Evening star., 1942-01-04

.anti-Axis forces In the Southwest
Pacific area, is chief of the United
States Army Air Corps and his Sc
lection for the new job was hailed
here as recognition Of the grow
ing dependence on aviation as a
prime factor in winning the Far
Eastern war
Gen. Brett has been on the scene
of operations in the Far East for
some time and is not only familiar
with the military situation in the
Southwest Pacific and its needs but
Is also a tactician Of sound and
daring ability.
AS deputy to Gen. Wavell he is
the second man" in the South Pa
cif1c area and would take over the
command in any absences of his
British chief. The choice of Gen.
Brett for this position apparently
had been "in the bag" for within
the past week there had been no
mention of his present whereabouts.
Four days ago the War Depart
ment officially announced the as
signment of Maj. Gen. Walter R.
Weaver, as acting chief Of the Army
Air Corps.
Movements Kept Secret.
Gen. Brett left Washington last
summer and since then his mission
has taken him to England, Libya,
Russia. China, India and more re-
Gently to the Pacific zone of opera
tions. Despite the secrecy with
which the War Department en-
veloped his movements, he has been
prominently mentioned in dis
patches from Egypt and China in
the last 10 days.
For reasons other than military
fitness for his new assignment, Of
ficials here were gratifled over the
recognition given him. He was de-
scribed as a man of unusual tact
and diplomacy in personal as well
as official relationships and for this
reason it is reckoned he will be able
to get along with a minimum OF
friction with a diversified COM
mand.
Gen. Brett, who is 55. is the Sec
ond graduate of Virginia Military
Institute to forge to front rank COM
mand in the new and expanding
United States Army. The other is
Gen. George c. Marshall, Army
Chief Of Staff. He is also one OF
the few remaining officers out OF
the pre-World War days Of Army
aviation. As right hand man to
Maj. Gen. Henry F. Arnold, chief
of the Army Air Forces, he played
8 valuable part In the reorganiza-
ton and training Of the air arm.
Won Promotions Rapidly.
Recognition was not slow In COM
ing to Gen. Brett. On graduation
from the Army War College in 1896
he was ordered to the Panama
Canal Zone to command the 18th
Composite Wing as a temporary
brigadier general until September
1898. Then he returned to this
country for duty as Chief Of STAFF
Of the General Headquarters Ali
Force with station at Langley Field
Va. In February OF the next year
he was promoted to Assistant Chief
Of the Air Corps and as commander
Of the Air Corps Engineering School
at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio.
President Roosevelt designated
him to be chief Of the AIR Corps on
May %. 194l.
Last August, Gen. Brett headed q
group of Army Air Force officers
ordered to tour the African, Near
East, Mediterranean and Atlantic
war fronts. The trip was fortunate
in paving the way for his new duties
under Gen. Wavell, whom he first
met In Egypt and later as COM
mander In chief Of India and Burma
No other high-ranking American
officer has had equal opportunity a.
an observer and adviser on so many
fronts of the present war. He otter
took risks beyond the ordinary cal
OF duty. and December / it was re.
ported NaN destroyers had fired or
him in his plane as 1t crossed the
Mediterranean on a night from Eng
land to Cairo.
Blazed Air Trails.
As late as December %. a dispatch
from Rangoon related that an all
trail by which American flying fort.
resses can girdle half the globe ir
their rush to the Far East has beer
blazed by Gen. Brett in a flight from
Egypt. He was accompanied by Il
Air Corps officers and non-commis-
stoned officers.
A native Of Cleveland. Ohio. Gen
Brett obtained a commission in the
Army in 1910, the year after he
graduated from the West Point OF
the South" During his 30 years of