk MacArthur told the reporter There are those and they include include in include in- in clude some of MacArthurs MacArthur's sincere sincere sin sin- cere admirers rs who explain this side of oC the general by references to the men around him They tend to become worship hero pers Their worship hero-worship i is actually a disservice to MacArthur MacArthur MacArthur Mac- Mac Arthur since it obscures thereal the thereal thereal real qualities that make him a great reat man and in the years in Japan A t force for peace and stability o of incomparable value alue to his country LO Lose 6 I Perspective cr 6 This contribution can be lost Josl sight of or if iC MacArthur l becomes a center of political controversy y exploited for selfish ends by some politicians After 11 1 years out of oC the United States the general g may may have have forgotten how fierce and how indiscriminate are the political currents running running run run- nin ning in an election year General MacArthur allowed himself to be exploited In the campaign n year of 1918 He permitted permitted per per- milled his name to be entered in the Republican primary in Wisconsin MacArthur ran a poor second to Harold Stassen But the most unhappy consequence consequence consequence conse conse- quence came in Philadelphia I At the Republican convention there the chief contenders forthe forthe for forthe the nomination saw sure victory for the nominee They were not in the mood to stand aside for fora a military hero Admirers Persist Yet MacArthurs MacArthur's admirers persisted in putting his name before the convention and few who sat through that hot night in that sparsely filled convention convention convention conven conven- tion hall will forget forg-et the pathos i of it On the first ballot MacArthur Mac- Mac MacArthur Arthur got rot 11 votes eight ht from I Wisconsin two from Iowa and andone andone andone one from Kentucky On the second second second sec sec- ond ballot this dropped to seven I and the MacArthur flurry was vas over I This surely did not add to the I generals general's stature not noe did it make easier his task of governing governing governing govern govern- I ing ing- Japan If the war in Korea Is localized local local- localized I and the peace is kept in i A Asia ia MacArthur's MacArthurs place in history history history his his- tory could be larger than that of any of the fighting fig generals general He has so much more to gain ain from a stable peace based on strength th and security than from froma a war among Among- the people with j 1 whom he has lived for so 50 long |