Evening star., 1942-04-26
By BLAIR BOLLES.


ship in the Southwest Pacific is
ended. diplomats said yesterday.
The extent of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthurs command now Is clear cut.
The hero of Bataan is the supreme
military chieftain in the region
which geography has best fitted as
the base for organizing an offensive
to drive the japanese from the In
dies and the Philippines. He heads
all the forces, American, Australian
and Dutch, land, sea and air, based
on Australia.
About five weeks passed between
the time Gen. Macarthur landed in
Australia and the final decision
about his command. The confusion
which meanwhile bothered the pub
lie followed President Roosevelt's
comment March II that Gen. Mac
Arthur. who reached Australia from
the Philippines that morning, would
have command of all land, sea and
air forces this side Of Singapore.
His command stops now In the deep
water off the Tasman Sea shore of
Australia's east coast.
Decision Accepted in Full.
The final decision has been ac-
cepted in full by all the govern
ments concerned with the eventual
development of his operations.
American, British, Australian, New
Zealand, Dutch and Chinese.
The final decision makes it pos
sible for Gen. Macarthur to give
all his time and energies TO organiz-
ing an offensive, authoritative OBJ
servers say. Nevertheless the peo-
pie in the Allied nations, having
accepted the report that Gen. Mac
Arthur commanded the whole Pa
cific Ocean region. were surprised
when they read stories early in
April that the extent of his author
ity was not clearly defined.
The precise mature of Gen. Mac
Arthurs task was still unknown
when he arrived In Australia. 1t
was still question then what the
japanese would DO next. The Allies
were still reorganizirg after their
loss on the Indies and Malaga, The
various governments directly inter
ested In the southwest Pacific APP
preached the problem of the fu-
ture with conflicting opinions about
the best way for the Allies to win
back what they had lost.
Commands Explained.
These conflicts still existed when
Secretary of War Stimson an
nounced 10 days ago that the scope
of Gen MacArthur's command had
been fully defined. New Zealand
still hoped that Gen. MacArthur's
sphere would include the New Zea-
land islands. Only last Tuesday.
when the Pacific War Council held
its fourth meeting, was this mat
ter smoothed out, Since then the di-
visions of the eastern sphere of
the global war under its various
commands have been plain:
Gen Macarthur commands Aus
tralia in fact and 1t is contemplated
that he command the Netherlands
Indies and the Philippines and the
seas between them after they are
recaptured.
Admiral Chester Nimitz- COM
mands the Pacific and Vice Admiral
Lee Ghormley, in charge of the New
Zealand area, is responsible to Ad-
miral Nirnitz.
Admiral Geoffrey Layton, r.. NJ,
commands the Indian Ocean (which
washes Western Australia), with the
cooperation OF Admiral Conrad
Helfrich, the former commander In
chief in the Indies region
Gen. waveTs Territory.
Gen. Sir Archibald Waven COM
mands India and Burma and the
prospective Allied coufteroff fensive
into Malaga and Thailand.
Generalissimo Chang Kai-Shek
commands China and. through the
American. 1t. Gen. Joseph w. Still
well, co-operates with Gen. Wavell