The Political Generals

Military officers on active duty have been prohibited from taking part in politics ever since 1920, when Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker, grew indignant at Major General Leonard Wood's all-out campaign to capture the Republican presidential nomination. After Wood had been defeated by Harding, Baker ordered a regulation drawn to head off similar attempts in the future. Last week, with five-star Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur up to their very chins in politics, many a U.S. citizen was asking just when a soldier may properly take the stump.

Army Regulation 600-10-17 specifically forbids "activity at political conventions or on political committees, participation in political campaigns, the making of political speeches, the publication of articles, or any other public activity looking to the influencing of an election or the solicitation of votes for [himself] and others."

Under ordinary circumstances, an officer who wants to engage in political activities has to resign, retire or be discharged. But the rules were written before the five-star generals and admirals were created in World War II. They have a peculiar status, like a patent of nobility. Ordinary retirement rules do not apply. They are assumed to be on active duty for life, and they can draw full pay for life.

If MacArthur, who is over retirement age, were only a four-star general, he would be retired on three-quarters pay, and he could engage in politics. Eisenhower, however, has not yet reached compulsory retirement age. He has given up his Army pay, but if he is defeated for the presidency, he can ask that his pay start again. Either man could resign, and thereby lose his pay for life.

Last week the Army considered MacArthur's case, announced in tones of considerable relief that it would take no action against him. Pentagon officials were apparently acting on the fact that the regulations had not been written with five-star generals--who are automatically the victims of a conflict of technicalities --in mind. But as any sergeant could have guessed, there were other considerations.

For one thing, asking MacArthur to give up pay, earned in heroic service, would raise a storm of protest from his admirers. For another, trying to get him out of uniform against his will would be troublesome. On top of all that, President Truman made it obvious at his press conference last week that he was delighted at the spectacle of the Republican generals squabbling among themselves, in or out of uniform, and would do nothing to head them off.

None of this was surprising: in the 32 years since Secretary Baker propounded the principle involved in Regulation 600-10-17, there has been no record of charges being brought against any soldier for violating it.

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