(2)  To protect the Netherland East Indies and their sources of oil from falling into the
          hands of the  Japanese and thus aiding Japan in her contest for the control of the
          Pacific against us.
 
     (3)   For protecting the great dominions of Australia and New Zealand from
          domination by Japan.
 
     (4)  To encourage and keep China fighting -- who has and is still carrying the main
          effort of holding Japan in check.
 
     (5)  To encourage Russia in staying in the war against the Axis powers.
 
2. The West African theatre
 
This theatre is vital to us in two respects:
 
     a.   To protect our line of communications and supplies, both air and sea, with the
          British activities in Egypt; with the supply of Russia through the Persian Gulf; with
          the activities in the Far Eastern theatre through Australia and Singapore on the
          south and through China on the north.
 
     b.   It is vital as a means of preventing Germany from reaching Dakar from which she
          would both block the trade route around Cape Horn and also threaten the South
          American continent.
 
These two reasons seem to me more vital to the interests of this country than anything we can do
in the areas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
 
     The method of our operations in this West African area, in which I include operations
against the Cape Verdes and the Azores, are directly a question for our military advisers. 
Personally I regard any expedition to the Azores as strategically less important than a strong
effort against the Cape Verdes and Dakar.