Absolute Unity of Command In U.S. Fighting Forces

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 271, 16 November 1942, Page 5

Absolute Unity of Command In U.S. Fighting Forces

Received Sunday, 8.55 p.m, NEW YORK, Nov. 14. A first-class controversy raged in the capital city to-day over charges made in a broadcast by Representative Maas, says the New York Herald-Tribune’s Washington correspondent. He added that the highest military quarters, by implication but not directly, deny the Maas charge of lack of unity and assert that complete integration of both command and strategic planning has been achieved not only in the Pacific but in North Africa. Three major cogs in the mechanism are: Firstly: The United States joint Chiefs of Staff, Admirals Leahy and King and Generals Marshall and Arnold, are responsible for American strategy. Secondly: The joint Chiefs of Staff delegate the supreme command to a single officer in every major operation. Admiral Halsey has complete charge of the Solomons campaign under Admiral Nimitz. General Eisenhower is in supreme command of North Africa. Both have land, sea and air forces under their authoritative direction. Their power is not divided with other officers nor is the supreme power divided between the army and Navy. Thirdly: The British and American combined Chiefs of Staff conceive and co-ordinate the grand strategy of America and Britain. Those combined Chiefs of Staff are in session almost continuously. No plans of strategy are made independently by Army or Navy chiefs. One important phase of the functions of the joint Chiefs of Staff is that they have a powerful weapon wherewith to establish their position and power to allocate forces for the various moves planned. To cite a hypothetical case, General MacArthur’s authority over an operation in the South-west Pacific would be riveted were Admiral Halsey directed by Admiral King to place his fleet at General MacArthur’s disposal for a specific operation. This is one important way the joint Chiefs of Staff are able to maintain absolute unity of command, according to these high military circles, and since the combined Chiefs of Staff consist of four Americans, it stands out as the real heart of the planning of the war against the Axis. As a matter of fact the joint Chiefs of Staff have set up our war operations against Japan with an efficiency that makes the most of the equipment and personnel allocated in that theatre.