ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1942, Page 5

ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

From Philippines

[Aust, & N.Z. Cable Assn.] WASHINGTON, March 17. A special communique states: General Douglas MacArthur, has arrived in Australia, by plane, accompanied by Mrs. MacArthur, their son, tne Chief of Staff. Major-General Sutherland, and Brigauier-Generai ■ General MacArthur will be the supreme commander in that region, including the Philippines, in accordance with a request by the Australian Government. On February 22, Mr. Roosevelt directed General MacArthur to tran “" fer his headquarters to Australia, as soon as the necessary arrangements could be made. General MacArthur requested to be permitted to delay until he couid perfect the arrangements witn ms command in the Philippines. fus delay was authorised by Mr. Roosevelt. , . It is stated in Washington tnM General Wainwright will remain at Bataan to carry on the battle which General MacArthur has been conducting with such gallantry and success for over three months. It is estimated that the United. States forces in the Philippines are outnumbered bv twenty to oneAt the same time, a War Olnee spokesman in Washington stressed the fact that General MacArthur’s ' transfer in no way indicated tht * Bataan was considered lost. Australia can expect American naval help, says Ihe United Press Washington correspondent. Navaj reinforcements will be sent out, and are already on the way. > Washington experts declare that the naval situation in the south-west Pacific is far from hopeless, the correspondent adds, but they emphasise that because of the Allied fosses in the Java Sea battie, the burden of Australia’s defence for the moment falls on the land and air forces. The Australian Minister in Washington (Mr. R. G. Casey) has urged the United Nations to take the offensive in the Pacific. The time, he said, had come for attack, as the only means of defending Australia. The enemy would be attacked before he reached Australia, and if he succeeded in landing the attack would be continued. If necessary the crops would be laid bare, homes would be destroyed, the railways would be crippled, and the highways torn up, so that nothing would remain that might be of value to the enemy.

American Comment RENEWAL OF CONFIDENCE. (Rec. 10.20), V/ASHINGTOIn, March 17. Mr. Sumner Welles (Acting Secretary of State!, said: “General MacArthur's arrival in Australia is great hews for all Americans and peoples of the United Nations.” It was a matter for eelf-congratulation for every American citizen that the hero of the Philippines was in Australia, and, at the special request of the Australian Government, was taking over command of that gravely-men-aced area.

Representative Vinson, Chairman of the House Naval Affairs’ Committee, said: “It is the best news of the war. We have got to hold Australia, and now we wdl hold it-'

Representative Carlson said: “General MacArthur’s appointment will do more to instil confidence into the American people than any happening s’nce Pearl Harbour on December 7th.

General MacArthur’s appointment in Australia gave the Stock Exchange a most heartening lift to-day, when the best gains of the year were registered. Australian issues fairly spurted forward, with gains to 5 3-8 points, the latter being registered by the Commonwealth 41 1956 loan.