Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

J.C.S. Files

Paper Approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff¹

secret
Enclosure to C.C.S. 308/3

[Quebec,] 21 August 1943.

Southeast Asia Command

part i

[Paragraph 1 is identical with paragraph 1 of C.C.S. 308, ante, p. 968.]

Command in India

[Paragraph 2 is identical with paragraph 2 of C.C.S. 308, ante, p. 968.]

Command in Southeast Asia

[Paragraph 3 is identical with paragraph 3 of C.C.S. 308, ante, pp. 968–969.]

4. The proposed boundaries of the Southeast [Asia] Command will be as follows:

a. Eastern Boundary

From the point where the frontiers of Burma, Indo China and Thailand meet, southwards along the eastern boundary of Thailand and Malaya to Singapore; from Singapore south to the North Coast of Sumatra; thence round the East Coast of Sumatra (leaving the Sunda Strait to the eastward of the line) to a point on the coast of Sumatra at longitude 104 degrees East; thence South to latitude 08 degrees South; thence Southeasterly towards Onslow, Australia, and, on reaching longitude 110 degrees East, due South along that meridian.

b. Northern Frontier

From the point where the frontiers of Burma, Indo China and Thailand meet generally north and west along the Eastern and Northern Frontier of Burma to its junction with the Indo-Burma border; thence along the border to the sea; thence round the Coast of India and Persia (all exclusive to the South East Asia Command) to meridian 60 degrees East.

[Subparagraph 4c and paragraph 5 are identical with subparagraph 4c and paragraph 5 of C.C.S. 308, ante, p. 969.]

Division of Responsibility Between India and Southeast Asia

[Paragraphs 6 and 7 are identical with paragraphs 6 and 7 of C.C.S. 308, ante, pp. 969–970.]

[part ii]

8. a. Deputy Supreme Allied Commander²

General Stilwell will be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theater and in that capacity will command the Chinese troops operating into Burma and all U.S. air and ground forces committed to the Southeast Asia Theater.

The operational control of the Chinese forces operating into Burma will be exercised, in conformity with the over-all plan of the British Army Commander, by the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander or by his representative, who will be located with the troops.

The operational control of the 10th Air Force will be vested in the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander and exercised by his air representative located at the headquarters of the Air Commander in Chief.

General Stilwell will continue to have the same direct responsibility to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek as heretofore. His dual function under the Supreme Allied Commander and under the Generalissimo is recognized.

The organization and command of the U.S. Army and Navy Air Transport Services in the Southeast Asia area will remain under the direct control of the Commanding General, U.S. Army Air Forces and of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, respectively, subject to such supply and service functions as may be by them delegated to the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander. Requests by the Supreme Allied Commander for the use of U.S. troop carrier aircraft for operational purposes will be transmitted to the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander.

Requests for the use of surface transportation capacity in and through India, or for development involving construction for the air route to China, will be passed through the Supreme Allied Commander in order that they may be related as regards priority, to his requirements before being placed on the Commander in Chief, India.

b. Command Relationship

The Combined Chiefs of Staff would exercise a general jurisdiction over strategy for the Southeast Asia Theater, and the allocation of American and British resources of all kinds between the China Theater and the Southeast Asia Command. The British Chiefs of Staff would exercise jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to operations, and would be the channel through which all instructions to the Supreme Commander are passed.

c. The Coordination of American Agencies such as O.S.S., O.W.I., F.C.B., etc., with Comparable British Organizations³

In order to facilitate the free exchange of information and coordination between the U.S. and British quasi-military agencies in India and the Southeast Asia Command, a Combined Liaison Committee will be set up at New Delhi.

There will be full and open discussion in the Combined Liaison Committee before any quasi-military activities involving operations in India or the Southeast Asia Theater are undertaken. However, before plans for such operations in these areas are put into effect by U.S. agencies, the concurrence of the government of India, the Commander in Chief, India, or the Supreme Commander, Southeast Asia Theater, must be obtained as applicable.

1. For the decisions taken on the subject of this paper at the 114th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, August 21, 1943, see ante, p. 921. This paper, reflecting those decisions, was circulated under cover of the following note by the Secretaries of the Combined Chiefs of Staff (C.C.S. 308/3), August 21, 1943: “The decisions of the Combined Chiefs of Staff with relation to the Southeast Asia Command are set forth in the Enclosure.”
2. Subparagraphs 8 a and b, as approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff and printed here, are identical with the revision of these subparagraphs prepared by the Combined Staff Planners and circulated in C.C.S. 308/1, August 21, 1943 (not printed).
3. Subparagraph 8 c, as approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff and printed here, is identical with the revision of this subparagraph recommended by the United States Chiefs of Staff and circulated as C.C.S. 308/2, August 21, 1943 (not printed).