al plan adopted by the superior, and may order action--such
as movement in a certain direction or to a certain locality--without
assigning a more definite objective. Should it happen in emergency
that later developments prevent higher authority from making such an
assignment, the commander may find himself under the necessity of
selecting, for himself, an appropriate objective, to be adopted by him
as if it were assigned.

Should the commander find that his instructions do not clearly
indicate an objective, or should he find that the one indicated is not
applicable under the circumstances of the case, he will select an
appropriate objective for his own guidance as if it were assigned by
higher authority. He will make such selection through use of the same
procedure already described herein as applicable to the selection of
an objective of any sort. In such case he puts himself in his
superior's place, in order to arrive at a reasoned conclusion such as
the higher commander, if apprised of the circumstances, would desire
to adopt. Circumstances permitting, the commander will of course
communicate with higher authority, and will make constructive
representations. (See page 15.)

The appropriate effect desired, as the first factor to be applied in
selecting such an objective, will naturally involve the objective
indicated in the general plan for the immediate superior's entire
force. This general plan is normally announced by the superior for the
guidance of the commander and of other commanders on the same echelon.
If, however, this further objective is not known to the commander, he
will endeavor to obtain a proper point of reference. To this end, he
will use his knowledge of the objective assigned to his immediate
superior, or of the further intentions of the higher command with
respect to the conduct of the operations, or of the campaign, or of
the war.

The provisions for the formulation of plans and orders (Chapters VII
and VIII) take account of the fact that the commander may require
definite information as to the objectives of higher echelons. In
organizations where a state of mutual understanding has been well
established, the commander will rarely be without some guidance in the
premises (see also page 33), by reason of the chain of objectives
indicated in plans and orders of the higher command (page 48).

From the viewpoint of the commander, this relationship among
objectives presents to him a series, from