SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 20 April 1942, Page 5

SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC

POSITION CLARIFIED GOVERNMENTS AGREE. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (9.35) MELBOURNE, April 20. By agreement among the Governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United Stales the South-West Pacific area has been constituted and is effective as from midnight on Saturday and General MacArthur formally assumes command. ' •

By virtue of that authority this announcement was made last night from Allied headquarters in Australia: The following commands, composed of forces assigned to the South-West Pacific area by the respective Governments have been created —Allied land forces in tho South-West Pacific area, Commander Sir Thomas Blarney, of th« Australian Army; Allied air forces in the South-West Pacific area-comman-der, Lieut.-General Brett, of the tinted States army; Allied naval forces in the South-West Pacific area-comman-der, Vice-Admiral Leary, of the United States Navy; United States forces in the Philippines, commander, General Wainwright, or the United States Army; United States forces in Australia (service command), commander Major-General Julian F. Barnes, of the United States Army. General MacArthur has now assumed the title of Commander-in-Chief ol the Allied forces in • the South-West Pacific area. His command embraces the land, air, and naval forces. No Deputy Commander-in-Chief has yet been designated. Generals Blarney and Brett, and Vice-Admiral Leary will each have his own staif. The separate commands of the United States Army in Australia and tho Philippines have disappeared ill the reorganisation and tho commanders appointed will be subordinate to the new Commander-in-Chief. As lrom midnight on Saturday the Commonwealth has assigned to the command of General iUaoArthur all combat sections of the Australian defence forces. Mr Curtin announced this to-'Jay. "It is not in the public interest to disclose the strength of the forces which have passed to General Mac-Arthur's command," added Mr Curtin.

The Prime Minister said that on receipt of advice that General MacArthur's directive had been approved by President-Roosevelt he (Mr Curtin) addressed the following letter to General MacArthur: "This is a momentous occasion lor the peoples of the United Nations. You have received the .charter as Supreme Commander, not from your Government alone, but also from the Governments of Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. You have come to Australia to lead a crusade, the result of which means everything to the future of the world and mankind. At the request of a sovereign State you are being placed in Supreme Command of its Navy. Army, and Air Force, so that with' those of your own great nation they may be welded into a homogeneous' force and given that unified direction so vital for the achievement ol victory. Your directive among other things instructs you to prepare to take the offensive. I assure you of every possible support that can be given you by the Government and people of Australia in making Australia secure as a base for operations, in assisting you to marshal the strength required to wrest tho initiative from the enemv and in joining with you in the ultimate offensive to bring about the total ■destruction of the common foe. \\ e hope and pray that vour_ military efforts may be crowned with great success."