ALLIED PLANS COMPLETED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25135, 28 January 1943, Page 5

ALLIED PLANS COMPLETED

MOMENTOUS CONFERENCE UNCONDITIONAL VICTORY (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 26. Complete agreement on war plans for 1943 to bring about the “unconditional surrender” of the Germans, Italians, and Japanese was announced after a 10-day conference between Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt, which took place at Casablanca On the Atlantic coast of Morocco. M. Stalin was invited, but was unable to attend because of the necessity of remaining in Russia during the present offensive. M. Stalin and General Chiang Kai-shek were kept informed of the conference decisions. Mr Churchill and Mr Roosevelt met Generals de Gaulle and Giraud, who expressed agreement with their decisions, and also agreement between themselves. Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt were accompanied by the combined Chiefs of Staffs ,of the two countries, as follows:—For the United States: General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, United States Army; Admiral ,E. J. King, Commander-in-Chief, United States Navy; and Lieutenant-general H. H. Arnold, commanding the United States Air Force. For Britain: Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound, First Sea Lord; General Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff; and Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff. These were assisted by Lieutenant-general B. B. Somervell, commanding General Services Supply, United States Army; Fieldnjarshal Sir John Dill, head of the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington; Vice-admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations; and Lieutenant-general . Sir Hastings Ismay, chief staff officer to the Minister of Defence; together with a number of staff officers from both countries. They received visits from Mr Frank Murphy, United States Minister in North Africa, from Mr Harold Macmillan, the British Minister, from General H. D. Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief, Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, naval commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from General Carl Spaatz, air commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from General Mark Clark, United States Army, and from the following from Middle East Headquarters:—General Sir Harold Alexander, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, and 'Lieutenant-general F. M. Andrews, United States Army. The President was accompanied by Mr Harry Hopkins, and was joined by Mr Averell Harriman. With the Prime Minister was Lord Leathers, British Minister of War Trans- i port. -' - . • I

A New York message says that officials there declared that the Casablanca meeting produced at least two tangible results—first, the decision to launch great Allied offensives in 1943, and, secondly, military, if not political, unity of the various French factions.

The military decisions were of such magnitude that, they dwarfed any political considerations. This is shown not only by the joint statement, but by the fact that the foremost military advisers were present, while diplomatic trouble-makers, were absent. Observers express the opinion that this indicates that President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill concentrated on the unconditional surrender of the Axis and the liberation of the conquered countries, rather than on determining the future of France or the other subjugated lands. The members of the conference, therefore, approached the French problem purely from the military viewpoint, and it is conceivable that they warned the factional leaders that France cannot be resurrected by political bickering. Quarrelling over the future leadership is futile if there is no France to lead. It appears that the Frenchmen agreed to pigeon-hole their political differences and aspirations and prosecute the main task of freeing France.