PACIFIC WAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23082, 22 December 1944, Page 5

PACIFIC WAR

MacArthur’s Communiques (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 30. “General MacArthur is doing a splendid job, but whoever writes his official communiques is rendering a disservice to the general and to his reputation,” says the columnist of the “New York Sun,” Mr David Lawrence.

“The American people are interested in what the Navy does, but if they read General MacArthur’s communiques they will not find out,” said Mr Lawrence. It was feared that under the unified command there would be a tendency to over-emphas’se the work of one service against the other, and unhappily these fears are well founded. General MacArthur’s communiques have created an unfavourable impression in Wr hington. There is no substantial account of what the Navy did in the remarkable exploit at Mindoro, the communique being devoted almost wholly to details of scattered operations on land. This kind of thing leads to the assumption that inter-service jealousies are responsible for such unbalanced announcements. Those writing communiques shou be cognisant of the many delicate problems involved.”