DEFENCE MEASURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1942, Page 4

DEFENCE MEASURES

CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. UNITY OF COMMAND. OTTAWA, March 18. The following statement was' made today in the Canadian House of Commons by the Prime. Minister, the Rt Hon W. L. Mackenzie King: “The War Committee of Cabinet has approved unanimously a recommendation from the chiefs of staff that the following measures be implemented at once with a view to establishing unity of command as between the three Canadian services in respect of the defence of the west coast of Canada, the east coast of Canada and Newfoundland: . (a) The senior member of the Joint Service Committee on the West and East coasts to be designated as Commander in Chief West Coast Defences and East Coast Defences respectively.' (b) The primary ’ function of the Commander in Chief will be to coordinate the preparation and execution of defence plans of the three services in respect of such forces as may be allotted to his command by the chiefs of the respective services. He will, in consultation with senior commanders of other services, allocate tasks to the three services and co-ordinate the combined effort. (c) The Commander in Chief will exercise strategic direction of all three services and the tactical command of his own Service but he will not exercise tactical command in respect of any Service other than his own. To ensure closer tactical coordination of operations, rooms of the three Services on both coasts are being combined. (d) The senior member of the Joint Service Committee in Newfoundland will be designated in respect of the three Canadian services as commanding Newfoundland defences and his functions in respect of Newfoundland will be the same as those laid down above for commanders in chief of the west or east coast defences.”