▁but ▁another ▁consideration ▁arose . ▁The ▁fall ▁of ▁Singapore ▁se aled ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁American - B rit ish - D utch - Austral ian ▁Command ▁( AB DA ), ▁of ▁which ▁Mac Ar thur ' s ▁command ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁a ▁part . ▁Disc uss ions ▁were ▁held ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁about ▁future ▁command ▁arrang ements . ▁A ▁broad ▁agreement ▁was ▁reached ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁would ▁assume ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁South west ▁Pacific . ▁A ▁senior ▁American ▁officer ▁was ▁required , ▁and ▁Mac Ar thur ▁was ▁the ▁obvious ▁choice . ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁February , ▁Mac Ar thur ▁received ▁a ▁message ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁draft ed ▁by ▁the ▁President , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁Henry ▁L . ▁Stim son ▁and ▁Marshall . ▁It ▁read : ▁ ▁Cor reg idor ▁▁ ▁Mac Ar thur ▁respond ed ▁with ▁a ▁request ▁that ▁he ▁might ▁select ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁departure . ▁" Un less ▁the ▁right ▁moment ▁is ▁chosen ▁for ▁this ▁del icate ▁operation ", ▁he ▁wrote , ▁" a ▁sudden ▁collapse ▁might ▁occur ." ▁" With ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁actual ▁movement ", ▁he ▁went ▁on , ▁" I ▁de em ▁it ▁advis able ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Mind ana o ▁by ▁combined ▁use ▁of ▁surface ▁craft ▁and ▁sub marine , ▁and ▁th ence ▁by ▁air , ▁further ▁movement ▁by ▁sub marine ▁being ▁too ▁time ▁cons uming ." ▁Marshall ▁replied ▁that ▁the ▁President ▁would ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁choose ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁method ▁of ▁his ▁departure . ▁AB DA ▁was ▁dissol ved ▁on ▁ 2