U 'S. 'ABC-4/8                                                                                       December 8i, 1941
z BRITISH WW (J .P :C :) 3
 
'The United'States and.British Chlefs of 'Staff approved the 'Joint Plannlng Committee report of'December '29, 1941, on ."Supporting Measures for
the Southwest Pacific" as appropriate action to be taken in the interim pr. ior to the establishment of the unified .command of the forces in that region.
 
            'The United 'States and ,British Chiefs of Staff agreed to send ,im-
    mediately to the United States and Br. itish ~Commanders-in-Chief,in the .Far East Areathe following telegram'
 
                 "The general strategic policy for operations in the Far ~Eastern theatre which'has been agreed upon by the United States and British Chiefs of Staff is as follows'-
 
           _a. To hold the Malay Barrier., defined as the ,line Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and North Australia, as the basic defensive posi%ion in that theatre and to operate sea, Iand, and air forces in as
        great depth as possible forward of the Barrier in order to oppose the Japanese southward advance.
 
           ~. To 'hold Burma and Australia as essential supporting positions for thetheatre, andBurma as essential to the support of China, and to the defense of India.
 
            ~. To reestablish communications through the Dutch iEast 'Indies with Luzon and to support the Philippines' Garrison.
 
~. ~To maintain essential communications within the theatre.
 
            In disposing of the reinforcements art. lying in that theatre~ you
should be guidedby the above policy and consider the needs of the theatre as a whole. To this end, close co-operation among the British, 'Dutch and United States Commanders is essential, and you should continue to concert
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measures accordingly.
 
               The British,Commander-in-Chief, .Far East, will'inform the Dutch and request their cooperation."
 
"TELEGRAM