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47.11.22(945w)
OUTLINE OF REMARKS AT THENovember 22, 1947
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD1Oxford, England
An honorary degree from OxfordUniversity is a rare honor. I am deeply appreciative, deeply grateful. It is an added satisfaction to receive this distinction from the hand of your Chancellor, an old friend of difficult days for whom I have an affectionate regard as well as sincerely great admiration.2
My experience in a responsible government position has coincided rather accurately with the period of world strife and chaos. I became Chief of Staff of the American Army the day Germany invaded Poland, September the first 1939. Since then I have not found many restful periods.
I have not been in England since the week of the landing in Normandy, three years ago. That is a short time in history, but a long time when measured in the heavy tide of recent world events. My role when here was invariably that of a negotiator. I undoubtedly made momentary enemies at times, but finally, I feel, deep and lasting friendships which I value highly. We talked things over frankly. We disagreed, argued, called a spade a spade but finally and invariably arrived at complete agreement, agreement on matters of great complexity and of vast importance to the world at large.
I have been requested to talk today about the American war effort, but it would be more suitable, I think, for me to confine my remarks to the system which enabled that effort to be amalgamated with your British and Colonial contribution in a close knit, victorious team.
In the first place, never before in history have two great nations developed so successful and far reaching a mutual coordination of their total strength. Never before has there been such a complete fusion of the resources in men and material of two world powers. Considering deep national prejudices and pride, jealousies and different customs of procedure, the manner and success of the unification of our war efforts was the major contribution to the victory, aside, of course, from the courage and selfless sacrifice of the individual, and the great campaigns of the Soviet Union. It was a triumph of the English speaking people, an illustration of democracy at work, a lesson for the future.
I attended each of those conferences, large and small, some nineteen in all. And as time went on during the war years I was impressed more and more with how very difficult it is to reach agreements on an international level. I was impressed even more, however, by the fact that we always could and did get together completely regarding the most difficult and hazardous undertakings in history. Possibly it was less difficult to find agreement when all are involved in a life or death struggle for existence. At least that was the case in our experience with the third great power associated with us in the struggle.
There was always present in those negotiations the positive facts of human relationships. Invariably some individual stood forth as a steadying, composing, guiding influence when tempers grew short and patience reached toward its limits. With these thoughts in mind I seize this opportunity, the first I have had since the war, to state publicly in England that it is my personal opinion, that the British people owe far more of appreciation of gratitude than I believe is realized over here to the personal contribution to British-American accord made time after time at critical moments during the war by the late Field Marshal and one time Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir John Dill. We in the American armed forces place an extremely high value on his influence in shaping the most powerful application of our joint effort. By the wisdom of his judgment, the evident purity of his purpose and the shining integrity of his character he exercised a profound influence on the development of our Allied unity of action. He was my dear friend and I wish to see the grandeur of his contribution clearly recognized.
That the American people confirm my personal view is formally recorded in President Roosevelt’s citation and legislatively confirmed by the unprecedented action of the American Congress in its resolution at the time of Sir John’s death stating that by his wisdom and devotion to the vital cause of British-American military cooperation he rendered a great service to the United Nations, and the Congress therefore resolved, to quote exactly, “that this service be, and it is hereby recognized by the American people and the Congress of the United States.”
We need such men today even more, I think, than in the war years. They are very rare characters, invariably modest and therefore difficult to place. But given the right seat they are the most powerful, practical influence for peace.
GCMRL/G. C. Marshall Papers (Secretary of State, Categorical, Invitations)
1. Marshall Carter told Robert Woods Bliss that“General Marshall did not deliver a prepared address on the occasion of his visit to OxfordUniversity. He spoke extemporaneously and no transcript of his exact remarks was made. However, I find in his London papers the attached “Outline of Remarks”, which is a combination of some notes he made prior to his talk, and a resume he dictated subsequent to his visit to Oxford.”Bliss was chairman of the committee responsible for raising funds for a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery to Field Marshall Sir John Dill, who hadheaded the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington until his late 1944 death. (Carter to Bliss, December 30, 1947, GCMRL/G. C. Marshall Papers [Secretary of State, General].) The fact that Marshall was asked to speak was unusual. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law.
2. The Earl of Halifax (E. F. L. Wood), British ambassador to the United States between 1940 and 1946, was chancellor of the university and presided over the various ceremonies.