Cablegram PM[S]5 WASHINGTON, 25 March 1942, 12.48 a.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Following for the Prime Minister.
1. At combined United States-United Kingdom Chiefs of Staff meeting this afternoon the following recommendations were made as to war areas of the world:-
(A) The sub-division of the world (outside Russia) into three main theatres:
(a) Pacific Theatre (United States responsibility) (b) Indian Ocean and Middle East Theatre (United Kingdom responsibility) (c) European and Atlantic Theatre (joint United States-United Kingdom responsibility) (B) The Pacific Theatre to be divided into:-
(a) South-west Pacific Area-under General MacArthur.
(b) Southern Pacific Area-directly under Washington, i.e., in effect under Admiral King. [1] Individual commander of this area not yet made known.
(C) The Western boundary of the Pacific Theatre will not run down the actual coast line of Western Australia, but some few hundred miles to the westward of Western Australia.
(D) The boundary between the South-west Pacific Area and Southern Pacific Area-to be (from the south) the 160 degrees line, leaving the Solomon Islands in the South-west Pacific Area (i.e. under General MacArthur).
(E) China to remain in the Pacific Theatre and not in the Indian Ocean and Middle East Theatre.
2. Decisions as to Council and related matters have not yet been finalized by the President. [2]
3. The President has the A.I.F. matter still before him. I shall wire immediately I hear from him.
EVATT
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1 Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Navy.
2 Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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[AA:A3195, 1942, 1.12048]