Far East situation. Press here have given great publicity to joint
statement by yourself and Curtin after meeting of War Advisory
Council [1] featuring it with large headlines on front and other
pages, eg., 'Grave warning in Australia' (Daily Telegraph), 'Japan
plays Hitler game on Australia' (Daily Herald), 'Jap, Fleet
threat', 'Aussies unite to face Jap menace' (Daily Express)-and
even added speculation that 'Mr. Menzies [2] may not go to London'
(Daily Express).

Prominence is given to 'sudden adjournment of the Council meeting'
and one report added ominous touch 'that some of the Ministers
were visibly affected'.

Reaction to statement here is that the effect of this and your
previous statement (12th February) [3] may well be salutary so far
as Japan is concerned, as indicating Australia's preparedness, but
some anxiety felt at effect which overdramatisation in the press
cables from Australia has had on press here. During the last
fortnight or so, the United Kingdom Government have been urging
the press to give a good publicity to Japan and Far East generally
in order to accustom the public to present increased tension in
that quarter and to prepare them for unperceived possible
developments. At the same time, they have urged the press to
refrain from reporting sensational items and up to yesterday this
policy succeeded. Despite strenuous efforts last night they did
not wholly succeed in calming the press down, and there is a
further recrudescence in this evening['s] papers. They are
apprehensive lest an over-excited press here, in United States and
elsewhere, should increase an already high tension and even
precipitate war.

Would suggest for a few days at least you might let previous
statement sink in, mark time, and see how situation develops.

View here is that while the press should not pull up too suddenly
lest they provoke a swing to the other extremity, attention should
be diverted to more general issues in the Far Eastern situation,
such as the Germans' desire to utilize Japan, the folly of Japan
breaking with United States and the British Empire, etc., and they
should be urged to keep off reports of large-scale movements of
ships and other sensational items. [4]

BRUCE