Philippines were the cynosure of MacArthur’s war, and he continued to press Washington to endorse his preferred southern line of attack. He wanted to concentrate all available U.S. forces (including the Pacific Fleet) to liberate the northern island of Luzon, including the capital city of Manila, before undertaking any further amphibious invasions to the north. Admiral King and most of the internal JCS planners preferred to bypass Luzon and aim their next major thrust at the island of Formosa (Taiwan).
