THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, February 6, 1942. UNITY IN THE PACIFIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24834, 6 February 1942, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, February 6, 1942. UNITY IN THE PACIFIC

The suggestion by Dr van Mook, the Lieutenant Governor-general of the Netherlands Indies, that there is still'room for closer co-operation —for “ unified command and unified purpose ” —in the Pacific, directs notice to a problem which has still to yield a definite* solution. Dr van Mook’s statement was not censorious. He admitted the progress that had been made towards obtaining the closest coordination among the United Nations of the Pacific. And there is now no question in the minds of the political leaders of these nations that strategy! must be based upon the broadest concept—upon defence, in conjunction, by the forces nearest at hand, of any Allied territory in the vast 68,634,000 square miles of ocean which may become the object of enemy attention. When the New Zealand Minister at-Washington, Mr Nash, expressed the opinion recently that a unified command should be organised in the Pacific, “ and the sooner the better,” he was endorsing a principle enunciated by Mr Churchill in his House of Commons statement of January 27, possibly at the urging of Australia. In that statement Mr Churchill revealed the intention to extend the system of control in the Western Pacific to all areas in which the forces of more than one of the United Nations will operate. To this end, the eastern approaches to Australia and New "Zealand, under the style of “Ahzac Area,” had been placed under. United States: command. This arrangement. would accord with Mr Curtin’s announcement a month ago that in the plans for concerted Pacific strategy United States; naval units will operate on the Australian and New Zealand naval stations.

It may, then, be assumed that on general principle there is agreement among the Governments of the countries concerned in the Pacific theatres upon unity of action as and wherever the need arises. The question of method presents difficulties. Australia and New Zealand, for instance, are outside the Western Pacific zone, in which General Wavell is commander-in-chief, with Admiral Hart as commander of naval operations. The two dominions are also, by Mr Churchill’s definition of “Anzac Area,” outside the Eastern Pacific zone wherein the United States Navy will - have responsibility, though this 1 area may extend to their shores. ; China, again,. is; outside General Wavell’s command, except as concerns the activities of Chinese forces which are brought into the Western Pacific zone; and both Dr van’. Mook and the Netherlands Foreign Minister in exile, Dr van Kleffens, have indicated, in statements in the United States, that they consider that the position of Russia in the Pacific requires elucidation. This, as it happens, is not a matter with which the United Nations can officially concern themselves in planning strategy, since the Soviet and Japan are, at least technically, on good terms. It becomes clear, however, if Russia be excluded from among the countries overtly threatened by the Japanese, 1 that in the almost illimitable spaces over which the tides of war may surge unified purpose is more easily obtained than a system of unified command. The political controls of the situation, as they are developing, are somewhat complex. It might seem desirable that the Pacific War Council that is being established at Washington should be invested with supreme authority if this is practicable. But, as Mr Nash has insisted, this council could and should concern itself with a general programme, leaving the actual conduct of operations to a unified command representing the Allied services. It will be necessary, if the accumulating weight of the United Nations is to be disposed to the best advantage, that a flexible arid essentially mobile system should be devised, which will admit of the rapid concentration of strength in any given area.