(Remember, we're talking about MacArthur, here.)

Actually, we're talking about Harry Truman. MacArthur did not move
without instructions from Washington, MacArthur got his orders on
Monday morning, Tokyo time (Sunday evenign in Washington).

As previously noted, Russia had walked out of the Security Council
BEFORE the invasion (because of an unrelated argument over the seating
of "Communist China"). The vote on the intervention was 7-1, with
Yugoslavia voting against. Since Yugoslavia was not a permanent
member, it did not have the veto.

Had Russia not walked out, as a permanent member, it could have vetoed
the "police action".

It is amazing how people can rewrite history for buttress their
beliefs.

(This of course is not to say that Truman would not have intervened on
his own. But MacArthur had neither the authority nor the philosophy
that would have enabled him to join battle in Korea without the
president's direction. To suggest so is to misunderstand both men.)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (requires authentication)

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com