Hopkins Papers
Memorandum by the President’s Special Assistant (Hopkins)
Memorandum:
The suggestion of an “appropriate joint body” has kicked up a hell of a row.1
As a matter of fact I suggested the words to the Prime Minister when I found he was getting all set to issue all the directions himself. It seemed to me so essential to get the unity of command through in the South West Pacific that rather than try to define what the “appropriate body” would be, I urged both the Prime Minister and the President to send it along and decide the make-up of the “appropriate joint body” later.
It now develops that everybody and his grandmother wants to be on the joint body and it now looks as if it would end by having the joint British and American staffs assist the President. At any rate they will run it.