Chapter 83 Most Qualified General

Fortunately, MacArthur was facing the president of the United States. If he were the emperor of China, he would definitely believe that he had the ambition to usurp power and kill the emperor, and he was a full-fledged traitor. Roosevelt was an elected president, not so delicate and narrow-minded, but to be honest, he was also a little uncomfortable with MacArthur's way of presumptuousness.Seeing that MacArthur was still wearing winter military uniforms, which formed a stark contrast with Nimitz's straight white uniforms, so when the two shook hands, he asked, "Douglas, why don't you wear your suit when you come here to meet us?" What about the clothes?"

MacArthur replied casually: "Oh, you didn't go to my place, the weather is very cold!" Roosevelt said nothing more. After exchanging pleasantries, Roosevelt, MacArthur, and Nimitz sat together on deck chairs and asked photographers to take pictures of them.Even the general procedure before the talks was later described by MacArthur as "a vulgar scandal in the officialdom. It is a shame for me to leave the command post to take such political photos." The next day, Roosevelt hosted a banquet. After the meal, everyone gathered in the living room to discuss business, specifically discussing the next phase of the Pacific War.Nimitz prepared many maps, plans, manuscripts, and various statistical data for this discussion, but MacArthur had nothing, only with a mouth that he brought, only then did he realize that he was "doing it alone."

Nimitz spoke first, and the plan he came up with was actually Ginger's plan.As MacArthur expected, according to this plan, the army under his command, apart from leaving two symbolic divisions and a few flying squadrons, will be handed over to Nimitz. It was MacArthur's turn, and he still emphasized the importance of recovering the Philippines from a political and moral point of view: "If you bypass the Philippines, American public opinion will condemn you, Mr. President, and it is reasonable to condemn you." Roosevelt had read the report on the Japanese army's strengthening of the Philippine defense force. He pondered and said: "Douglas, although what you said is good, we may not be able to bear the price we need to pay for it. I think we should still bypass it."

MacArthur immediately replied: "Mr. President, my loss will not be great, and it will definitely not be greater than in the past." He tried his best to assure Roosevelt that as long as he was in command, there would never be unbearable losses, because "only mediocre command A good commander will not incur heavy losses when fighting a war." At that time, the battle of Saipan deployed by Nimitz had ended, and the battle of Biak Island commanded by MacArthur had not yet been fought. In these two battles, the US military suffered a lot of casualties.However, Nimitz showed his kind and aboveboard side in this meeting.When MacArthur spoke, he remained silent. He neither criticized the loopholes in MacArthur's words, nor told Roosevelt how much of the main force of the Japanese army had been restrained by his Central Pacific offensive. Otherwise, MacArthur's losses would have been even greater.

In fact, Nimitz himself had doubts about Ginger's plan, and believed that bypassing the Philippines was not a good way.At this moment, what he thinks about is not about personal gain or loss or worrying about MacArthur, but how to get the greatest victory at the least cost. Onlookers thought that Nimitz and MacArthur were competitors, and there would be a fierce dispute between the two. As a result, this dispute did not happen. Like Roosevelt, Nimitz had been listening carefully to MacArthur's opinions. The discussion lasted from midnight to the next morning, and MacArthur not only convinced the president, but also convinced Nimitz.All those present were moved by this sincere atmosphere, and they believed that MacArthur and Nimitz were "the most qualified generals to complete this great task."

Roosevelt's main concern at first was the friction between MacArthur and Nimitz.After understanding Nimitz's real thoughts, MacArthur let Roosevelt rest assured: "You don't have to worry about the differences between me and General Nimitz. He doesn't really support General Ginger's plan. Mr. President, General Nimitz and I know each other perfectly." Everyone is relieved.At the formal dinner held on the third day, Roosevelt, MacArthur, and Nimitz toasted together. Roosevelt said to his two generals: "I hope this is the last time to mediate your differences, and the next time you drink It will be at the victory party in Tokyo."

Heart disease needs heart medicine. MacArthur left Pearl Harbor in a good mood. Before boarding the plane, he said proudly to his staff: "We have succeeded!" The Pearl Harbor meeting was the first meeting between MacArthur and Roosevelt after seven years.When he was close at hand, MacArthur discovered that the president was thin and old, his body was as thin as a human skeleton, and his movements were a little slow. Clearly, Roosevelt's days were numbered.MacArthur was very shocked. He realized that the god of death was also approaching him. He couldn't help but lament how limited a person's life is, and what a pity it would be if he couldn't fulfill his promise in his lifetime.

Shortly after returning to Brisbane, MacArthur received the news of the death of Philippine President Quezon. In addition to his grief, he felt even more urgent to send troops to recover the Philippines. Although Roosevelt had agreed to MacArthur's vision, things did not go smoothly.The opinions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were divided. Under the influence of Roosevelt, Marshall turned to MacArthur's position. Ginger was stubborn and believed that the liberation of the Philippines "can only delay the progress of the war because of emotion." Several other members are still hesitant Indecision.

It was not until an accidental discovery more than a month later that the indecisive "Presbyterian Church" made a final decision.