General Douglas MacArthur – servant of democracy
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- General Douglas MacArthur – servant of democracy
- Creator
- Osias, Camilo
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1964
- Rights
-
- Abstract
- Speech delivered on the floor of the Philippine Senate on April 6, 1964.
- Fulltext
- General Douglas MacArthur — Servant Of Democracy MWB CAMILO OSIAS (Speech delivered on thc floor of the Philippine Senate on April 6, 1964) The scythe of death has cut the thread of life of a distinguished friend friend and brother, one recognized as a benefactor of the Philippines and the Filipino people, General Douglas MacArthur. This distinguished soldier and statesman has had the Philippines largely as the scene of his fruitful and eventful career. His life is intertwined with important events in the evolution of our history as a people. He spent his young manhood in our country as an aide to his distinguished father. General Arthur MacArthur; during the American-Spanish war and during the early years of the Amer ican occupation. President Manuel L. Quezon chose General Douglas MacArthur as a military adviser during the formative years of the Philippine Commonwealth. General MacArthur was accorded the rank of a Field Marshal. He cooperated with President Quezon in the enactment of the National Defense bill and in the preparation of our national and collective security. Soon after the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth Govern ment, the United Slates and the Philippines became involved in the Second World War and he served well and faithfully in those dark and dreary hours of that war. When the superior forces of the enemy were conquering a great portion of our land, he left for Australia with the immortal promise that he would return. He did return heading the forces that landed in Leyte on October 20, 1944. That was the beginning of the reconquest of Philippine territories, climaked by our final liberation. Following the signing of the treaty cn the SS. Missouri, terminating the war in our theater, General MacArthur became the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Pacific and as such he transmitted to Japan, through the approval of the Constitution for a new Japan, a good many of the concepts and ideals embodied in the Constitution of the Philippines. The role he played as SCAP marked General MacArthur as an able administrator in peace. He was thus a great military leader though not a professional militarist. Mr. President, we do well in paying tribute to the memory of a man who had been identified with our emancipatory struggles. Many, I am sure, will dwell upon varied aspects of MacArthur's successful career, but I wish to recall that General MacArthur was ushered into Masonry here in the Philippines. It was here that he was made a Mason "at sight." It was here that step by step he was raised in rank until he achieved the coveted 33rd Turn to pige 384 372 The Cabletow Making A Mason At Sight (From the Annual Message of M.W. Bro. Samuel F. Hawthorne, Grand Master, at the 24th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of the Philippines, at Manila, on January 28, 1936.) On the 17th of this month, I exercised the privilege of making a Mason at sight to honor the illustrious son of an illustrious father, Major General Douglas MacArthur, son of Major General Arthur MacArthur, who was Military Governor of these Islands from May 1900 to July 1901. Brother Douglas MacArthur's brilliant achievements during the World War, his fine record as Commanding General of the Philippine Department, and his present splendid services to the Government of the Philippines as military adviser, but most of all the evidence that he has given of possessing a Masonic heart and his earnest desire to become a Mason like his father, prompted me to confer this distinction upon him. Over six hundred Master Masons representing 27 Grand Jurisdictions besides our own, crowd ed the hall and witnessed the conferring of the degrees in abbreviated form by Past Grand Masters of our Grand Lodge. I was never as proud of anything in my life as of the remarkable showing made by these Brethren, who are all busy men and-most of whom have not done active ritualistic work in Lodge for many years. The entire ceremony was carried through smoothly and the work was rendered in a practically perfect and im pressive manner. I am confident that Brother MacArthur will take a deep interest in Masonry and that he will become a true and faithful broter among us. -THE CABLETOW April 1936 A A A GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR. . . (From page 372) degree and last degree. He became later a useful and active member of the Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Philippines occupying the high office of Grand Orator. As a Christian and as a Mason he demonstrated the catholicity of his interestan d the universality of his concept. As a good Mason, of course, he was committed to the principle of the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. Both as a Mason and as a Christian, he served friends and former enemies alike in the domain of peace during the postwar epoch. I gladly join those who honor General MacArthur as a servant of free dom and a benefactor of democracy in the domain of war and in the field of peace. 384 The Cabletow