MacArthur, organizer of bloodthirsty crimes

(The following appeared in the August 20, 1950 edition of Pravda and has been translated and condensed from the Russian.)

Gen. MacArthur's name never leaves the pages of the Hearst press these days. The New York Journal-American calls him "the man of the hour" and "today's hero."

It is no accident that MacArthurs are so zealously extolled in present-day America! Colonizers with generals' insignia, like Douglas MacArthur, have the leading role in predatory adventures in Asia.

MacArthur is a hereditary colonizer in the Philippines. But everything went far from smoothly with MacArthur in Asia. The national liberation movement of the peoples of the East terrified the American colonizers. The existence of the Korean People's Democratic Republic gave the double-eyed colonizer and his masters no peace. The American imperialists wished to avenge their defeat in China by new annexations in Asia. Telegrams and memoranda flew from MacArthur to Washington demanding immediate establishment of a "defense line" from the Philippines through Korea and Formosa. Under pretext of "defense," the seizure of foreign lands and the enslavement of peoples was planned.

The American banks -- Morgan, National City and others -- took over the gold fields in South Korea from the Japanese monopolies. They coveted Korean oil deposits. Korea was necessary to them as an important military-strategic bridgehead in the Far East.

And then John Foster Dulles, envoy of Wall Street and an out-and-out warmonger, hurried from Washington to Tokyo.

Chiefs of American military staffs flew to Tokyo. Commenting on this trip, one American correspondent June 18 wrote significantly that the high-placed Washington guests at MacArthur's headquarters had heard "the point of view of headquarters not only concerning the military situation in Japan but also the strategic picture affecting a large area of Asia."

"Probably," the correspondent added, "the questions of Korea and Formosa will be discussed."

We had not long to wait for the result of the Tokyo conference. Korea was chosen as the current objective of American aggression, and MacArthur, who promised to bring to an end the "whole Korean operation" in one week, was appointed its organizer.

It is common knowledge, however, how seriously MacArthur miscalculated. American weapons and prolonged American training did not help. The Syngman Rhee forces were routed under the blows of the People's Army of the Korean People's Democratic Republic.

MacArthur hurled thunder and lightning. He personally flew to Korea to introduce order into the disorganized Syngman Rhee bands. The general's loud basso could not change the situation, however: The Syngman Rhee forces continued to flee southward.

It became clear to MacArthur and his masters that it was impossible to conduct the Korean adventure through other people. They had to hurl into Korea American forces, the Air Force and Navy, and to shift to open military aggression against the Korean people. The same MacArthur, of course, became head of the American army of interventionists.

For almost two months now Korean patriots have been waging a heroic struggle against U.S. interventionist forces. Step by step, inch by inch, in severe conflict, they are purging their native land of the foreign usurpers. The American interventionists, armed to the teeth, have proved unable to stand up in open battle against the heroic Korean People's Army.

The land is on fire under the interventionists' feet. The valiant Korean guerrillas give them no rest by day or night. Gen. MacArthur is growing furious over this. He is taking vengeance on the Korean people by savage bombing of peaceful towns and villages and the slaughter of thousands of women, children and old men.

MacArthur hates the Korean people. He treats them as a "low, colored race." Like Truman, he calls the Koreans no better than "bandits." "When American soldiers meeting a Korean in the rear have doubts about him," American journalists write, "they fire at him." "Others," the correspondents cynically add, "first fire at a Korean and then ask questions."

The American interventionists burn down whole villages "on suspicion" that they conceal guerrillas. Captured partisans have their spines broken before they are shot.

The American imperialists want to make Korea their colony and Koreans servile slaves of Wall Street. The proud, freedom-loving Korean people will never kneel before the American dollar or the executioner MacArthur, however. They will fight for the freedom and independence of their country to final victory.