The Prime Minister had received an ilmnediate
reply, asking for information as to the nature of this joint body. tte
had been asked to defer giving his views to London on this point until
the Chiefs of Staff had had an opportunity of putting forward their
views.
 
                        One of tile main objects in setting up a
Supreme Commander was to achieve rapidity of decision on important
matters. It would be difficult to attain this object if a cumbersome
machine were erected to deal with important matters arising from the
Southwestern Pacific Theater. The right course would be to utilize
existing machinery, and the British Chiefs of Staff had formulated
certain proposals which they hoped would prove acceptable to the United
States Chiefs of Staff.
 
                           ADMIRAL POUND then read his proposals to the
Conference. (See
Annex 2).
 
                         ADMIRAL KING said that he had been asked to
consider this matter, and advise the President at very short notice. He
had set down on paper an outlille of a solution which he thought would
achieve the object in view, namely, rapid decision through the use of
existing machinery. His proposal was that the Prime Minister should
appoint a deputy in Washingtoll, who would act with tile President on
recommendations to be made by a Southwestern Pacific Council, which
would be a military body composed of one representative from each of
the following:- U.S. Joint Board, the British Joint Staff Mission, the
Dutch military representatives in Washingtoll,
    together with one Anzac representative. The members of this Council
would be instructed as necessary by the military bodies which they
represented.
 
                            GENERAL MARSI{ALL suggested that it might
be better not to
    introduce at this stage the complicated question of machinery into
the business of setting up unity of command. He thought that an
amendment
might be made to the documents establishing the unified command, which
would include a phrase to tile effect that "matters would be dealt with
by such joint machinery as the Associated Powers may hereafter set up".
 
                         ADMIRAL KING thought that the establishment of
machinery was an indispensable part of the establishment of unity of
command, if the latter were to start operating at once.
 
                         GENERAL MARSHALL said that if such were the
case, he was prepared to accept the proposals put forward by the
British Chiefs of Staff.
 
                        ADMIRAL KING and ADMIRAL STARK signified their
agreement to these proposals
 
                        ADMIRAL HORNE suggested that in order to
achieve unity of command without delay, it should be agreed upon and
established by the
 
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