The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-19


 T am authorized, however, to state that his plans are being put in operation and that he is ap- preaching this net task with the same. serene confidence and efficient aggressiveness that has character ized his brilliant career as soldier and his magnificent defense of the Philippines islands," Hurley said.
 It was understood that MacAr- thur was in splendid health, des- pite the arduous Bataan peninsula campaign, eager to take on his job of defending Australia and making it a spring board for an Allied of- fensive on Japan.
 Hurley brought hand written statement by MacArthur which is expected to be published tomorrow.
 Hurley conferred here with Lieut.. Gen. George H. Brett, United States army, MacArthur'S deputy as com mander in chief.
 During his conference with Mac Arthur, Hurley gave the new Allied chieftain his first full account of the American aid flowing to Aus tralia in men and machines, across the Pacific, and informed him fully of the events which led to his ap- pointment.
 Details of the organization and command of the Allied forces were deferred until MacArthur is able to confer with Gen. Brett and other American and Australian service chiefs.
 Wants Brief Rest
 Macarthur expressed his desire to take brief rest with his wife and son before he came here to take direct command of the thousands of American troops who for weeks past have been at battle stations, ready to resist Japanese invasion.
 Half dozen high ranking Amer ican officers, of MacArthur's new staff, arrived at headquarters.
 Hurley in his conference with Brett conveyed MacArthur's views on certain important matters which the staff officers will now be able to handle.
 Gen. Brett said in an interview that the Allied air forces were closely watching Japanese bases for hints of an invasion of Australia.
 "We are watching and praying in hope we will get chance to swat the Japs," he said. He expressed full confidence that the Allied forces would be able to hold Aus tralia.
 "The Australians may take a drubbing at the outset but England did too, and there's still an Eng land," he said.
 TAKE TWO FLIGHT OF MacAR Story of Getaway
 Chicago, March 19-(UP)-The Chicago Sun said in 8 copyrighted dispatch today that a squadron of speedboatS carried Gen. Douglas Macarthur and his party from Bataan to a secret meeting place where airplanes picked them up three days later for their flight to Australia.
 A Sun dispatch from Melbourne told details of MacArthur's trip to his new command as chief of the United Nations forces in the South Pacific.
 "The story of Gen. Douglas A. MacArthur's hazardous seven-day journey from the Philippines with his wife and child and members of his staff cannot be told yet in Its entirety, but even a sketch of 1t is enough to reveal drama at its best" the dispatch said.
 The correspondent reported that the party sped away at night from the island where MacArthur's troops on Bataan peninsula have withstood attacks of overwhelming Japanese forces.
 "One can visualize the blacked- out beach and the secrecy with which this little party set out to run the gauntlet of the Japanese, the dispatch said. "They chose to do 1t in speedboats. Once loaded and with everybody battened down to their seats, the boats crept out and suddenly opened up with full speed.
 "They roared out. but roaring was preferable to crawling at a pace which the enemy submarines could detect anyway. By night they de- pended chiefly on their swiftness to avoid torpedoes and shelltire
 "But that speed is extremely palm full in small boats which skip over the waves like outboard motor boats racing in a choppy sea. Everybody at dawn came a despite. They waa shaken badly and bruised, but