WELL RECEIVED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1942, Page 3

WELL RECEIVED

IN ALL ALLIED COUNTRIES MACARTHUR APPOINTMENT. GENERAL BRETT AS DEPUTY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 18. Washington officially announced yesterday that General MacArthur has arrived in Australia with members of his staff, to take the supreme command in that region, including the Philippines, in accordance with a request by the Australian Government, President Roosevelt, defining the area involved in the command, said it meant “everything this side of Singapore on the sea, in the air, and on land.” It was announced in Melbourne this morning that Lieutenant-General George Brett, of the United States Army, is to be Deputy Supreme Commander, South-West Pacific, and also Chief of the. Allied Air Forces. He has been in command of the American troops who have already arrived in Australia. AUSTRALIAN RESOLUTION. The Commonwealth Government expects lighting on an extensive scale to take place on Australian soil. The Army Minister, Mr Forde, said in Melbourne today that that was the considered opinion of the Government, which had pledged its word that in no circumstances would the nation yield to the Japanese. General MacArthur could,, he added, rely on the utmost loyalty of the Australian people, and the Commonwealth would do. everything possible to strengthen him in the tremendous responsibility he had undertaken.

In Washington the Secretary of State, Mr Welles, said that General MacArthur’s arrival in Australia was great news for all Americans and the peoples of the United Nations. It was a matter of self-congratulation by every American citizen that the hero of the Philippines was in Australia and, at the special request of the Australian Government, was taking over the command of that gravely menaced area. ’ The British Press welcomes the appointment and agrees that it is good news for all the United Nations, but especially for the Dominions of the Southern Hemisphere. COMMENT IN WASHINGTON. In Washington today representative Vinson, chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, said: “It is the best news of the war. We have got to hold Australia, and now we will hold it.” Representative Carlson said that General MacArthur’s appointment would do more to instil confidence in the American people than any other happening since December 7. The British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, commented: “The people of the United Nations will rejoice to hear that General MacArthur has arrived ni Austalia to take up the new and wider responsibilities. It is especially good tidings for the British Commonwealth of Nations. Under the hero of Batan, the American, Dutch, British and Australian soldiers will fight the Japanese with confidence wherever they meet them.” CHINESE APPROVAL. A Chungking message states that Chinese military quarters welcomed the appointment and paid tribute to General MacArthur as one of the ablest fighting generals in the Allied forces. A Chinese Government spokesman said: “The appointment is a wise move in the Allied strategy in the Pacific. The newspaper “Takung Pao,” in an editorial, says: “We earnestly hope that General MacArthur will defend Australia with the same spirit with which he has defended Batan. We must hold Australia as a base from which to launch a future counter-of-fensive.” - The Australian Navy Minister, Mr Makin, in Melbourne described General MacArthur’s appointment as a magnificent gesture by the American Government, quite apart from the great help the United States was giving m other respects. The Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, m Canberra today defined the place of the Commonwealth in the war in the Pacific, stating, “We are the base, from which to strike at the enemy. Australia must build up a firm springboard from which to launch a strong offensive against the Japanese. "This means that we must demonstrate to history how we can stand up and trade punches with the enern y"“ not for three weeks, or six months, but year after year if necessary, giving our hardest and fighting the enemy finally to a standstill.” Mr Curtin said that the Australian Government had made a direct request to President Roosevelt to have General MacArthur given his new command, and added that Mr Churchill had also been informed.