 The obvious choice for a supreme commander in the Pacific was General Douglas MacArthur . He had been ordered to leave the Philippines for Australia to take command of a reconstituted ABDA area on 22 February 1942 , and had therefore been promised the command even before there were discussions on what it should be . MacArthur had solid support from the President , the Army and the American people , but not the Navy . The Commander in Chief , United States Fleet , Admiral Ernest King , saw the Pacific lines of communication primarily as a naval responsibility and would not yield command to an Army officer and proposed a division placing all of the Solomons within the Australian area , but excluding the New Hebrides , New Caledonia , and New Zealand . While the Army planners , led by Brigadier General Dwight Eisenhower , were willing to compromise on a divided command , they objected to placing Australia and New Zealand in separate theatres . The Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed the matter between 9 and 16 March , the result of which was a decision to adopt the Navy 's plan , with only minor amendments . 
