Your cablegram P.M. 5 of 25th March. [2] New Zealand have repeated
to us their comments to Nash [3] on the proposal of the Combined
Chiefs of Staff Committee for the division of the Pacific theatre
into a south-west Pacific area under General MacArthur and a
southern Pacific area directly under Washington. Our Chiefs of
Staff have considered this proposal in the light of the New
Zealand Government's observations and have submitted the following
report:-

'The Chiefs of Staff are strongly opposed to the proposed
subdivision of the Pacific area. We agree with the comments of the
Prime Minister of New Zealand and would urge the following
additional considerations against the proposal. It is essential to
Australia that New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia should be in
the same area as Australia, because they are all interdependent
and from every point of view must be considered together.

Australia's line of communications with the United States is
through New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia, and the most
effective and economic use of the forces available to defend the
whole area depends upon there being unity of command so that the
speedy reinforcement of any points threatened can be effected as
necessary.'
2. For the reasons set out in the above report, we are opposed to
the proposed division of the Pacific theatre, involving the
separation of Australia from New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia.

It is desired that you co-operate with Nash on this question. [4]

3. The Chiefs of Staff have also furnished the following
additional observations, which are communicated for your
information and for discussion with the Combined Chiefs of Staff
or Admiral King [5] [as] appropriate:-

'While adhering to the proposals already made by the Governments
of Australia and New Zealand for the creation of an Anzac Area
rather than what is now proposed from Washington, we would prefer
that all the naval forces in the Pacific should be put directly
under the command of the United States Chiefs of Staff with a view
to ensuring the greatest concentration of naval forces at the
right place and time. This, of course, would involve Admiral
Glassford's [6] force (comprising United States units from ABDA
Area now based on Fremantle) being placed under the command of
Admiral Leary.' [7]

CURTIN