Philippine armed forces ordered in command of U.S. (7-26-41)

The Pittsburgh Press (July 26, 1941)

PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES ORDERED IN COMMAND OF U.S.

Hyde Park, NY, July 26 (UP) –
President Roosevelt today ordered the Army and Navy in the Philippine Commonwealth into the command of the armed forces of the United States for the duration of the emergency.

The order obviously was a new measure directed at Japan, following up yesterday’s act by the United States and the British Commonwealth of Nations in freezing Japan’s assets and virtually declaring economic war on the Asiatic empire.

Mr. Roosevelt’s action will place the armed forces of the Philippines virtually on a war footing and will integrate them with the defense forces of the United States. It has long been the plan of American defense strategists to call the Philippine forces into the United States defense setup when an emergency developed in the Far East, making the Philippine Islands the first Oriental outpost of America’s defense line.

Under the order, the organized military forces of the Philippines will be placed under the command of a general officer of the United States Army to be designated by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. All naval components of the Commonwealth armed forces are placed under the command of the commandant of the 16th Naval District of the United States Navy.

The military forces of the Commonwealth have been subject to expansion and intensive training since the outset of the crisis in the Far East more than four years ago. The Philippine armed forces have been under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, former Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and the American general staff has maintained close liaison with General MacArthur and the Philippine forces.

Mr. Roosevelt’s command was designated as a “military order.”

The text follows:

Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the United States, by Section 2(a)(12) of the Philippine Independence Act of March 24, 1934 (48 Stat. 457) and by the corresponding provision of the Ordinance appended to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, and as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, I hereby call and order into the service of the armed forces of the United States for the period of the existing emergency, and place under the command of a General Officer, United States Army, to be designated by the Secretary of War from time to time, all of the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines: Provided, that all naval components thereof shall be placed under the command of the Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District, United States Navy.

This order shall take effect with relation to all units and personnel of the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, from and after the dates and hours, respectively, indicated in orders to be issued from time to time by the General Officer, United States Army, designated by the Secretary of War.