COMMAND IN PACIFIC

Southland Times, Issue 25618, 10 March 1945, Page 5

COMMAND IN PACIFIC

CHANGES MAY BE MADE LEADER FOR INVASION OF JAPAN WASHINGTON, March 9. The Supreme Commander of Pacific Ocean Areas, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, made a surprise visit to Washington to confer with the Commander-in - Chief of the United States Navy, Admiral E. J. King. At a Press conference Admiral Nimitz said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were considering a new command set-up in the Pacific. He pointed out that while the Japanese home islands are in Pacific Ocean Areas, which he commands, they constitute large land masses “and the prosecution of operations on large land masses is largely an Army function.” The United Press interprets this statement as a hint that an Army man would direct the invasion of Japan and adds that both the Supreme Commander in the Southwest Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur, and the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General George C. Marshall, have been mentioned for the post. Admiral Nimitz denied that there was any significance in the fact that his visit coincided with the presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the United States 3rd Fleet, Admiral William F. Halsey, the American Commander-in-Chief in China, Lieutenant-General A. C. Wedemeyer, and the United States Ambassador to China, Major-General Patrick J. Hurley, in Washington.

Admiral Nimitz said: “For the final assault we will need a number of positions. Some of these may be in China. We may possibly seize a position in the Japanese home islands, but it would be difficult to keep such a position supplied. For that reason the Navy needs a broader base from which to operate.”

Replying to a question, Admiral Nimitz said Russian bases would be useful in the final assault against Japan. Admiral Nimitz said he was not aware of any political considerations conceivably blocking the use of British ships against Japan. He added that the bulk of the Japanese Fleet, now in its home waters, had lost more than half of its heavy and medium warships, at least three-quarters of its destroyers, quite a few submarines and a large part of its naval Air Force. “FULLY PREPARED” “The remainder of the Japanese Fleet can still be a real threat, but we will welcome any attempted interference to our operations as early as possible, because we believe we are fully prepared to meet such a threat,” said Admiral Nimitz.

“The toughness of the battle for Iwojima demonstrated the importance the Japanese attached to it, he added. The pattern of resistance encountered at Iwojima and Saipan might be anticipated in Japan, where the civilians were expected to participate fanatically in defence of their homeland.