A CIRCUM DRAMA BY CIRCUM BRIG. GENERAL JULIUS KLEIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R000500520029-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 12, 2002
• Sequence Number: 29
• Content Type: REPORT

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U
A CIRCUM DRAMA
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Feted at Fiftieth
Anniversary Dinner
Circums Will Never Forget This Historic Evening
A REPORT OUR MEMBERS 50 YEARS HENCE
WILL STILL APPRECIATE
12Y l.ircutn O~ri~. ~eneral ~uLitc6 i Qein
"As an American I resent
the fact that a great man like
General Douglas MacArthur is
now selling electric razors and
carbon paper for Remington
Rand instead of leading the
battle in Korea or participat-
ing in the councils of the men
guiding our Nation's destiny
during the most crucial crisis
of our existence as a free na-
tion."
A cold chill went down my
spine as CQ,ircum George So-
kolsky, the famous columnist,
thundered these memorable
words to a group of seasoned
and toughened globetrotters.
It was the occasion of the
eagerly awaited Fiftieth An-
nual Dinner of The Circum-
navigators Club that will live
in the cherished memory of all
those present until the last
ircum has navigated his last
mile.
It was just C6 ircum General
Douglas MacArthur who entered
the private dining-room of the
Stork Club in New York on April
23rd, 1953. With him were his
loyal aides, General Courtney Whit-
ney and Colonel Sidney Huff. The
General attended as the Honorary
President of the Circumnaviga-
tors.
To few other men has this dis-
tinction ever been accorded-over
the past fifty years only to ex-
President William Howard Taft
(No. 10), one of our Nation's
most popular presidents who used
his famous smile to conquer his
adversaries; to Herbert Hoover,
the greatest living ex-president who
circled the Globe more than fifty
years ago; to Admiral Robert E.
Peary, discoverer of the North
Pole; to Burton Holmes, the early
exponent of travelogue and adven-
ture; and to Lowell Thomas, the
celebrated commentator and news
analyst.
A Roster of Honor
The Club's old roster includes
many famous names. There is
Francis H. Love, one of our oldest
living C6 ircums, a rugged and real
fellow. I had seen him last thirty
GENERAL CARLOS ROMULO SPEAKS EARNESTLY
Rapt attention greeted the Ambassador of The Philippines to the United States and the United Nations.
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years ago in Constantinople and
now he was sitting next to me at
the dinner. He is the proud holder
of E ircum Certificate No. 7. Cer-
tificate No. 8 was held by William
Jennings Bryan, who donated the
gavel which is a cherished posses-
sion and is still wielded at the func-
tions of our Club. Richard Hard-
ing Davis, No. 9, another notable
g ircum, was one of the greatest
war correspondents of all time;
he reported on every war from the
Greco-Turkish War in 1897
through to World War I. These
are the type of men who formed
the cadre of The Cc ircumnaviga-
tors Cc lub. The list is endless and
the present members are worthy
successors to that tradition.
Unfortunately, the surviving
member of the trio who founded
The Cc ircumnavigators Cc lub back
in 1902, C6 irculn Immortal J. D.
Morrison, was unable to attend the
Fiftieth Anniversary Dinner. He
holds Certificate No. 1, and a fit-
ting and well deserved tribute was
accorded him on this occasion.
These are the men who repre-
sent true Americanism for the Cir-
cumnavigators know no creed, no
color, race or religion-to them
all are human beings. And I re-
member that proud day several
years ago when we gathered on
Hitler's yacht, Grille in New York
Harbor.
A Robe of Humility
A great man will always be rec-
ognized whether in the uniform of
a General, in a tuxedo or in rags.
MacArthur's personality reached
out across the hall. His kindness,
his dignity and his humility clothe
him at all times. There was a
hushed silence and an expectancy
in the air as this grand soldier-
statesman took his seat of honor
among those who love and admire
Formerly with Hearst papers in
Chicago, entered active duty before
Pearl Harbor with the 33rd Infantry
Division and served in the Pacific
as Commanding Officer of nearly 10,-
000 troops under MacArthur. Recip-
ient of Legion of Merit, with clus-
ters; Soldier's Medal for Heroism,
Bronze Star, French Legion of Hon-
or, Philippines Distinguished Service
Star. Served as Consultant on Nation-
al Defense to the Chairman of the
Republican National Committee.
him.
My thoughts flashed back to that
fateful day in April, 1951, when I
waited with thousands of other
American citizens for MacArthur
to arrive in San Francisco. There
was that same dynamic tension as
the "old soldier" stepped from his
plane. It was felt as strongly by
those thousands in San Francisco
as by the rest of the Nation from
coast-to-coast, as well as by the
peoples all over the World. It was
felt in the cities where MacArthur
stopped as by those who were now
gathered in the confines of the
Stork Club private dining room.
The dramatic events of the eve-
ning proved how ill equipped I
am, as an old reporter, to record
the scene at which ircumnaviga-
tors from many corners of the
Globe had gathered to pay tribute
to the man whom history will re-
cord as one of the greatest Amer-
icans of all times-General of the
Army Douglas MacArthur. It is
a scene which cannot be recaptured
adequately, either in the written or
spoken word.
Here was a group of men who,
for fifty years, had been traveling
around, who were cognizant of the
signal honor that a man of Mac-
Arthur's magnitude should leave
his "ivory tower" in The Waldorf-
Astoria to join them. Here was an
interesting mixture of old-timers
and new-timers-the old-timers
who required weeks and months to
get around the world and the new-
timers who make their round-the-
world trips in days.
The Solution-Understanding
Here was a conglomeration of
men from all walks of life, united
in_ the common knowledge that,
with the development of modern
transportation, the World is get-
ting smaller and smaller. Their
quest for adventure is the answer
to an ultimate solution in the search
of mankind for international un-
derstanding and good will among
the peoples of the Globe.
No more fitting tribute can be
paid to The Circumnavigators
Club than the simple words print-
ed in the program of their Fiftieth
Anniversary Dinner:
Golden Anniversary
1902-1953
As one of the Three Immortals:
C6 ircums James H. Birch, Jr.,
J. D. Morrison and E. H. Pat.
terson-Founder C6 ircum Morris-
son sets forth in the Member's
Book of the Cc~ ircumnavigators
Club:
"All in the golden afternoon
full leisurely we glide ... quoting
`Alice in Wonderland', in a shady
nook on the deck of the old S. S.
Barbarossa as this ship slid over
the quiet and glassy seas of the
Indian Ocean in March, 1902.. .
starts the saga of The Cc ircum-
navigators Cc lub."
The ideal of the perpetrators of
The C ircumnavigators CC lub is a
gathering of Big Hearts, like to-
night. And the Book states, "If the
big hearts beat below fine heads it
shall not be held against the heads
-so long as they forget it. But
it is a law of compensation that
whenever the head grows abnor-
mally, the heart shrinks. To be eli-
gible a man must have made a
circuit of the Globe, longitudinal-
ly, and be vouched for by three
members."
No Bubblewater
Then, our neat little Member-
ship Book sets forth-there not
being a Sherman Billingsley nor
Stork Club in those days of long
ago!-(quote) : "The Dinners will
not be expensive. There will be
none of the bubble water that used
to be the popular breakfast bever-
age at Johannesburg. But those who
will permit the life in a. highball to
evaporate or a dry martini to hike
back on the tray, should not be
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a statesman. He had been nomi-
nated by the United States as Sec-
retary-General of the United Na-
tions. Romulo described it as a
two-fold honor to enjoy the con-
fidence and respect of the United
States and to have his appointment
vetoed by the Soviet Union.
It did not take long before the
little general with the big voice got
to his favorite subject: His own
homeland, The Philippines and the
love of her people for General
MacArthur.
We Revere Him
"There is no country in the
World," Romulo said, ".which loves
General MacArthur more than The
Philippines. MacArthur can only
be truly judged fifty or a hundred
years hence. Our children's chil-
dren, our children's children's chil-
dren, will read in the history books
about this man, who in the darkest
"THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER!" hour of America stood in Asia
And one who came not knowing he was to report it! ! Circum Eddie and taught Asia to respect the
Eagan, Circumgt est Vice Admiral Calvin T. Durgin, U.S.N. (Ret.), Cir- West again at a time when the
cumdistinguished Guest of Honor, and Circum Brig. Gen. Julius Klein. West was at its lowest ebb. One
persuaded into petitioning for
membership."
These men rose in unison to sing
the C6 irounmavigator's song. The
hall echoed from the husky and
rough voices of men who have
hunted tiger in the jungles, who
have dug ore in Africa and Vene-
zuela, men who served as intelli-
gence officers in China, who pene-
trated into Tibet, soldiers who
fought the enemy in the Battle of
the Bulge, on the beaches of the
Pacific, naval officers who have
sailed all the oceans of the World,
industrial captains who have
brought the wares of American
industry to every port of the Globe,
physicians who have discovered
cures and developed serums for
natives in disease-infected Africa
or India-gentlemen of the World
-they all joined when the popular
musical conductor, Edwin McAr-
thur, and baritone, Myron Sands
led in the Circumnavigators' tra-
ditional anthem:
We're the Circumnavigators; Men
who know their way around
We have box'd the whole Earth's
compass And are back here safe
and sound.
We're the Circumnavigators, Hale
and Hearty, full of rum, "
You can join this Magic Circle,
man, one American, who, almost
When you do as we have done. barehanded, stopped the aggressor
Raise your glass to bold Magellan, and rescued the Far East from to-
He was first, to call the turn. Ltil conquest by the enemies of a
The great Father of our Order, We free democratic world, and thus
embalm in Mem'ry's urn. recreated prestige for the West.
We care not for wealth or station, We, in The Philippines, like every
Nor for rank, nor birth, or state, freedom-loving man in the Far
But if you would join our circle, East, revere and idolize him."
You must circumnavigate. MacArthur, who had walked
Here's health to all good fellows, into the Stork Club erect, with his
Be their gods, just what they soldierly bearing, sat humbly as
please, The Philippines statesman sang
Buddha, Jupiter or Wotan, Turk, his praises, but it was obvious that
Parsee or Chinese. he was moved deeply when Rom-
So they pass our Board 61 Censors, ulo spoke of those days of his
And that they be true and Country's independence which end-
straight, ed with the fall of Corregidor.
They can be, like as, Immortals, In the minds of some Ameri
If they Circumnavigate. cans, especially certain political
CE ircum-President Arthur M. partisans, General MacArthur may
Tode was an inspiring presiding be a controversial figure, but not
officer and C6 ircum-Colonel Ed- in the eyes of Romulo and his
ward P. F. Eagan a sparkling Mas- countrymen nor in the eyes of mil-
ter of Ceremonies. As the melody lions of people in the Far East who
of the C6 ircumnavigator's song dare dream of liberty and freedom
faded out, a melody that was and democracy.
echoed all over the Globe, His Ex-
cellency, General Carlos P. Romulo
was introduced. The Ambassador
of The Philippines to the United
States of America captivated the
audience with his brilliant, sincere
and most timely remarks. '
The diplomat from The Philip-
pines is short in figure but tall as
An Historic Fourth of July
Romulo spoke of the day when
freedom came to his country. "It
was our own Fourth of July," he
said, "the Fourth of July, 1946.
The entire nation was thrilled and
MacArthur's name was on every-
one's lips. We thanked the Lord
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Almighty," he said, "that America
had sent us General MacArthur."
A master at painting with words,
Romulo described the scene in
Manila on that memorable Fourth
of July seven years ago. Two hun-
dred and fifty thousand people had
flocked to the principal park in
that city to witness the memorable
scene when the first President of
the Philippine Islands took over
the administration of his country
from the United States. The people
greeted their new president with
noisy cheer and enthusiasm, but
dim it was, indeed, compared to
the roar of applause and thunder
that went up when the representa-
tive of the United States rose to
speak, for it was the man whom
they adored and revered, the man
whose greatness they recognized.
It was the man who made good his
promise, when he said "I shall re-
turn!"-Douglas MacArthur.
Romulo, the soldier, the states-
man and writer, was one of Mac-
Arthur's boys in the Philippines.
He went through the trials and
tribulations of retreat and defeat
and he was there at the historic
moment when MacArthur returned
to Manila and announced to the
World' "On to Tokyo."
And, Romulo continued: "Gen-
tlemen, I am honored and privi-
leged and humble to have the op-
portunity of paying tribute to
Douglas MacArthur." He raised
his glass: "A toast to Douglas
MacArthur, the defender of free-
dom and democracy in the World."
A wave of emotion swept through
the room and everyone responded
humbly and gratefully to this toast
offered in honor of the most dis-
tinguished member of The (6 ir-
cumnavigators C~ lub. _
Guest of Honor
And then there was an unex-
pected speaker-"the man who
came to dinner"-our Honorary
President and guest-of-honor, Gen-
eral of the Army Douglas Mac-
Arthur. He had come to join a
group of old friends who under-
stood his greatness and who be-
lieved in his principles. He had
come for they had asked him to
accept from them a token of their
love and admiration. Few are the
occasions when MacArthur agrees
to speak, for he has been misquoted
too many times.
But here, deeply moved by the
stirring address of Romulo, his old
comrade-in-arms, which brought
back to him the memory of Leyte,
Bataan and Corregidor, and
touched by the electrifying chal-
lenge of the speaker he pushed his
chair aside and aproached the mi-
crophone. Never in the long life
of The Circumnavigators CE lub
was there a time so full of emotion,
drama and attention as at this mo-
ment when General MacArthur got
up to greet his fellow members at
this most historical anniversary
dinner.
Silence came over the audience.
He spoke from his heart, quietly
and simply. There was humility in
his voice and yet there was forth-
rightness. He spoke as only Mac-
Arthur can speak. There was
drama in hearing America's great-
est soldier speak to a group of
seasoned and salty globetrotters-
still fighting the bloody battle of
Old Baldy in Korea, with the shad-
ow of memories of the Argonne,
St. Mihiel, Flanders, New Guinea,
Bataan, Corregidor, Manila and
other holy and some unholy places
where MacArthur led, fought and
won for America.
The name "MacArthur" always
meant victory for America-never
defeat. The first MacArthur-a
famous General in the Civil War-
with Douglas MacArthur carrying
on during World Wars I and II-
until Korea-where the enemy
could not stop him-but Washing-
ton did.
The Eternal Man
The General, who can't fade
away because he is part of living
history, began by referring to Gen-
eral Romulo's remarks that school
children would read about him in
their history books fifty years
hence. He said: "While I appreci-
a!e the tribute paid to me by my
old friend, General Romulo, I want
you to know that I expect to be
here fifty years from now and read
those history books myself.
"I am grateful for your tributes,
but don't take them at face value.
I know the hearts of old friends
overflow with emotion;- it comes
from the heart and my gratitude
to you and to him (Romulo)
comes from my heart, also, and
not from human vanity. I am
proud to be with my fellow mem-
bers of The Circumnavigators
Cc~ lub. You are men who do not
believe in a status quo, who do not
believe in a lost horizon, or no
horizon. You are not limited by
rules that' would hinder the prog-
ress of civilization all over the
World. You who are the descend-
ants of those brave men of adven-
HONORARY AND WORKING PRESIDENTS
Circum General Douglas MacArthur and Circum Arthur M. Tode.
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ture of a thousand years ago, five
hundred years ago, a hundred or
fifty years ago, who were pioneers
to make this Globe a better World.
You have seen the World and you
know what it means to live in an
era where part of the World is en-
slaved by aggressors."
A Kipling Devotee
MacArthur recalled the contri-
bution of the old American globe-
trotters of great adventure and
reminisced of his early youth in
the Far East, especially Mandalay.
Always fascinated by the poems
of Kipling, he recited some of his
dramatic verses. In his own elo-
quent way he referred to them and
read his own interpretation into
the lines of this great poet, the
man who became a saint to all
globetrotters, brave men and sol-
diers of fortune of all nationalities
from all over the World.
The audience quickly realized
that here was not only a great sol-
dier, a great statesman, a great
speaker, but also a man possessing
warm human qualities.
"Your forefathers saw the mag-
nitude of the World's circle and
ever since then there have been
people like you, citizens of the
World, who wanted to find out how
others live, and through' their
searching they have become wiser
and so have you. Your curiosity
about other people, your refusal to
let others do the thinking for you,
that is a far greater contribution
to America than many realize.
"As men who have been around
in the World you recognize the
threat to our civilization because
a large part of our planet lives in
chains and fear. You understand
the meaning of Asia's awakening.
You are aware more than half of
the World's population lives in the
Far East, and more than half of
the World's untapped wealth lies
in the Pacific."
The General did not relate his
own person to these facts. Yet his
statement served to drive home
dramatically the importance of the
role he played in recent years in
the area to which we will be pay-
ing closer attention as time goes
on.
Perhaps, while the audience lis-
tened, MacArthur was thinking of
a young officer who served under
him by the name of Ike. From my
conversations with the General I
know that his heart goes out to
that former young officer who is
now in The White House carrying
the heaviest burden in all the
World. He feels sincere allegiance
for his old comrade-in-arms-the
new President, his Commander-in-
Chief, and I know that he prays
for his success.
There was no bitterness in the
old warrior, but as much self-as-
surance as ever. Only two years
have passed since MacArthur ap-
peared before the Senate Commit-
tee which investigated his dismis-
sal by President Truman. In these
short two years he has been com-
pletely vindicated. "There is no
substitute for victory," he said
then, and his formula still stands
-victory means to hit the enemy
hard with everything we have in
his weakest spot-and finish the
war with the least casualties in life
and limb. This has always been
MacArthur's credo.
The General spoke off the cuff.
He gave one of his famous extem-
poraneous addresses which shake
the audience and make history.
He was serious at times, then hu-
morous. Throughout his remarks
there was evident a great human
touch.
An illuminated Globe was pre-
sented to (ircum Honorary Presi-
dent Douglas MacArthur on be-
half of all members,-a bright light
inside the Globe gave it added
color. It symbolized what we all
thought: "As long as the spirit of
MacArthur lives-there can and
will be hope and light in every
dark corner of the Globe. This is
what MacArthur fought and fights
for."
He presented membership cer-
tificates to newly elected Circum-
navigators, and these men were
not ashamed of the tears that
welled up in their eyes. They
shone with pride-pride not only
because they had become members
SMILING DUO
Circum "M.C." Eddie Eagan brings forth one from General
Carlos Romulo.
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of one of the World's most unique
clubs, but pride because they had
been knighted to membership by
the greatest (c~ ircumnavigator of
our time. The happiness glowing
in the faces of the recipients was
reflected in the smile of the one
bestowing the honor-as I so often
observed when MacArthur deco-
rated his men after battle.
Other Great C6 ircums
Genial (6 ircum James A. Farley,
former Postmaster 'General and
currently Chairman of the Board
of Coca Cola Export Company,
paid strong tribute to General Mac-
Arthur and described him as the
greatest soldier and statesman
since George Washington, a senti-
ment widely acclaimed by the audi-
ence.
Farley pleaded for unity. "As a
Democrat," he said, "I hope the
members of my party will assist
President Eisenhower by support-
ing him wholeheartedly in the
grave task of solving our own
Country's present chaotic condi-
tion and the supreme need for re-
storing peace. Ike needs the sup-
port of the entire Nation, regard-
less of party. We should give all
assistance possible to the present
administration, for, whatever the
Russians are up to, it's no good
for us. If we keep our powder dry,
we will be able to meet any blow
that may come from that quarter."
George Sokolsky said later that
(6 ircum Jim's address was the best
Republican speech since MacAr-
thur's keynote address at last year's
Republican Convention. Jokingly,
he suggested that Eisenhower in-
vite_ Farley to become National
Chairman of the GOP-"where,"
he said, "Farley belongs."
(6 ircum George- E. Sokolsky;
the celebrated author and news
analyst, was the forceful, conclud-
ing speaker of a memorable eve-
ning. I have seen him in many
situations. George, always elo-
quent and incisive, outdid himself
that night, for the subject was
close to his heart. He is one of
MacArthur's faithful and most out-
spoken disciples, and as one of our
foremost experts on the Far East
and an old China hand, he talked
about Korea and the crisis in the
Far East.
"It is hard for me to describe
the true man MacArthur," Sokol-
CIGAR DUO
Circumpresident Arthur M. Tode and Circurn George Sokolsky put in
"puffs."
? sky declaimed, "you all know him
-you love him-hundreds of mil-
lions all over the Globe love him.
When a man reaches the station in
life, in history, which MacArthur
has reached, history speaks for it-
self. As a contemporary, words
just fail me.
"When MacArthur.,was kicked
out, our prestige in `Asia reached
the lowest point. MacArthur's re-
moval allowed the Russians to
turn their covetous eyes toward
Formosa, The Philippines,- towards
Japan, India and Indo-China. All
of these are in danger now because
we gave up victory which would
have been ours had MacArthur
been allowed to carry out his bat-
tle plans."
The eyes of the audience turned
to and fastened upon the man
about whom George Sokolsky was
speaking when he hurled his note
of defiance in regard to MacAr-
thur's present civilian occupation.
Our hearts ached but General Mac-
Arthur laughed heartily as only a
man with a great soul can do, and
so we, like he, caught on to the
double meaning and wisdom of
George's humorous and kindly
crack.
General of the Ages
But the audience did not share
the General's forgiveness of the na-
tional humiliation and the unjusti-
fiable treatment which the Wash-
ington master plotters of intrigue
and double-dealing accorded the
"General of all Ages" as the late
Secretary of War Patterson once
called MacArthur, when he dis-
cussed him with me.
Those words of Sokolsky
brought back to the audience the
full impact of recent developments
in Korea. They recalled the testi-
mony by members of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff two years ago when
it was said that MacArthur's bat-
tle plan for victory would have in-
volved this country "in the wrong
war-at the wrong time and with
the wrong enemy."
They remembered that two years
later-only a few weeks ago-an-
other great General just returned
from the battlefield, General Van
Fleet, stated that "Korea is the
right war in the right place at the
right time and with the right Al-
lies." How vividly do we remem-
ber MacArthur's forthright testi-
mony before the Congress of the
United States after he had re-
turned to his beloved Country at
the behest of his Commander-in-
Chief! How short-sighted were
those men who could not or would
not recognize the reputation which
MacArthur, and he alone, had
built up for America in the Far
East during a lifetime of labor
and love! That the brilliant state-
ment he made at that time is still
being studied by the. men who
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shape and guide our policy now is
tacit testimony to his superior
knowledge, his unequalled judg-
ment, and unexcelled strategy.
Sokolsky stated that in 1945
Lieut.-General Robert L. Eichel-
berger told him that MacArthur's
real claim to greatness in history
lies in the strength of his convic-
tion, of the soundness of his dar-
ing conception and in his unparal-
lelled moral courage. And, Lieu-
tenant General Robert C. Richard-
son said that he was the only man
who could be followed with con-
fidence wherever he goes.
There unfolded before the eyes
%Of the C6 ircums a clear picture of
CIRCUMS THREE GREATLY AMUSED
Circumsecretary Raymond M. Dinsmore, Circum James A. Farley and
Circum Colonel Sidney L. Huff enjoy one of General MacArthur's quips.
America's tragedy in Korea. So-
kolsky spoke of the landing at
Inchon in the fall of 1950 and our
minds went back to that time when
we all thought that the shooting in
Korea was practically over. That
was the golden moment when a
military victory could have been
turned into a political or diplo-
matic victory, but the opportunity
was missed by the powers that
stopped MacArthur. Our boys
were willing to fight and die in
Korea if final peace could be
achieved, but our diplomats at
home, he said, "had no will or
ure, of whom there have been so
few in history, who could have
blazed the path to victory and
peace, had been forsaken by some
of his own countrymen. It was
Joe Stalin's greatest victory over
the democracies of the World.
Subsequent events, Sokolsky de-
clared, have vindicated the policy
of MacArthur, who stated before
the Congress of the United States
in 1951: "There is no substitute
for victory." Events. have shown
that the ouster of MacArthur was
the greatest defeat of the United
States since Pearl Harbor. Its ulti-
stomach for victory."
A Victory for, Stalin
None but a man as great and
humble as he could have remained
silent throughout the years, When
he did speak, it was the old mas-
terful language, concise and con-
vincing, laying wide open the
fallacious policy of the old Penta-
gon brass, controlled by or yield-
ing to the former Secretary of
State who chose to ignore Mac-
Arthur's brilliantly-conceived plan.
And on the faces of the C6 ircum-
navigators present I detected be-
wilderment - bewilderment at the
thought- that a genius of his stat-
mate consequences, not only f,.,r
the United States, but the entire
World, cannot be estimated, and
we shall have to pay for it for a
century.
A Night for Remembrance
and a Day for Posterity
Though many a serious word
was uttered that night, the atmos-
phere was a joyous one for the
ircumnavigators had gathered to
pay tribute to (6 ircum General
MacArthur, whom they had elect-
ed their honorary president. Here
were men of stature - selected
globetrotters who had traveled to
New York by train, by boat, by
plane, from all parts of the United
States-and, also, from across the
seas. None wanted to miss being
in the presence of MacArthur's
great magnetic personality. They
were there in black tie for this spe-
cial occasion, men who had seen
the World and understood what
made it tick.
Name a spot anywhere on the
Globe and some member-of The
C@ ircumnavigators club . can tell
you all about it, the culture of its
people, the climate, the terrain, the
commerce and its history. They
are not graduates of Cook's tours,
but builders of bridges between
nations and good will ambasso-
dors who have become citizens of
the World in the finest sense of
that term.
These men-businessmen, scien-
tists, old soldiers, sailors, airmen,
industrialists, men of stature, of
wealth and fame-left the Stork
Club that evening knowing that
they had witnessed an historic
event. A great man had-come--out-
of his hiding place to be with his
friends. Before them there un-
folded his magnetic personality
with all its warm human qualities
and his searching brilliant mind.
As time goes by, as these Circums
grow old, as they become grand-
fathers and reach a ripe old age,
they will remember this day. Fond-
ly they will look at the framed
Circumnavigators Certificate
hanging on the wall and proudly
tell their grandchildren of their
circumnavigations and their at-
tendance at the Fiftieth Anniver-
sary Dinner given in honor of the
greatest American of their gen-
eration-(Q ircum General of the
Army Douglas MacArthur.
Approved For Release 2002/11/15 : CIA-RDP80R01731R000500520029-3