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Show MacArthur's Australian Campaign Heightens Spirit of All America s ' . . i .r :l A I j f I, ? J: . - J BYrV - '' ' . : ' General Douglas MacArthur A fighting General for fighting mad people is he . . . NOW you are going to see some real fighting. That is what thousands of persons said, some of whom might have said it to you, when word was flashed from Australia that General Douglas MacArthur was down there to assume the supreme United Nations command in that region. Ever since the war in the Pacific region began, the story of the ground warfare has been continually, and dishearten-ingly dishearten-ingly the same but with one exception. Newspaper and radio accounts have related of continual retreats and, finally, surrenders by the Allied armies. But the brilliant exception to all this defensive warfare is and was thes activity of General MacArthur, his aides, and his native and American troops fighting on the Eataan peninsula. pen-insula. Not only did MacArthur stop the Japs and thereby causing the commander, com-mander, Gen. Masaharu Homma, to commit hara kiri but he also put through two brilliant, strategical offensives of-fensives which prevented further enemy advances at the time. Reason for Australians' Respect. Such immediate background of this brilliant general, this Number One officer of the United Nations, was the cause for the increasing clamor of the Australians to have MacArthur come down there and help them, with American, British, Australian, and native soldiers, resist re-sist the Japs in the last Pacific region re-gion stand. So, after receiving orders or-ders on Washington's birthday from the President to go to Australia, MacArthur made plans with his successor, suc-cessor, Maj. Gen. Jonathan May-hew May-hew Wainwright, a brilliant tactician, tacti-cian, for further defense at Bataan. 'Mac's the Man.' When a "roving reporter" for one of the outstanding Midwest newspapers newspa-pers went out to interview pedestrians pedes-trians as to how they felt about the new shakeup in military control in the Pacific region whereby General MacArthur was given complete military mil-itary control, the consensus of opinion opin-ion was, "Mac's the Man." One fellow said that it was the best news he heard since the U. S. entered the war. A housewife said that, "MacArthur is the man for the job." A student on his way to his class at university said that if anyone can successfully "Slap the Japs," MacArthur is the one that can do it. A not too busy auto salesman said that the general's appointment was the most important impor-tant move since the United States was stabbed in the back. Such opinions as these of Mr. and Mrs. America reflect it is almost certain to say the opinion of this nation, and all Allied nations as a whole. Even in London, the newspapers news-papers there, commenting on the first time that a foreign general has taken command of defense in British Brit-ish dominions, had nothing but encouraging, en-couraging, hopeful, and optimistic words. Fame After Career Ended. Fame came to General MacArthur MacAr-thur after his career had ended! For it was in 1935 that he retired from the army after making a "name" for himself as officer of World War I, and decorated for conspicuous con-spicuous courage. His decorations are reportedly more numerous than any other officer in the service. Back in 1903 he was graduated from military academy, heading his class. Ever since then he has been showing his fellow officers and his men under him that he is "one of the men" who knows how to fight. Son of a Civil war hero, Lieut. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, General l ' " 4lt A-A ! i A T 4 -- -V v" v Since General MacArthur has taken his new command ill Australia to stop, and then push back, the Japanese drive, Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright (left), shown talking with Gen. MacArthur, has been appointed ap-pointed to the command of the forces that outfought, despite 20 to 1 odds, the Jap forces on the Bataau peninsula in the Philippine Islands. Douglas went with his father as an aide when he went to Tokyo on a mission in 1905-'06. On three different dif-ferent occasions he saw extended army service in the Philippines. In 1935 he went to Manila as the commonwealth's president, Manuel Quezon's military adviser. That his advisory capacity to President Quezon was of a successful success-ful nature is now seen in the successful suc-cessful manner in which American troops, Philippine scout professionals, profession-als, and Filipino reservists, under his command, fought. So, at the age of 50, after many years of active service, it looked as though General MacArthur's military mili-tary life was at an end. It seemed that he was then destined for obscurity ob-scurity after being chief of staff for five years. But, it has often been stated, that it is the seemingly little lit-tle incidents in a person's life which eventually develop into significant, extremely important matters. What would have happened had MacArthur, MacAr-thur, upon being "retired," not been sent to the Philippines to shape up a military force there is impossible to say. Once again, MacArthur's life is showing that fact is oftentimes more interesting than fiction. Here, in MacArthur, you see a story book I 1 Mrs. Douglas MacArthur t is now up to her husband . . . soldier, cool, even tempered, poised, admired by his staff and men, preparing pre-paring to do a titanic job despite heavy odds against it. Even the general's air-flight of 2,000 miles to Australia had a touch of the dramatic to it. For the zone over which he and his officers and aides flew in two planes, has been conceded as being the "hot spot" of the southwest Pacific. This is the zone where both enemy and Allied planes are continually on the alert. Fighters, bombers, and interceptors, in-terceptors, always ready for battle. bat-tle. When you look at a map and see the territory you will fully realize real-ize that MacArthur has not lost any of his boldness. It is such daring, dar-ing, skill, and calm that has put all the confidence of the Allied nations' people directly on his shoulders. The Yanks, and Aussies, being what they are in temperament, and disposition dis-position as to being ready for a fight at all times, now have a man as their leader they know will not fail them. Congressmen Behind Him, Too. That this attitude even goes for officials and congressmen in the nation's na-tion's capital is noted in the comment com-ment of various congressmen on the day that MacArthur's safe arrival was announced in a special official war department communique. Sen. Millard E. Tydings, (D., Md.) said that Australia now has real leadership leader-ship . . . that he was very happy to know that MacArthur was down there where a man such as he is needed. Rep. Joseph J. Mansfield, tD., Texas) put in a comment which all Americans fully understand. He said that MacArthur is sure going to "raise hell" with the Japs providing pro-viding we can keep him supplied with a continuous line of supplies and men. House Minority Leader Joseph W. Martin (R., Mass.), said he was happy to hear of the famous soldier's sol-dier's appointment. He further added add-ed that such an appointment will add to the confidence of the American Ameri-can people. The day that MacArthur's appointment, appoint-ment, and successful flight to Australia Aus-tralia was announced, the President in his press conference also had words of encouragement for the American people. He said that the purpose of the transfer was not to develop further defensive measures, but primarily, and definitely to "win the war." President Roosevelt said at that conference that lie felt, too, that every American man and woman wom-an held the same admiration for the fighting, brilliant gem-ial thai he held. |