II.
                                
     American efforts in other theatres of the war -- their
             importance and their order of Priority
                                
     This seems to me the most difficult and important problmm of the conference. American
efforts are now being either made or suggested in at least four different possible theatres of
operation.  They may be called for in others. They are being made or suggested in the following
areas:
 
     a.   In the southwestern Pacific theatre.
 
     b.   In the western African theatre including the Cape Verdes and Azores [ , or French
          N. Africa (handwritten) ]
 
     c.   In the Syria and Iran theatre.
 
     d.   In the Egypt and Libya theatre.
 
They might be forced on us in Natalwhere the situation at the present moment is perilous,
threatening our air commication with the Far East.
 
     I have arranged them in what I consider their present apparent order of priority although I
am supporting it suggestively rather than dogmatically:
 
1.   The Southwestern Pacific
 
     a.   This is of first importance because it has been forced upon us by a new combatant
          power which is challenging our entire position in the Pacific and our troops are
          already fighting desperately to carry out our legal and moral obligation to protect
          the Philippines.
 
     b.   It is also of vital importance:
 
     (1)   To assist the British in defending Singapore, the fall of which would be an almost
vital blow to the British Empire as well as to our own future commercial interests in the Pacific.