PACIFIC ZONES COMMAND

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 172, 17 April 1942, Page 4

PACIFIC ZONES COMMAND

Official Outline Soon NEW ZEALAND IN AGREEMENT (Bji Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received April 16, 9.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 15. When asked regarding the confusion over the' MacArthur command, as evidenced by reports which have been received from Australia today stating that an official spokesman at General MacArthur’s headquarters had declared that the Allied command was not yet effected, the secretary/to the President, Mr. Stephen Early, said: “General MacArthur has complete communications with the War /Secretary and the Chief of Staff. Any doubts whatever could be quickly clarified by the appropriate officials.” At the War Department an inquiry brought the response that an official statement would be issued in the next few days outlining the command 'in the Pacific and South-West Pacific. Questioned by reporters after a meeting of the Pacific War Council in Washington today as to whether the difficulties regarding General MacArthur'S command bird been ironed out, the Australian Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Evatt, replied: “They have been ironed: out long ago. General MacArthur’s jurisdiction was settled in the course of a few hours between the Australian and. American Governments.” He added emphatically that a suggestion that there was any trouble or bitch between the Australian aud American Governments had no foundation.

The New Zealand member of the Council, Mr. Nash, told reporters that the problem of General MacArthur’s jurisdiction had been adjusted between New Zealand and the United States. “We are in complete agreement—Australia, New Zealand and the United States,” he said. The New York “Daily News,” in an editorial discussing General MacArthur’s position, says: “We believe the war effort could be best served if the President would call off the uncertainty surrounding General MacArthur in the South-West Pacific by calling General MacArthur to Washington and making him Secretary for War.”

GENERAL’S STATUS

Clear Assumption By Canberra CANBERRA, April 16. The Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, made an official announcement last night stating that there was not the slightest doubt in his mind that General MacArthur was in supreme com,mand of the Allied military, naval, and air forces, in the south-west Pacific. Mr. Curtin recalled a letter which he 'had received from General George H. Brett, on March 17 (General Brett at that 'time was in command of the United States armed forces in Australia), which read: “Should it accord with your wishes, and that of the Australian people, President Roosevelt suggests that it would be highly acceptable to him and pleasing to the American people to nominate General MacArthur as supreme commander of all the Allied forces in the south-west Pacific area.” Mr. Curtin added that the nomination had been eminently acceptable, and all the subsequent arrangements had gone on on the assumption that General MacArthur had accepted the supreme command. Cablegrams between the Australian Government and the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Evatt, who is now in Washington, made it clear that the Commonwealth fully approved General MacArthur’s supreme command, Mr. Curtin said.

ACTIVE SERVICE

Australia Designated Theatre Of War CANBERRA, April 15. The Commonwealth and its, territories have been officially designated as a theatre of war. A proclamation to this effect was issued today. It sets out that persons subject to military law in this theatre are now “on active service.”