Farewell Address to Congress.docx

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