Detroit evening times., 1945-02-12
NH'ARTHUR
STRATEGY
By Lee
Van Alta

strides Gen Douglas Macarthur
has taken in the last year of the
Pacific war at such relatively
little cost TO American forces
under his command.
tlrSt, he has been extremely
careful in the selection of SUBJ
ordinate commanders; second,
his strategy has been so widely
diverse and yet so patiently SINH
lar that the NipS have repeatedly
been hurled off balance; third,
he has struck the enemy where
the enemy is weak and allowed
the enemy 10 attack his conSoli-
dated beaChheads instead Of his
having 10 attack their strong
points; fourth. he has made very
few either amphibious or air
borne moves without first eStab-
fishing undisputed air superiority
well in advance.
THAT his strategy has b m
Il Overwhelmingly successful is
all TOO clearly shown by these
comparisons: Gen. MaCArthur's
present headquarters on Luzon
arc approximately 1000 miles
from his most advanced base of
a year ago - s / d or. on the
coastline Of central New Guinea
near the vital straits.
In a year, he has Travelled
through Japanese held territory
for a distance equivalent TO that
from San Francisco TO Wash
lngton.
Here is another comparison:
Three years ago MacArthur's
headquarters were about to be
set up at Melbourne. Since then.
often with the slimmest capabil-
tiles in all categories - at one
time, MacArthurS available tao
tical air strength was less than
300 airplanes-he has moved his
complex command set-up dis
tanee equivalent 10 that from
Los Angeles to the northeast tip
of Labrador - more than 1000
miles.
But there's another and vital
reason why MacArthur's method
of campaign has been so sue
CeSsful. In the Southwest Pa
CifiC, and in the Far East today,
he is directing his war on the
same lines N America desires
her whole military effort TO be
directed in the postwar period:
AS department OF national de-
fense or as in MacArthur's pres
ent case, as a department of the
Far East offensive
lis four junior commanders,
IL 1t. Gen. George c. Kenney
for air, Vice Adm. Thomas c.
Kinkaid for the navy, 1t. Gen.
Walter Kruger, and 1t. Gen.
Robert Eichelberger for ground,
are co-equals in the high COM
mand cabinet" which derives
only broad directive, final ap-
proval and sweeping authorize
alton from Gen. Macarthur.
While it is true that he is
personally closely identified
with each and every operation,
his own role, by his own wishes,
has been primarily that of close
co-ordinator.
In all matters of administra-
ton. branch policy and imme-
diatc tactics. his top junior
battle commanders are given
what amounts 10 autonomous
leadership
Often, for example, Mac
Arthur will say only to Kenney:
"Mindoro il next on the list.
Get us air supremacy, put an
air blockade around their ship
ping, and begin taking 1t out as
soon as you can"
And that will constitute Ken
ney's whole directive until the
closenesS OF the final phase of
operation requires more sharply
pointed integration with Krue-
ger and Kinkaid
WHEN he was supreme COM
w mander with headquarters
in Australia, Macarthur again
paralleled the proposed national
defense policy closely. In addi-
tion TO his military duties, his
task required the closest diplo-
matte relations with Australian
political factions as we'll as A
. carefully integrated plan for
the coordination and direction
Of Australian industry 10 suit
the combined needs of his army,
air and navy forces.
Products delivered by the en-
bryonlC AnZac industries under
the experienced advice Of Mac
Arthur-directed army and civil
ian production experts were
another minor miracle of his
campaign.
TT Is an interesting Sidehght
Il 10 note that not once in his
three years as supreme COM
mander has Macarthur reversed
a negative decision Of his naval
commander. nor has there been
a conflict between any of the
three major commands under
him over tactical application Of
his own Pacific strategy.
In addition to making possible
winning Of wars at a modest
cost 10 the forces involved, the
pattern which Macarthur has
adopted for the supreme direc-
tion OF his phase of the Pacific
a L a g..