:ADMIRAL KING pointed out that New Caledonia was of great importance to the
ABDA Area. Not only were the nickel mines a tempting bait for the Japanese, but also if the
Island was in Japanese possession~ all reinforcements to the ABDA Area would have to take the
long route south of New Zealand.
 
                 GENERAL HOLCOMB said that the garrison proposed for Samoa (in the Annex to
the paper) was already en route. There was no question of diverting any part of it.
 
                 ADMIRAL POUND suggested that the shipping experts who were examining the
possibility of providing additional shipping for reinforcing the ABDA Area should be instructed to
take into account the needs of New Caledonia and see if it were not possible to send in the
necessary reinforcements without taking anything away from what was proposed for the ABDA
Area itself. General Gerow was notified of this.
 
            GENERAL ARNOLD pointed out that shipping was tile limiting factor
only for the land forces; in the case of air forces,  it was availability.
 
                 After some discussion it was agreed that the first sentence of Paragraph 9 (d) should
be amended to read as follows:-
 
"That the defense of New Caledonia should, in principle, be accepted as an Australian
responsibility, but that the United States should, as a temporary measure,  furnish forces for the
defense of the Island immediately after meeting the emergency in the ABDA Area."
 
                 ADMIRAL KING said that the following addition should be made to Column (c) of
the Annex under Item 3; samoa:-
 
                       1 Fighter Squadron
                     1 Dive Bomber Squadron
 
ADMIRAL TURNER explained that reference had been made to the need
for obtaining from Australia an opinion as to the priority for arming the Free French on the Island
because there was some doubt whether~ in view of the shortage of equipment and shipping~ these
troops were worth arming at the expense of other requirements in, say, Australia. It had not been
intended by the Joint Planning Committee that these forces should never be armed at all.
 
                                                                      -- 6 --