The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-11-16
. Clapper
Unified Command
In Practice
Higher Ups Work
In Harmony
Ri''slry Crops Out
In Lower Brackets
BIZ RAYMOND oLAPrER

brought up again. this time IN
sharper terms BY Rep. Melvin
Naas. Of Minnesota. the top Re-
publican on the house naval sf-
fairs committee.
Some naval ana military Off
GERS are concerned ~ what they
feel IL . lack q understanding -
10 the operating setnp now IN ef-
feet. They feel that Il gives actual
unity OF command.
Rep. Mas says there Il no unity
Of command here ana that there
cant be any In the Pacific until we
have II In Washington The army
and navy are run separately. he
says. with separate stats and
separate plans. and with divided
commands. II that continues. he
says. we win continue to lose the
war.
The picture Is drawn somewhat
differently In high military and
naval circles. They say that unity
Of command exists through the
joint chiefs Of staff. That In =
group which consist Of Adm. Will
lam d. Leahy. representing the
president: Adm. Ernest J. King.
commander Of the United States
feet and chief Of naval operations;
Gen. George c. Marshall. army
chief Of staff. and L. Gen. Henry
n. Arnold. chief of the army air
forces.
The chiefs Of staff derive their
authority from the commsnder-in-
chief. They function a. q body.
Probably the correct way to put
II II that In planning. we have
unified command. In operations.
the army and navy function sepa-
rateiy, each down through its own
chain Of command. but cooperat-
ing in operations a. directed from
the top here.
As I understand IT. Gen. Mac
Arthur and Adm. Ghormley con-
ferred before the solomons cam
pairn was undertaken. Arrange
ments for cooperation were work.
Cd out between them. although II
Is true that neither IL responsible
TO the other. but each TO his own
service command.
Gen. Macarthur u In command
Of the Southwest Pacific area.
which embraces Australia and the
enemy approaches to II. and the
Philippines. The South Pacific.
the adjoining area. II under navy
command. Adm. Halsey being In
charge now. II includes the sup
ply lire to Australia, and the Solo,
mon islands area which overlooks
that supply line. The area boun-
daries are determined by the joint
chiefs Of staff. largely for admin
istrative and supply purposes. and
are frequently shifted. ~ was done
TO throw all Of Guadalcanal into
the navy's South Pacific area.
Originally the line divided the
island.
On paper II 10 not unified COM
mand In the sense that Rep. Mas
means. There Is unified command
at the top in the sense that the
strategy decisions are made by the
Joint chiefs Of staff. which IL .
unified body representing both ser
vices. II happens also that Gen.
Mashan and Adm. King are con-
genial ana function well together
Is team. The same goes for Gen.
Arnold and Adm. Leahy. AZ long
as King and Msrshall are there to-
gether. you have in practice uni
fled command At the top.
That probably IL not true further
down In the services. where rival
~ crops out At some points II
Gen. Macarthur had personally
any. other idea Of what should be
done In the Pacific. IL has not
been indicated that he has failed 70
the slightest extent In cooperating
with the navy when help was re-
qucstsd-
Possibly there have been some
differences ~ to how planes or
other equipment might Be used.
but 4 there were any they un-
doubkedly we're resolved by Wash
fngton. Evidently no questions
have come up that would not arise
IN the normal course Of operations
under unified command Individ-
ual officers always win have sug-
geztions ~ to what ought to be
done. But Il y possible to have
orders issued at the top as 4 result
Of decisions Of the joint chiefs OF
staff. which would seem to give
working unity.
Another body. the combined
chiefs Of staff. In the same way
brings about Angio-American col
1aboration. a. inxtsnced in the
North African joint campaign
Representatives Of Russia and
other United Nations are consulted
On questions pertaining to them
That Is about the picture as you
get II from the military side. Less
satisfactory has been the dovetzii-
ing Of strategy with production
planning. The new controlled ma
teriais plan Of wPB il 4 move to
strengthen what has been . rather
serious weakness here
. SO THEY SAY
Women. though exposed TO
danger as all non-combatants IN