Farewell Address to Congress.docx
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FarewellAddresstoCongress
GeneralDouglasMacArthur:
FarewellAddresstoCongress
[AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:
Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio.]
Mr.President,Mr.Speaker,andDistinguishedMembersoftheCongress:
Istandonthisrostrumwithasenseofdeephumilityandgreatpride--humilityintheweightofthosegreatAmericanarchitectsofourhistorywhohavestoodherebeforeme;prideinthereflectionthatthishomeoflegislativedebaterepresentshumanlibertyinthepurestformyetdevised.Herearecenteredthehopesandaspirationsandfaithoftheentirehumanrace.Idonotstandhereasadvocateforanypartisancause,fortheissuesarefundamentalandreachquitebeyondtherealmofpartisanconsideration.Theymustberesolvedonthehighestplaneofnationalinterestifourcourseistoprovesoundandourfutureprotected.Itrust,therefore,thatyouwilldomethejusticeofreceivingthatwhichIhavetosayassolelyexpressingtheconsideredviewpointofafellowAmerican.
Iaddressyouwithneitherrancornorbitternessinthefadingtwilightoflife,withbutonepurposeinmind:
toservemycountry.Theissuesareglobalandsointerlockedthattoconsidertheproblemsofonesector,oblivioustothoseofanother,isbuttocourtdisasterforthewhole.WhileAsiaiscommonlyreferredtoastheGatewaytoEurope,itisnolesstruethatEuropeistheGatewaytoAsia,andthebroadinfluenceoftheonecannotfailtohaveitsimpactupontheother.Therearethosewhoclaimourstrengthisinadequatetoprotectonbothfronts,thatwecannotdivideoureffort.Icanthinkofnogreaterexpressionofdefeatism.Ifapotentialenemycandividehisstrengthontwofronts,itisforustocounterhiseffort.TheCommunistthreatisaglobalone.Itssuccessfuladvanceinonesectorthreatensthedestructionofeveryothersector.YoucannotappeaseorotherwisesurrendertocommunisminAsiawithoutsimultaneouslyunderminingoureffortstohaltitsadvanceinEurope.
Beyondpointingoutthesegeneraltruisms,IshallconfinemydiscussiontothegeneralareasofAsia.Beforeonemayobjectivelyassessthesituationnowexistingthere,hemustcomprehendsomethingofAsia'spastandtherevolutionarychangeswhichhavemarkedhercourseuptothepresent.Longexploitedbytheso-calledcolonialpowers,withlittleopportunitytoachieveanydegreeofsocialjustice,individualdignity,orahigherstandardoflifesuchasguidedourownnobleadministrationinthePhilippines,thepeoplesofAsiafoundtheiropportunityinthewarjustpasttothrowofftheshacklesofcolonialismandnowseethedawnofnewopportunity,aheretoforeunfeltdignity,andtheself-respectofpoliticalfreedom.
Musteringhalfoftheearth'spopulation,and60percentofitsnaturalresourcesthesepeoplesarerapidlyconsolidatinganewforce,bothmoralandmaterial,withwhichtoraisethelivingstandardanderectadaptationsofthedesignofmodernprogresstotheirowndistinctculturalenvironments.Whetheroneadherestotheconceptofcolonizationornot,thisisthedirectionofAsianprogressanditmaynotbestopped.Itisacorollarytotheshiftoftheworldeconomicfrontiersasthewholeepicenterofworldaffairsrotatesbacktowardtheareawhenceitstarted.
Inthissituation,itbecomesvitalthatourowncountryorientitspoliciesinconsonancewiththisbasicevolutionaryconditionratherthanpursueacourseblindtotherealitythatthecolonialeraisnowpastandtheAsianpeoplescovettherighttoshapetheirownfreedestiny.Whattheyseeknowisfriendlyguidance,understanding,andsupport--notimperiousdirection--thedignityofequalityandnottheshameofsubjugation.Theirpre-warstandardoflife,pitifullylow,isinfinitelylowernowinthedevastationleftinwar'swake.WorldideologiesplaylittlepartinAsianthinkingandarelittleunderstood.Whatthepeoplesstriveforistheopportunityforalittlemorefoodintheirstomachs,alittlebetterclothingontheirbacks,alittlefirmerroofovertheirheads,andtherealizationofthenormalnationalisturgeforpoliticalfreedom.Thesepolitical-socialconditionshavebutanindirectbearinguponourownnationalsecurity,butdoformabackdroptocontemporaryplanningwhichmustbethoughtfullyconsideredifwearetoavoidthepitfallsofunrealism.
OfmoredirectandimmediatelybearinguponournationalsecurityarethechangeswroughtinthestrategicpotentialofthePacificOceaninthecourseofthepastwar.PriortheretothewesternstrategicfrontieroftheUnitedStateslayontheliterallineoftheAmericas,withanexposedislandsalientextendingoutthroughHawaii,Midway,andGuamtothePhilippines.Thatsalientprovednotanoutpostofstrengthbutanavenueofweaknessalongwhichtheenemycouldanddidattack.
ThePacificwasapotentialareaofadvanceforanypredatoryforceintentuponstrikingattheborderinglandareas.AllthiswaschangedbyourPacificvictory.OurstrategicfrontierthenshiftedtoembracetheentirePacificOcean,whichbecameavastmoattoprotectusaslongasweheldit.Indeed,itactsasaprotectiveshieldforalloftheAmericasandallfreelandsofthePacificOceanarea.WecontrolittotheshoresofAsiabyachainofislandsextendinginanarcfromtheAleutianstotheMariannasheldbyusandourfreeallies.FromthisislandchainwecandominatewithseaandairpowereveryAsiaticportfromVladivostoktoSingapore--withseaandairpowereveryport,asIsaid,fromVladivostoktoSingapore--andpreventanyhostilemovementintothePacific.
*AnypredatoryattackfromAsiamustbeanamphibiouseffort.*Noamphibiousforcecanbesuccessfulwithoutcontrolofthesealanesandtheairoverthoselanesinitsavenueofadvance.Withnavalandairsupremacyandmodestgroundelementstodefendbases,anymajorattackfromcontinentalAsiatowardusorourfriendsinthePacificwouldbedoomedtofailure.
Undersuchconditions,thePacificnolongerrepresentsmenacingavenuesofapproachforaprospectiveinvader.Itassumes,instead,thefriendlyaspectofapeacefullake.Ourlineofdefenseisanaturaloneandcanbemaintainedwithaminimumofmilitaryeffortandexpense.Itenvisionsnoattackagainstanyone,nordoesitprovidethebastionsessentialforoffensiveoperations,butproperlymaintained,wouldbeaninvincibledefenseagainstaggression.TheholdingofthisliteraldefenselineinthewesternPacificisentirelydependentuponholdingallsegmentsthereof;foranymajorbreachofthatlinebyanunfriendlypowerwouldrendervulnerabletodeterminedattackeveryothermajorsegment.
ThisisamilitaryestimateastowhichIhaveyettofindamilitaryleaderwhowilltakeexception.Forthatreason,Ihavestronglyrecommendedinthepast,asamatterofmilitaryurgency,thatundernocircumstancesmustFormosafallunderCommunistcontrol.SuchaneventualitywouldatoncethreatenthefreedomofthePhilippinesandthelossofJapanandmightwellforceourwesternfrontierbacktothecoastofCalifornia,OregonandWashington.
TounderstandthechangeswhichnowappearupontheChinesemainland,onemustunderstandthechangesinChinesecharacterandcultureoverthepast50years.China,upto50yearsago,wascompletelynon-homogenous,beingcompartmentedintogroupsdividedagainsteachother.Thewar-makingtendencywasalmostnon-existent,astheystillfollowedthetenetsoftheConfucianidealofpacifistculture.Attheturnofthecentury,undertheregimeofChangTsoLin,effortstowardgreaterhomogeneityproducedthestartofanationalisturge.ThiswasfurtherandmoresuccessfullydevelopedundertheleadershipofChiangKai-Shek,buthasbeenbroughttoitsgreatestfruitionunderthepresentregimetothepointthatithasnowtakenonthecharacterofaunitednationalismofincreasinglydominant,aggressivetendencies.
Throughthesepast50yearstheChinesepeoplehavethusbecomemilitarizedintheirconceptsandintheirideals.Theynowconstituteexcellentsoldiers,withcompetentstaffsandcommanders.ThishasproducedanewanddominantpowerinAsia,which,foritsownpurposes,isalliedwithSovietRussiabutwhichinitsownconceptsandmethodshasbecomeaggressivelyimperialistic,withalustforexpansionandincreasedpowernormaltothistypeofimperialism.
ThereislittleoftheideologicalconcepteitheronewayoranotherintheChinesemake-up.Thestandardoflivingissolowandthecapitalaccumulationhasbeensothoroughlydissipatedbywarthatthemassesaredesperateandeagertofollowanyleadershipwhichseemstopromisethealleviationoflocalstringencies.
IhavefromthebeginningbelievedthattheChineseCommunists'supportoftheNorthKoreanswasthedominantone.Theirinterestsare,atpresent,parallelwiththoseoftheSoviet.ButIbelievethattheaggressivenessrecentlydisplayednotonlyinKoreabutalsoinIndo-ChinaandTibetandpointingpotentiallytowardtheSouthreflectspredominantlythesamelustfortheexpansionofpowerwhichhasanimatedeverywould-beconquerorsincethebeginningoftime.
TheJapanesepeople,sincethewar,haveundergonethegreatestreformationrecordedinmodernhistory.Withacommendablewill,eagernesstolearn,andmarkedcapacitytounderstand,theyhave,fromtheashesleftinwar'swake,erectedinJapananedificededicatedtothesupremacyofindividuallibertyandpersonaldignity;andintheensuingprocesstherehasbeencreatedatrulyrepresentativegovernmentcommittedtotheadvanceofpoliticalmorality,freedomofeconomicenterprise,andsocialjustice.
Politically,economically,andsociallyJapanisnowabreastofmanyfreenations