Griffin W.E.B. - The Corps 09 - Under Fire

"More so than the Imperial," Howe said.

"I defer to you, Mr. Ambassador," Ridgway said.

Harriman nodded, and touched his lips with a napkin.

"Marvelous shrimp," he said, and then went on, seri-ously: "The President is concerned-as something of an understatement-about several recent actions of General MacArthur. Let's deal with his trip to Formosa first. Two questions in that regard. One, does General MacArthur un-derstand that the President does not wish to have the Na-tionalist Chinese involved in Korea? Two, what was he doing in Formosa? General Howe?"

"I'll defer to General Pickering," Howe said. "MacArthur has not discussed that with me."

"And he has with you, Fleming?"

"I was at the Residence," Pickering replied. "General and Mrs. MacArthur had heard about my son, and wished to express their concern. The subject came up. He under-stands how the President feels about using Nationalist troops, and didn't want them in the first place because they would have to be trained and equipped. He went to Taipei, he told me, as a symbol that the United States would not

stand idly by if the Communists used the mess in Korea as an invitation to invade the island."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes, I do," Pickering said.

"And you think, when I broach the subject to him, that's what he will say?"

"I'm sure he will."

"When the President heard that General MacArthur had gone to see Chiang Kai-shek," Harriman said, "he was fu-rious. Several members of his cabinet, and others, made it clear that, in their opinions, it was sufficient justification to relieve General MacArthur."

Neither Pickering nor Howe responded.

"The question of relieving General MacArthur came up again with regard to his message to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the VFW," Harriman said. "You're familiar with that?"

Pickering shook his head, no, and looked at Howe, who shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no idea what Harriman was talking about.

"Neither of you is familiar with the message?" Harri-man asked.

"No," Pickering said. "What was in the message?"

"A disinterested observer would think that General MacArthur was not in agreement with the foreign policy of the United States," Harriman said, sarcastically. "A cynic might interpret it to be the first plank in the platform of presidential candidate Douglas MacArthur."

"There was nothing about a VFW message in the Stars and Stripes," Howe said.

"The message was `withdrawn' at the President's order,"

Harriman said.

"Then what's the reason for the pressure on the Presi-dent to relieve him?" Howe asked.

"There are those, I surmise," Harriman said, "who do not share General MacArthur's opinion of himself."

"You know what Frank Lloyd Wright said, Averell," Pickering said. "Something about it being rather difficult to be humble if you're a genius."

"But Wright is a genius," Harriman said.

"So is MacArthur," Pickering said. "He's flawed, cer-tainly. We all are. But he's a military genius, and that should not be forgotten."

"There are those who blame him for this mess we find ourselves in, in Korea," Harriman said.

"How about Acheson's speech?" Pickering said. "I took the trouble to read it. He made it pretty clear-maybe by accident-that Korea was not in our zone of interest. It was almost an invitation for North Korea to move south."

"MacArthur has been in command of any army here that is-as has been demonstrated-incapable of fighting a war," Harriman argued.

"I've talked to a lot of officers here since I got here," Pickering said. "They place the blame on Louis Johnson. Johnson's `defensive economies' went far beyond elimi-nating fat-they cut to the bone and scraped it. The First Marine Division was at half-half, Averell, half-wartime strength. And there's been almost no money for the Army. When there's no money, there's no training, and without training, armies cannot prepare to fight."

"By inference-Louis Johnson serves as Secretary of Defense at the President's pleasure-you're saying the of-ficers you spoke with, and perhaps you yourself, place the blame for this mess on the President."

"The last time I was in the Oval Office," Howe said, "there was a sign on Harry's desk that read `The Buck Stops Here.'"

" `Harry's desk', General?" Harriman asked. "General, you're referring to the President of the United States."

Howe looked uncomfortable.

Pickering laughed. Everybody looked at him in surprise.

"I just figured out what you're doing, Harriman," he said. "I'm an amateur playing your game. It took me a lit-tle while."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, General," Harriman said smoothly.

"You're collecting damaging quotes from me-and from Ralph-that you can use as aces in the hole with Harry Truman if we don't go along with what you have al-ready decided he should hear." "Now see here, Pickering..."

"Let me save some time for you," Pickering said. "I think Douglas MacArthur is a military genius; I've seen him at work. He's a soldier who fully understands how to obey an order, especially one that comes from the Commander-in-Chief. He thinks an invasion at Inchon is the best-and probably the only-way to avoid a very bloody and lengthy battle back up the Korean peninsula. I agree with him. If there are those who don't agree with him, in my opinion, they're wrong.

"What the President is going to have to do is decide who is best qualified to run this war: MacArthur, or someone half a world away in the Pentagon. That's obviously his right. But until he decides the brass in the Pentagon is right and MacArthur is wrong, what he should do is get out of the way-and keep his people out of the way-of MacArthur, and let him fight this war. Relieving him, or sending Pentagon brass here to look over his shoulder, nit-picking his plans, would be almost criminally stupid." Harriman's face tightened.

"Do you include General Ridgway in your definition of Pentagon brass, Pickering?" Harriman asked.

"I wish, Mr. Ambassador," Howe said icily, "to associate myself completely with General Pickering's comments. I shall so inform the President of the United States." Harriman looked at him with cold disdain. "Nothing personal, certainly, General Ridgway," Picker-ing said. "But the number-two man in the Army is by my definition `Pentagon brass.'"

"I never considered `Pentagon brass' to be a pejorative term," Ridgway said, smiling. "Becoming Pentagon brass is every second lieutenant's ambition. And I agree that General MacArthur is a military genius." That earned Ridgway a look of disdain from Harriman. "Thank you," Pickering said.

"On the other hand," Ridgway said, "there are certain members of the Pentagon brass-General Collins and myself among them-who are yet to be convinced than an amphibious landing at Inchon is either the best tactical move to make, or, indeed, that it's even possible. That's not saying we're against it. Just that right now we don't have sufficient information to take a pro or con position. I intend to ask General MacArthur to tell me in detail what he plans to do. I don't know if that could be deemed `nit-picking.'"

"He's prepared to tell you anything you want to know," Pickering said. "And he'll probably do it from memory."

"My mission here is to gather information for General Collins," Ridgway said. "And to solicit opinions, specifi-cally from General Howe and yourself, about General MacArthur and the situation here, not limited to the inva-sion at Inchon."

"I just thought of something, General Ridgway," Howe said. "If Truman fires MacArthur, you'd be the likely choice to take his place, wouldn't you?"

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Ridgway said. "Are you asking if that doesn't pose a conflict of interest for me?"

"That thought ran through my mind, frankly," Howe said.