arrison ". ▁This ▁meant ▁surrender ▁at ▁best ; ▁Mac Ar thur ▁knew ▁that ▁death ▁from ▁art illery ▁fire ▁or ▁an ▁air ▁ra id ▁was ▁also ▁likely . ▁Three ▁days ▁later , ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army , ▁George ▁C . ▁Marshall , ▁ur ged ▁Mac Ar thur ▁to ▁send ▁his ▁family ▁away , ▁but ▁Mac Ar thur ▁ignored ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁message . ▁Singapore , ▁once ▁considered ▁im pre gn able , ▁fell ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁February , ▁and ▁in ▁Washington , ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁Cor reg idor ▁would ▁also ▁fall ▁and ▁Mac Ar thur ▁would ▁be ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁was ▁considered . ▁Mac Ar thur ▁was ▁America ' s ▁most ▁experienced ▁general , ▁but ▁would ▁be ▁of ▁little ▁use ▁in ▁a ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war ▁camp . ▁Moreover , ▁he ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁living ▁symbol ▁of ▁Al lied ▁resistance ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁The ▁brave ▁but ▁do omed ▁defense ▁of ▁B ata an ▁had ▁captured ▁the ▁imagination ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁public , ▁who ▁saw ▁Mac Ar thur ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁Al lied ▁general ▁who ▁knew ▁how ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁Walter ▁R . ▁Born eman ▁noted ▁that : ▁ ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Cord ell ▁H ull ▁raised ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁Mac Ar thur ' s ▁ev acu ation . ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁D w ight ▁Eisen h ower ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁di ary : ▁ ▁The ▁President ▁considered ▁sending ▁Mac Ar thur ▁to ▁Mind ana o ▁to ▁coordinate ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines ▁from ▁there ,