European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 2, 1994 commentary a whole new the stars and stripes Page 15 discussing the withdrawal of adm. Bobby Inman from consideration As Secretary of defense with Katie Couric on no cd a today a Row last week Williamsv it Buckley acknowledged that columnist William Safire a attack which supposedly triggered inmans actions was brutal. But Buckley continued he did not believe it was sufficient ammunition a to wound a wholesome  an Odd comment from one who chooses his words most carefully. Yet on reflection it was perhaps the most trenchant observation made on the whole strange affair. Talking with a number of Marine officers during a series of lectures at Marine corps bases on the West coast i got the impression that the general feeling was a Good  they had nothing against Inman personally but Felt he lacked the moral character for the Job. Although not the precise words they would have chosen the consensus was that he was not a a wholesome  and that was disqualifying. Reviewing the graduation Parade at the Marine corps recruit depot in san Diego i could not help but reflect As those Young men marched by that the entire focus of their training was to build Quot wholesome men. And they deserved a a wholesome men of character to Lead them. Of All the qualifications for the position of Secretary Ofat the wholesome Man Harry g. Summers defense or of any other leadership Post within the military character is the most important. While out Eft fashion in the cynical society in which we live character defined As a moral strength self discipline fortitude a remains an absolute requirement on the Battlefield. And lest we forget As with everyone else in the military Chain of command the Battlefield is the Secretary of defense a Bottom line. A once conditions become difficult As they must when much is at stake a noted the great philosopher of War Karl von Clausewitz a it is the Impact of the ebbing Yak moral and physical strength of the heart rending spectacle of the dead and wounded that the commander has to withstand a first in himself and then in All those who directly or indirectly have entrusted him with their thoughts and feelings Hopes and fears. The burdens increase with the number of men in his command and therefore the higher his position the greater the strength of character he needs to Bear the mounting  to read this 160-year-old Job description keeping in mind the Inman withdrawal diatribe is to realize How terribly wrong he would have been As the operational commander of the . Armed forces. As the economist put it he a had Battle hardened military men smirking at the sight of one of the backroom boys or. Inmans career was in intelligence retreating at the first whiff of  unfortunately Lack of character has marred several previous defense secretaries. Louis a. Johnson the second Man to hold that office was a political Hack who bought the Job through his financial contributions to the 1948 Truman election Campaign. He left the Job in disgrace in the opening months of the korean War exiting with american blood on his hands caused by his earlier meat a attacks on the defense budget that betrayed to their deaths those serving under his command. Even More of monstrous was Roberts Mcnamara a Man of no discernible character whatsoever. In 1984, 19 years after the fact he admitted that he thought the Vietnam War he presided Over was unwinnable As Early As 1965 when . Ground troops were first committed. Not Only did he not inform president Johnson that his will had been broken before the War even started but he also continued to Send american soldiers to their deaths there for the remainder of his term of office. All the White he later bragged he was schmoozing with the leaders of the anti War movement. But they were the exception. America has been Well served by most secretaries of defense including among others general of the army George Marshall who replaced Johnson in the korean War his successor Robert Lovett Melvin Laird who got us out of Viet Nam James r. Schlesinger Harold Brown and Caspar w. Weinberger All men of enormous integrity and Dick Cheney who led us to Victory in the Gulf War. And whatever his alleged faults none would deny that Les Aspin is also a a wholesome  pundits pontificate on the impossibility of determining what a character consists of or what constitutes a a wholesome  but the military has a very simple test a test that cuts through All the psychobabble and situational ethics a would you want your son or daughter to serve under his command a Aspin passed that test and it is the Issue at hand for William j. Perry the latest defense Secretary nominee. Yes his management skills arc an important consideration considering the Multi Bil lion Dollar defense budget. Yes his foreign policy acumen is an essential requirement. But the real question is whether he is truly a a wholesome . C los Angelos times let s hear some applause for everything Good Boss Pendergast of Kansas City once remarked of these and at least one of those letters would de a a scribe the horrors that indeed befall those who go Hun a la it that Missouri had the Best legislature Money could buy. One had that feeling after listening to Bill Clinton a state of the Union address last week. When the historical record got in his Way Clinton would simply engage in paradoxes he congratulated Congress on achieving the Best cooperation in a Hal Century Between the executive and the legislative branches after winning his budget Bill by a single Yote and winning critical votes by among other things guaranteeing special favors for Peanut Farmers in Georgia. State of the Union speeches have become exercises in Rodo montage. What is absolutely excluded is analysis. Who will fail to applaud a presidential Promise to finance 100,000 More policemen to do otherwise is to permit the suggestion that one favors crime. The applause for Clinton a enthusiasms was both natural one tends to applaud Good things and just a Little unsettling. Everywhere were the cameras at Liberty to focus on whomever the directors thought interesting. It is very dangerous to fail to applaud mention of something Norma people would like to see realized. Why would anyone fail to applaud the line that promised that every citizen would have guaranteed health care and now that health care is something we All want everyone to have the thought comes to mind done to we want everybody to have food and done to we want everybody to have shelter employment so Why not endorse free food guaranteed housing and full employment first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton would get Gry or who Are homeless or who lose their Job. The applause Here and there sounded just a Little spastic reminding us of the situation in the soviet Union described by Alexander Solzhenitsyn when applause would follow a statement by Josef statin and no one wanted to be. The first to Stop applauding lest the pkg by a camera freeze in inaction someone lacking in appropriate enthusiasm for the Lead  a.  no oration lacking in analysis or in style Brutus tribute to Caesar lacked analysis but More than made up for it in style leaves the listener with any sense of Gritty Satis fac a a feeling William f. Buckley another million lories surely if she came out for each t a vp�,.come me Tore Cashiers a a a j were so far or we Are talking about a body of econ Tion rather the feeling in the stomach that comes after a meal a consisting entirely of marshmallows. Consider the president said that the deficit was 40 percent less than forecast Well now a that is very Good news b what did the president or for that matter Congress have to do with that Happy differential did congressmen work so hard As to generate income the taxes from which contributed $120 billion of extra income for the Treasury and a most vexing a c How come the forecasters a e talk mists and analysts who give us the information based on which Public policies Are guided. Why were they off by 40 percent suppose that Fords and Dupont s analysts were off by 40 percent. The first thing sound management would do would be to fire the forecasters or Send them Back to school. The answer to the above is quite simple. What happened gradually during 1993, triumphantly during the last Quarter was the end of the slump in the business Cycle. _ a it is As reasonable to applaud Clinton for this development As it would be to blame him for the Mississippi floods the earthquake in los Angeles and the bitter cold of recent weeks Clinton insisted a year ago on a stimulus package of $30 billion. Congress said no. He insisted on More taxes for the Rich great applause  do not know what will be the final effect of such taxes on the Economy but we do know that those taxes will raise Only enough Money to pay the Cost of government for six Days. But in a healthy organism junk food passes through the system quickly and it is True that ours is a healthy organism if you done to count crime illegitimacy welfare dependency illiteracy and patronizing presidential speeches. I. 1 c univ Sal press Syndicate