PACIFIC COMMANDS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 250, 23 October 1942, Page 2

PACIFIC COMMANDS

CL0SEST CO-OPERATION GHO'RMLEY ANG MacARTHUE, STATEMENT BY WAR SECRETARY.

P.A. Cable.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.

"In the Solomons battle ViceAdmiral Ghormley and General MacArthur are working in the ciosest possible 'co-operation along the territoriai border-Iine, where their two commands join," the War Secretary, Mr Stimson, told a- press eonference, replying to a suggestion that confus.ion existed between the divided eommands. He added that the responsibilities of the two commands in the Pacific were well fixed and thoroughly under - stood. ' The bulk of the Pacific area is under Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, inelud5ng Army installations and troops in the Aleutians, HaWaii, Fiji, New Hebrides, New Caledonia and New Zealand," he said. "The southern part of this command is .under the direct orders of Admiral Ghormley. Excluded from Admiral Nimitz's command are the west coast of the United States and the Alaskan mainland, both under Lieutenant- General De Witt, with Major-General Buckner in immediate control of Alaska. "Also separate is General MacArthur's command, comprising all the United Nations forces in Australia and New Guinea and the islands northward of Australia. In the Solomons battle General MacArthur is giving' extremely valuable support to the naval, gir and ground forces under Admiral Ghormley. General MacArthur's bombers have been pounding the Japanese."