835401
Douglas MacArthur
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Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964. General of the Army. Typed Letter Signed, Douglas MacArthur, one page, 8” x 10½", on stationery of the War Department, Office of the Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C., no date. Accompanied by a carbon copy of the letter bearing the date May 5, 1932.
MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, responds politely, but firmly, to the Philippines’ Resident Commissioner in Congress, Pedro Guevara, who seeks free travel to the Philippines aboard an Army ship for his daughter-in-law and grandson. He writes: "The only transports sailing for the Philippines during the coming summer and fall are the ‘Republic’ . . . and the ‘Grant’ . . . . / The Quartermaster General has been directed to furnish the transportation desired, provided that such action will not displace military personnel who may be under orders to sail on either of the two vessels named. At the present time the ‘Republic' is booked to capacity from New York to San Francisco. There still remains a small amount of space from the latter port to the Philippines, but it is not possible to state at this time just what conditions will be on the date of sailing from San Francisco . . . . / I hope that it will be possible to provide passage in accordance with your request. Of course you will realize that military personnel under orders must be given first priority in making reservations. / With kind personal regards and best wishes . . . . "
This letter has nice associations both to the career of MacArthur, one of the most popular and accomplished American military leaders of the 20th Century, and Guevara, an ardent nationalist and defender of Philippine independence.
MacArthur served in the Philippines before President Herbert Hoover appointed him Army Chief of Staff on November 21, 1930. He left the Chief of Staff position nearly five years later to return to the Philippines, this time as military advisor to the Philippine government. He retired from the Army in 1937, but President Franklin D. Roosevelt recalled him to service in June 1941 when negotiations with the Japanese government broke down. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, MacArthur commanded the defense of the Philippines until Roosevelt ordered him to Australia to become Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area. It was then that MacArthur vowed, "I shall return." From Australia he launched the New Guinea campaign and later directed the campaigns that led to the liberation of the Philippines.
Guevara (1879-1938) was a Philippine soldier, lawyer, and legislator who became Resident Commissioner from the Philippines to the House of Representatives during the American colonial administration. He served 13 years in Congress, 1923-1936. He worked tirelessly for the approval of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which established the Philippine Commonwealth in 1934 and eventually Philippine independence, and served as a delegate to the convention that framed the 1935 Philippine constitution.
This letter has a beautiful, dark 3” signature by MacArthur. It is slightly toned, has horizontal and vertical folds and a paper clip stain at the upper left corner, and shows some handling. It is in fine condition.
Unframed.
This item is sold.
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