Evening star., 1943-07-11
Eisenhower Intent
On Unity Of Allies,
Gunther Finds
By JOHN GUNTHER,

Representing the Combined American Press.
Distributed by the Associated Press)
AN ALLIED FORCE COMMAND
POST, July 10.-It is seen at Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's headquar-
ters here that two points need proper
emphasis for a full understanding
of the battle of Sicily just opened
so auspiciously.
Look beyond the fighting on the
beaches and these points emerge as
the essential elements Of this battle.
One is that 1t is being directed
by truly co-ordinated Allied COM
mand so melted down and fused to-
gether it is almost impossible to tell
what is British, what is American
and what belongs. to other United
Nations.
The other is that Gen. Eisen-
hover and his closest associates are
in the heartiest agreement on the
policy laid down by Washington
and London that the only practi-
cable way to conduct the war is
to beat Germany first.
Stresses Unity of Forces.
Sicily is a step on the road to
Berlin.
Take the first point first. 1t Is
Gen. Eisenhower's dearest wish that
he be regarded as the leader and
commander in chief. not OF the
various British, American and other
military, naval and aerial estab-
lishments but of single, co-ordi-
mated, united and Allied force.
What gives this American general
the most pride and pleasure-and
he is one of the most genuinely
modest men 1 have ever NETS
the degree of accomplishment this
essential unity and solidarity has
already reached.
Gen. Eisenhower is supreme COM
mander of five distinct entities in
this theater of the American Army
which includes the American Air
force, the American Navy, the
British Army, the Royal Navy and
the RAF. The immensely of the
task of correlating and synchronlz-
ing these separate forces into one
smoothly polished and oiled ma
chine lifts the imagination. Gen.
Eisenhower own tact, candour,
freshness and general efficiency has
had lot to do with this achieve
ment. So has the good humor,
good manners and good sense of
his British and other Allied COL
laborators. I've roamed around this
headquarters most of the week and
have been IN incessant contact both
with British and American officers
of all ranks and have reached the
point where the question of the
nationality of anyone I meet
scarcely arises.
British Invented Formula.
When Gen. Eisenhower was named
commander in chief of the Allied
forces last July he was far out
ranked by such man as Admiral
Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham,
who is an admiral of the feet. Even
as full general he was out-ranked.
The British thereupon obligingly
devised the pleasant fiction that
all American ranks are one step
higher than British ranks. So Els
enhower, lieutenant general. was
considered a full general. Now that
he's a full general they regard him
as the equivalent to field marshal
Gen. Eisenhower, who has the
shrewd tang of Kansas in his voice,
knows perfectly well there are al
ways possibilities of friction in any
high command. Moreover, plenty
of Americans and British have
kind of atavistic dislike of each
other. He has never blinded him
self to this. On the contrary he
has insisted ON keeping it in the
open. He demands that his Off
GERS frankly talk out any minor
points of irritation. Also, he has
taken active, constructive steps to
minimize friction.
Officers Distributed.
For instance, when his organiza-
ton was built up one of his es-
SCllOIdl ulCS Wdso OAhdG CFC1y OCCJloli
or unit, no matter how small, must
include both American and British
officers. In most sections the British
considerably outnumber the Amer
leans. This puts both sides on their
mettle and each strives to outdo the
other in playing the game.
Take the air force. Gen. Eisen-
hover likes folks to remember that
our air force is not, as some British
think, subordinate to the army
ground forces. Whether land
general or an air general is put in
charge OF an area or an operation
depends simply on the requirements
of the job. The whole Mediter-
ranean theater from the point of
view of the air Is under the COM
naand OF Air Marshal Sir Arthur