#3-295
Memorandum for General Surles
August 26, 1942 [Washington, D.C.]
Confidential
It would be most beneficial if the Saturday Evening Post, McClure's or the Readers' Digest would carry an article contrasting the reaction to military operations, press, public and political, in this country with those (so far as known) in Japan, drawing conclusions in the matter. For example, an analysis of the Japanese losses in the U.S. raid on Tulagi followed by their losses in the Coral Sea fight and their later losses at Midway and the Aleutians would show a tremendous total of vessels and probably lives. A similar analysis of our losses in this series of fights would be most impressive. But the point to be made would be that the Japanese keep on coming whereas we are attacked, investigated, the quality of our planes criticized and the management of our aviation, Naval and Army, opposed, while the Japanese go ahead, take their losses and head towards their objectives.
Had we had a third of the losses suffered by the Japanese we would probably have been subjected to an investigation by Congress, certainly to a considerable public clamor in the press and on the radio. We have not yet lost a transport full of soldiers. The Japanese have had apparently a considerable number sunk, beginning with Macassar Straits. Several are reported burning in the recent approach to the Solomons.
I think our people's attention ought to be drawn to the contrast in the conditions under which we must operate compared to the enemy. The release of information we are familiar with; they tell literally nothing and we are attacked for not telling everything. The picture should be made sufficiently plain so that people will realize that it is not only a stern, tough war for us but that public support must not depend upon giving a favorable press report of every action and our operations must not be endangered by loose comments.
Document Copy Text Source: George C. Marshall Papers, Pentagon Office Collection, Selected Materials, George C. Marshall Research Library, Lexington, Virginia.
Document Format: Typed memorandum.
Recommended Citation: ThePapers of George Catlett Marshall, ed.Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens (Lexington, Va.: The George C. Marshall Foundation, 1981– ). Electronic version based on The Papers of George Catlett Marshall, vol. 3, “The Right Man for the Job,” December 7, 1941-May 31, 1943 (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991), pp. 321–322.