Foreign Relations of the United States, The Conferences at Washington, 1941–1942, and Casablanca, 1943

Defense Files

The Assistant Chief of Staff, War Plans Division, United States Army (Gerow) to the Secretary of the British Chiefs of Staff (Hollis)

secret

[Washington,] January 1, 1942.

Reference your memorandum of to-day transmitting a message from the British Chiefs of Staff:

General Marshall feels that the instructions already issued to the American Commander in Australia will insure the proper disposition of United States Air Force arriving in that area. The radio message accepted at yesterday’s meeting of the Joint [Combined] Chiefs of Staff was dispatched to all concerned.¹ This was followed by a radio from General Arnold, specifically directing the establishment of air bases well northward in Australia, so as to operate into the Dutch East Indies.²

Additional instructions, pending receipt of definite reports from Australia would probably be confusing.

L. T. Gerow

Brigadier General, Assistant Chief of Staff

1. See ABC–4/3, WW–4, December 31, 1941, ante, p. 296.
2. Not printed.