** MacArthur’s downplaying of the Japanese threat provoked a strong complaint from Rowell, who wrote to Landops on 6 September: ‘ABC news broadcasts presumably with approval central censorship continue give completely misleading impression NG operations…Forces here hearing broadcasts feel Australian public being hoodwinked…and tend disbelieve all repeat all official announcements…This eventually have most damaging effect on morale…’ (Landops, Vasey papers, 2/9). A 24-hour delay in communicating the fast-changing events was blamed. But the real reason for GHQ’s press pantomime was that, ‘MacArthur will not admit that any serious operations are going on in New Guinea’ according to Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, press relations liaison officer at GHQ (McCarthy, p. 226).