How did MacArthur exceed his orders if his orders stated that because the civil police were unable to maintain order that he was to "have United States troops proceed immediately to the scene of disorder. Cooperate fully with the District of Columbia police force which is now in charge. Surround the affected area and clear it without delay."?
“have United States troops proceed immediately to the scene of disorder. Cooperate fully with the District of Columbia police force which is now in charge. Surround the affected area and clear it without delay.”
The above quotation is presented out of context. The “scene of disorder” were some limited number of Federal buildings and properties at which a particularly violent and lethal confrontation took place when the District of Columbia police tried to remove the squatters. Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur chose to reinterpret the orders to encompass far beyond the immediate area in which the D.C. Police were menaced while removing the squatters from the empty Federal buildings. President Hoover through Secretary of War Hurley dispatched further orders to rein in MacArthur when it became evident MacArthur was exceeding the intent of the original orders. As testified by Eisenhower and others, MacArthur chose to deliberately disregarded these subsequent orders, including the orders to not cross the Anacostia Bridge, and attacked the Bonus Army camp on the other side with non-lethal force.