Show I Allies ies to Begin Big Push From Australia By FRANCIS 1 CANBERRA March 20 UP UP- UP Prime Minister John Curtin told me Friday night that the United States plans to use Australia as the springboard for an allied offensive of of- fen lve against t Japan In the first first interview he has given to an American American correspondent correspondent correspondent dent since start of the war Curtin revealed that President Roosevelt agreed to appointment of General General General Gen Gen- eral Douglas Mac Arthur as' as asI as I Continued Column un on Pas Page se F Curtin Bares Allied Plans fj Cf j J Continued from Page One Ons preme commander in Australia al almost almost almost al- al most as soon as Curtin proposed the move Curtin declared that it was only natural that Australia should turn to America for aid in view of Great Britain's involvement in other theaters of war Tribute to U. U S. S The slim haired gray-haired Australian Australian Australian Austra Austra- lian prime minister paid tribute to Americas America's military cooperation with the commonwealth and said the closest contact already has been established Curtin revealed that he had discussed discussed discussed dis dis- dis- dis cussed military matters with Lieutenant General George H. H Brett vice chief of the southwest Pacific command for an hour Friday Friday Friday Fri Fri- day presumably preliminary to a discussion Sunday with MacAr- MacAr thur He said MacArthur was arriving arriving arriving ing at Melbourne Saturday and would come to Canberra immedi immedi- Curtin expressed the opinion that MacArthurs MacArthur's dispatch to Australia Australia Australia Aus Aus- was prima facie evidence of American plans for an offensive offensive offen offen- sive against Japan from Australian Australian Australian Austra Austra- lian bases Suspects I Invasion Plan Flan He said that he could not tell whether Japan intends to invade Australia but said that all Indications in indications indications In- In point that way Discussing President Roosevelt's prompt action in agreeing to sending sending sending send send- ing MacArthur to Australia Curtin Curtin Curtin Cur Cur- tin said British acquiescence was wasa a good g deal more tardy Turning back to the time of Munich Curtin asserted that in to inthe inthe the defense proposals drafted by bythe bythe bythe the late Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain the dominions did not figure In major things That state of mind he said continued continued continued con con- even after Munich and when it came to the point of deciding deciding deciding de de- de- de between the defense needs I of non-European non parts of the empire empire empire em em- pire and the dominions there seemed to be danger that Britain might overlook the defense of the latter Curtin asserted that he was fully fully fully ful ful- ful- ful ly cognizant of the total nature of the war and that the Pacific theater was not the whole show but he said my paramount duty is to defend my own people |