MORE PUBLICITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21606, 8 January 1945, Page 4

MORE PUBLICITY

A.I.F. IN PACIFIC AUSTRALIAN DEMAND RECOGNITION OF WORK GO a.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 8. Australians arc agitating for greater publicity for their lighting men in the Pacific war. Renewed demands arc being made for the issue of a supplementary communique covering Iho activities of the Australian military forces. The lack of such publicity, it is claimed, is leading to serious misunderstandings in the United States. The demand follows a statement made in New York by Mr. P. C. Spender, a member of the Australian War Council and the former Army Minister, that General MacArthur's communiques have not publicised ade-

quately the activities of the Australian forces under his command. Mr. Spender gave this as a main reason why many Americans believe that Australia is slacking in the war against Japan. “The Australian military forces at tins moment are engaged in sizeable and important operations north of Australia," said Mr. Spender, in a New York interview. "But: nothing seems to be known in the United States nor is any word seemingly permitted to come through about any of this. Indeed, 1 do not think that any communique has ever been issued about the current operations of the Australian troops in the area just north of Australia.” Must Remain Secret The important part to be played by the Australian forces in the next phase oi the Pacific War must remain secret for Ihe present.” said the acting Prime Minister, Mr. F. M. Forde, replying to Mr. Spender. “The Japanese, however, would learn the answer shortly." Mr. Forde explained that the role of tiie Australian forces in Die Pacific was determined by General MacArtlnir after consultation with the Federal Government. General MacArtlnir, on many occasions, had paid a generous tribute to Australian forces under his command. It had already been stated officially that the Commonwealth's land and air forces would be heavily committed in the task of exterminating the Japanese by-passed in New Guinea and the Solomons, estimated to number 90,000, and that they would also nlav their part in the operations in the Philippines. Full publicity would he given to their activities at the proper time. The newspapers here have been unanimous in seeking wider publicity for Australia's military forces and the tasks on which those forces may he engaged, but their requests for special Australian communiques were reeenily rejected by the War Cabinet. Past Publicity Muddles “The mystery story of 1944 —the role of the Australian Army in the Pacific War—is being continued into 1945." writes the military correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald. "The public is uneasily wondering whether past history is to be repeated to the point where, as in Greece and New Guinea, publicity muddles rob Australian fighting man of much of the honour that his valour is winning. Onlv long after the event, was it made clear in official announcements that Australia had provided the overwhelming majority of the combat hoops who broke the Japanese hold on New Guinea. It was last. September that Mr. Forde revealed that several New Guinea campaigns had involved the use of the equivalent of 10 divisions of Australian troops. ••The position which now threatens to arise is that Australian troops may soon he carrying out important on-

gagcmenls in New Guinea and elsewhere without prompt or adequate recognition in General MacArtiun's communiques, not because lie desires that, result but because the communiques are written at his Philippine Headquarters where everybody is naturally preoccupied with the immediate job on hand. Separate Australian communiques are thus urgently needed. Otherwise, there is a danger ot a repetition of the earlier lag in the news of Australian military activity which leads critics overseas, particularly American isolationists, to assert that' Australia is “an absent ally" m the Pacific war."

Indicating that Australian offensive moves in the Pacific are getting under wav, an R.A.A.F. spokesman revealed that, with only one exception, all Australia’s tighter aces are. now on operational service in the south-west Pacific.