Evening star., 1951-03-04

ler's submarines and surface raic
It will be able-given time anc
North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion-to maneuver its forces read
lily in any part of the Atlantic. If
Soviet submarines and raiders are
able to run the gauntlet of mines,
planes and surface craft they
constantly will have to dodge
hunter-killer teams of American,
British, French and Canadian
navies, co-ordinated to meet the
Red Sea threat wherever it ap-
pears.
The work of marshaling the
thousands of war vessels of those
four nations-plus the smaller
navies of seven other NATO coun-
tries-has just begun with the
selection-subject to final ap-
proval by the deputies of the
NATO foreign ministers-of Ad-
miral William N. Fechteler, U. S.
N, as supreme Allied commander,
Atlantic (SACA in Navy short
form).
Unanimous Choice
Admiral F'echteler. veteran of
two wars in the United States
, Navy, was the unanimous choice of
the Il Atlantic nations for the
job which corresponds to, and is
on a par with, that which Gen
Eisenhower is doing in Europe.
Although Admiral Fechteler's
selection has stirred up storm
in Great Britain. whose pride in
its navy stems from the glory OF
the once great empire it helped
to build, the British government
was thoroughly in accord with
the designation of Americans to
head both the major Allied COM
mands set up to defend the West
against the Soviet.
Many details of the Allied naval
establishment have not yet been
settled, and cannot be settled un-
til SAGA has taken over and be-
gun welding the various compo-
nents into his Allied navy. But as
far as decisions can be made they
have been along these lines:
The basic agreement to create
q united Atlantic sea force, sep
arate and apart from the COM
mand given to Gen. Eisenhower,
was made at the Washington
meetings last October of the
NATO Defense Committee civil
ian defense ministers) and Mill
tary Committee (chiefs of staff
Five regional planning groups
had been created to prepare the
merger of forces under the NATO
defense plan. These groups
Northern European, Southern Eu-
ropean-M Mediterranean, Western
European, North Atlantic and
Canadian-United Sta tie s-func-
toned under the standing group.
composed of the Chiefs of Staff
of the United States, Britain and
France. Representatives of the
nine other pact nations were ac-
credited to this group and func-
toned with it.
When Gen. Eisenhower was ap-
pointed supreme Allied comman-
der, Europe (SACE), he took over
the functions of the first three
planning groups. Admiral Fech-
teller was chairman of the North
Atlantic planners.
The most pressing immediate
task for NATO after its creation
was to get the merger OF
Allied ground and air forces
under way. A defense plan had
been drawn up, recommending
assignment Of certain ground and
air units under his command.
Some of these now are being COM
mitted and more will be assigned
In the future.
With Gen. Eisenhower's as
sumption of the European COM
mand the way was clear for q
start on the naval establishment.
with the selection Of supreme
commander the first task. This
represented no difficulty for the
standing group which, with the
representatives of the nine other
pact nations. unanimously decided
on Admiral Fechteler.
Fechteler's Background
Considerations in the selection
were: Admiral Fechteler's own
qualifications for the post, espe-
cially as chairman of the North
Atlantic planners; the fact that
the men and materials being sent
to Europe would be almost wholly
American and that most of the
forces escorting them would be
American, and British reluctance
to assume major responsibility for
this task, while their limited naval
forces might be required for i'm
mediate protection around the
British Isles.
Admiral Fechteler has had a
distinguished career in the United
States Navy. After attending
Western High School in Washing
ton he was appointed to Annapo-
lis, graduating in 1916. He served
aboard the battleship Pennsylva-
mia throughout World War I. In
the ensuing years he had a wide
range of staff and command duty,
both af1oat and ashore, culminat-
ing in his assignment to command
the battleship Indiana in 1943.
The Indiana took part in the first
series of amphibious operations in
the Central Pacific.
Purpose of One Command
Detached from the Indiana in
January, 1914, he was sent to the
Southwest Pacific. He led amphib-
ious operations at Los Negros
(Admiralty Islands, Hollandia,
Humboldt Bay, Biak Island and
Cape Sansapor, receiving the Dis