Following for Prime Minister [2] from Prime Minister.

1. With further reference to my No. 123 [3] the Chiefs of Staff
have considered General Wavell's appreciation of the situation in
the A.B.D.A. Area in his message dated 14th February, and the
views of the Chief of the General Staff [4] on the future
employment of the A.I.F. which have taken into consideration a
report by the General Officer Commanding A.I.F. Corps. [5] In view
of the present situation they are of opinion:-

(I) As General Wavell does not consider Java can be held,
Australia and Burma become of primary importance as the only
positions in which forces can be concentrated for an ultimate
advance against the enemy:

(II) That, if possible, all Australian forces now under orders to
transfer to the Far East from the Middle East should be diverted
to Australia. These forces are the 6th and 7th Divisions and
accompanying Corps base and line of communication troops, in all
64,000: and there is also a British armoured brigade of about
3,000. They would prefer that all these forces should be
concentrated in Australia but are mindful of the fact that the
strategic position of Burma may necessitate some reinforcement
there until other troops are available from elsewhere:

(III) That Darwin is the first place in Australia that should be
reinforced out of the troops being transferred:

(IV) There call of the 9th Division of the A.I.F. which is at
present in Syria requires early consideration as this would entail
further redistribution of the forces of the Allied nations.

2. The Government accordingly requests that urgent arrangements be
made for:-

(a) The diversion to Australia of that portion of the A.I.F. now
at Bombay and en route to Java.

(b) The diversion of the remaining two flights to Australia.

(c) The recall of 9th Australian Division and remaining A.I.F. in
Middle East at an early date.

3. In regard to the opinion of the Chiefs of Staff in sub-
paragraph 1 (II), the Government will be glad to know whether it
is possible also to divert the British Armoured Brigade to
Australia.

CURTIN