LONG MILITARY CONFERENCES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 105, 28 January 1943, Page 5

LONG MILITARY CONFERENCES

No Precedent In The War ACTION NEXT The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, has received the official text of the following communique, which was issued yesterday :— “The Ifoesident of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain have been in conference near Casablanca since January 14. They were accompanied by the combined chiefs of staff of the two countries, namely, for the United States, General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, United States Army, Admiral E. J. King, Commander in Chief, United States Navy, and Lieutenant-General H. H. Arnold, Commanding United States Army Air Forces; and for Great Britain, Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Dudley Pound, First Sea Lord, General Sir Alan Brooke, C.1.G.5., and Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff. "These were assisted by LieutenantGeneral B. B. Somervell, Commanding General Services of Supply. United States Army, Field Marshal Sir John Dill, head of the British joint staff mission in Washington, Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, C.C.0., and Lieutenant-General Sir Hastings Ismay, Chief Staff Officer to the Minister of.Defence, together with a number of staff officers from both countries. “They have received visits from Mr. Murphy and Mr. MacMillan (the United States and British Ministers, to North Africa), from General Eisenhower, Com-mander-in-Chief Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, Naval Commander Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from General Spaatz, Air' Commander Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa, from General Clark, United States Army, and from Middle East Headquarers, from General Sir Harold Alexander, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, and Lieuten-ant-General F. AL Andrews, United States Army. Constant Session. "The President was accompanied by Mr. Harry Hopkins and was joined by Mr. Averell Harriman. With the Prime Minister was Lord Leathers, the British Minister of War Transport. "For 10 days the combined staffs have been in constant session, meeting two or three times a day and recording progress at intervals to the President and the Prime Minister. The entire field of the war was surveyed, theatre by theatre throughout the world, and all resources were marshalled for more intense prosecution of the war by sea, land and air. “Nothing like this prolonged discussion between the two Allies has ever taken place before. Complete agreement was reached between the| leaders of the two countries and their respective stall's upon war plans and enterprises to be undertaken during flic campaign of 1943 against Germany, Italy and Japan, with a view to drawing the utmost advantage from the markedly favourable turn of events at the close of 1942.

"Premier Stalin was cordially invitejj to meet the President and the Prime Mid' ister, in which case the meeting woull have been held very much farther to tbl east. He is, however, unable to leavl liussia at this time on account of till great offensive which he himself, as Com' inander-in-C'hief, is directing. Russia’s Burden.

“The President and the Prime Ministen realized to the full the enormous weighll of the war which Russia is successfully bearing along her whole land front, and their prime objqct has been to draw as much of the weight as possible ott the Russian armies bv engaging the enemy as heavily as possible at the best-selected point. Premier Stalin has been fully informed of the military proposals. "The President and the Prime Minister have been in communication with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. They have apprised him of the they are undertaking to assist him in Chinas magnificent, ami unrelaxing struggle for tlie common cause. "The occasion of the meeting between the President and the Prime Minister made it opportune to invite General Giraud to confer with the combined chiefs of staff, and to arrange for a meeting between him and General de Gaulle. The two Generals have been iu close consultation.

"The President and the Prime Minister and the combined stalls, hating completed their plans for the offensive campaign of 1943, have now separated in order to put litem into active and concerted execution.”