Ask the Scholar
Page 4 of 15
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
24
HARPER'S MAGAZINE
late to any American tradition at all, it is to
tachment to the Philippines. It seems likely
that of the nineteenth-century utopians and
that, at the same time, Arthur MacArthur's
religious fanatics. But theirs was not a cen-
Philippine experience may have given his son
tral tradition. If we must relate MacArthur
a deep dislike of civilian authority. In 1900,
to anything, it had best be to the Central
when the elder MacArthur was fighting
European military tradition and to the Bis-
Aguinaldo and his guerrillas, William How-
marckian tradition in statesmanship. In them
ard Taft arrived in Manila, overflowing with
we find established the punctilio that sets him
benevolent determination to win over "the
apart from generals like Omar Bradley, who
little brown brothers" with kindness and
up to now have had great appeal to a people
schoolteachers. ("Oh, he may be a brother
used to an army as a form of democratic im-
of William Howard Taft, but he ain't no
provisation and retaining ancestral memories
brother of mine," the popular song went.)
of the days when the militia elected its offi-
Taft's policy aroused Arthur MacArthur's
cers; and we find, as well, that innate knowl-
sharp opposition. An ugly dispute followed,
edge of "the trade of being a king" which
and when, a year later, Taft was made Gov-
has served him so well in Japan.
ernor General, MacArthur was relieved of
his command. When Taft became President,
II
he conspicuously passed over MacArthur in
selecting his Chief of Staff. Today the son
T
IME affords a valuable perspective for
of William Howard Taft seems bent on doing
getting at the root of some of Mac-
his best to make it up to the son of Arthur
Arthur's traits. He sprang from an
MacArthur.
intense and dedicated military tradition. The
life of his father encompassed the life of the
OUGLAS MACARTHUR was never less
American Army from Fort Sumter almost to
D
than promising. He led his class at
the first world war. Arthur MacArthur en-
West Point, making, it is said, the
listed in the Union Army at the age of six-
highest scholastic record anyone has ever
teen; stayed in the Army through its decline
made there; served as a military aide to Theo-
in the dreary seventies and eighties, serving
dore Roosevelt; helped seize Vera Cruz in
for nearly twenty years on the Western fron-
1914; and served with great distinction and
tier; and rose again with the Army and be-
heroism in the first world war. A major, he
came a national hero as the pacifier of the
advocated over the head of his superior offi-
Philippines. He died at sixty-seven while
cers the project of a Rainbow Division-made
addressing a regimental reunion. He was a
up of National Guard units from many states
man of energy and ability and of a colorful,
-and ended by commanding the division in
vehement personality; old General Enoch
France. There he distinguished himself not
Crowder once said that "Arthur MacArthur
only by his tactical competence but even
was the most flamboyantly egotistic man I
more by his cool bravery under fire. On his
had ever seen-until I met his son." Like his
return from Germany, where he served
son, Arthur MacArthur had a way of going
briefly with the occupation forces, he became
off the reservation. Once he issued a public
superintendent of the Academy at West Point.
statement questioning the patriotism of
In the twenties, MacArthur, like Winston
German-Americans The first Roosevelt, who
Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and other fig-
didn't like generals meddling in politics,
ures of a heroic cast, was miserably out of
cracked down on him without mercy. An
place. It was a tough decade for professional
officer who could make such a statement,
soldiers in general; for a soldier of Mac-
he said, "is unfit to hold a commission in the
Arthur's stripe, it was almost impossible. He
National Guard."
could not fly the ocean like Lindbergh, or
MacArthur inherited from his father not
explore the poles like Byrd; he would not
only his storminess and his sense of drama
turn to business like his friend Hugh John-
TRUMAN
but his sense of the Far East as the strategic
son, or to politics like Leonard Wood. The
center of American security; it was probably
Army, in which he rose with astonishing
from his father, too, and from his Manila
RECORDS
speed, becoming a brigadier general at forty
ADMIN."
childhood, that he got his deep emotional at-
and a major general at forty-five, was his dedi-
U.S.
Preservation Copy
Page data
- Page
- 4
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 74de3419ed5b277a
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 165976608
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "165976608",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Clipping, \"The Story of Douglas MacArthur,\" by Richard Rovere and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Harper's Magazine",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"General Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 15,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "165976608",
"label": "Clipping, \"The Story of Douglas MacArthur,\" by Richard Rovere and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Harper's Magazine",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "165976608",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Clipping, \"The Story of Douglas MacArthur,\" by Richard Rovere and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Harper's Magazine",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"General Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 15,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/165976608",
"naId": 165976608,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1951-07-01",
"month": 7,
"year": 1951
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 4,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602190/876437/876437-45-004.jpg",
"mediaId": "74de3419ed5b277a",
"ocrText": "24\nHARPER'S MAGAZINE\nlate to any American tradition at all, it is to\ntachment to the Philippines. It seems likely\nthat of the nineteenth-century utopians and\nthat, at the same time, Arthur MacArthur's\nreligious fanatics. But theirs was not a cen-\nPhilippine experience may have given his son\ntral tradition. If we must relate MacArthur\na deep dislike of civilian authority. In 1900,\nto anything, it had best be to the Central\nwhen the elder MacArthur was fighting\nEuropean military tradition and to the Bis-\nAguinaldo and his guerrillas, William How-\nmarckian tradition in statesmanship. In them\nard Taft arrived in Manila, overflowing with\nwe find established the punctilio that sets him\nbenevolent determination to win over \"the\napart from generals like Omar Bradley, who\nlittle brown brothers\" with kindness and\nup to now have had great appeal to a people\nschoolteachers. (\"Oh, he may be a brother\nused to an army as a form of democratic im-\nof William Howard Taft, but he ain't no\nprovisation and retaining ancestral memories\nbrother of mine,\" the popular song went.)\nof the days when the militia elected its offi-\nTaft's policy aroused Arthur MacArthur's\ncers; and we find, as well, that innate knowl-\nsharp opposition. An ugly dispute followed,\nedge of \"the trade of being a king\" which\nand when, a year later, Taft was made Gov-\nhas served him so well in Japan.\nernor General, MacArthur was relieved of\nhis command. When Taft became President,\nII\nhe conspicuously passed over MacArthur in\nselecting his Chief of Staff. Today the son\nT\nIME affords a valuable perspective for\nof William Howard Taft seems bent on doing\ngetting at the root of some of Mac-\nhis best to make it up to the son of Arthur\nArthur's traits. He sprang from an\nMacArthur.\nintense and dedicated military tradition. The\nlife of his father encompassed the life of the\nOUGLAS MACARTHUR was never less\nAmerican Army from Fort Sumter almost to\nD\nthan promising. He led his class at\nthe first world war. Arthur MacArthur en-\nWest Point, making, it is said, the\nlisted in the Union Army at the age of six-\nhighest scholastic record anyone has ever\nteen; stayed in the Army through its decline\nmade there; served as a military aide to Theo-\nin the dreary seventies and eighties, serving\ndore Roosevelt; helped seize Vera Cruz in\nfor nearly twenty years on the Western fron-\n1914; and served with great distinction and\ntier; and rose again with the Army and be-\nheroism in the first world war. A major, he\ncame a national hero as the pacifier of the\nadvocated over the head of his superior offi-\nPhilippines. He died at sixty-seven while\ncers the project of a Rainbow Division-made\naddressing a regimental reunion. He was a\nup of National Guard units from many states\nman of energy and ability and of a colorful,\n-and ended by commanding the division in\nvehement personality; old General Enoch\nFrance. There he distinguished himself not\nCrowder once said that \"Arthur MacArthur\nonly by his tactical competence but even\nwas the most flamboyantly egotistic man I\nmore by his cool bravery under fire. On his\nhad ever seen-until I met his son.\" Like his\nreturn from Germany, where he served\nson, Arthur MacArthur had a way of going\nbriefly with the occupation forces, he became\noff the reservation. Once he issued a public\nsuperintendent of the Academy at West Point.\nstatement questioning the patriotism of\nIn the twenties, MacArthur, like Winston\nGerman-Americans The first Roosevelt, who\nChurchill, Charles de Gaulle, and other fig-\ndidn't like generals meddling in politics,\nures of a heroic cast, was miserably out of\ncracked down on him without mercy. An\nplace. It was a tough decade for professional\nofficer who could make such a statement,\nsoldiers in general; for a soldier of Mac-\nhe said, \"is unfit to hold a commission in the\nArthur's stripe, it was almost impossible. He\nNational Guard.\"\ncould not fly the ocean like Lindbergh, or\nMacArthur inherited from his father not\nexplore the poles like Byrd; he would not\nonly his storminess and his sense of drama\nturn to business like his friend Hugh John-\nTRUMAN\nbut his sense of the Far East as the strategic\nson, or to politics like Leonard Wood. The\ncenter of American security; it was probably\nArmy, in which he rose with astonishing\nfrom his father, too, and from his Manila\nRECORDS\nspeed, becoming a brigadier general at forty\nADMIN.\"\nchildhood, that he got his deep emotional at-\nand a major general at forty-five, was his dedi-\nU.S.\nPreservation Copy"
}