WAR DEPARTMENT
               OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
                        WASHINGTON
 
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: 
 
 
               Subject: Basis for preparation of attached 
                 outlined plan for Invasion of Western 
                 Europe.
 
              1. Western Europe has been selected as the theater in which
to stage the first great offensive of the United Powers because:
 
          It is the only place in which a powerful offensive
can be prepared and executed by the United Powers in the near 
future. In any other locality the building up of the required 
forces would be much more slowly accomplished due to sea 
distances. Moreover, in other localities the enemy is pro-
tected against invasion by natural obstacles and poor commun-
ications leading toward the seat of the hostile power, or by 
elaborately organized and distant outposts. Time would be
 required to reduce these and to make the attack effective.
 
                       It is the only place where the vital air superiority 
over the hostile land areas preliminary to a major attack 
can be staged by the United Powers. This is due to the exis-
tence of a network of landing fields in England and to the 
fact that at no other place could massed British air power 
be employed for such an operation.
 
                       It is the only place in which the bulk of the 
British aremud forces can be committed to a general offensive
in cooperation with United States forces.  It is impossible
in view of the shipping situation, to transfer the bulk of
the British forces to any distant region, and the protection
of the British islands would hold the bulk of the divisions
in England..
 
     The United States can concentrate and use larger
forces in Western Europe than in any other place, due to 
sea distances and the existence in England of base facilities.