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  4. Document 172

Defense Files

The Assistant Chief of Staff, War Plans Division, United States Army ( Gerow ) to the Netherlands Minister ( Loudon )1
secret
Washington , January 2, 1942.

Your Excellency: I have been directed by General Marshall, Chief of Staff, U. S. Army, to inform you that, by agreement between the Prime Minister and The President, the Supreme Commander in the ABDA Area will be instructed as follows:

“Your headquarters will be established, initially, in Java.”

L. T. Gerow

Brigadier General,
Assistant Chief of Staff

Note for Record:

Delivered to the Netherlands Minister by General Gerow in person at 8:30 p.m. on January 2.

  1. For a reference by Marshall to the background of this letter, see the discussion in the meeting of the Chiefs of Staff on January 10, 1942, ante, p. 172.↩