SINGLE COMMAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 May 1943, Page 3

SINGLE COMMAND

NOT LEAST OF ADVANTAGES GAINED BY NORTH AFRICAN VICTORY. OBSERVATIONS BY GENERAL EISENHOWER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, May 14. Not the least of the advantages gained by the North African victory has, in General Eisenhower’s opinion, been the forging of a single command, in which service in the common purpose overrides national ambitions. So valuable, he said, is this that it almost outweighs the cost to the Allies in time and lives of the failure to reach Tunis six months ago. A pattern has been found for the armed force of the United Nations at sea, on land and in the air and this gives the surest grounds for encouragement and hope for whatever the future may demand. The Commander-in-Chief further explained that harmony had not been evolved in ease and security, but while troops were being mauled at the front, when the tendency to criticise the Allies was likely to be strongest. He considered that the Americans had become knit into a body of first-class fighting soldiers. DEFENCE OF ITALY SOME REPORTS DENIED. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 14. The Rome radio says there is no truth in the reports from Berne that the defence of Italy has been entrusted to six men, including Mussolini, the King of Italy and Marshal Graziani or that Marshal Badoglio has been recalled from retirement to assume command in South Italy.