BLAME FOR PEARL HARBOUR

Chronicle (Levin), 22 July 1946, Page 5

BLAME FOR PEARL HARBOUR

LASSITUDE BORN OF TWENTY YEARS OF PEACE TJ.S. REPORT ON DISASTER Iji'ccivcil Sundav, 7 p.m. WASHINGTON, July 20. Tlic ( \iiigrcssioiiul ComnutTPO invostignting the PeaiT Uurbnur dmasler, has issucd tuo rcpurts. The majority, coiisLring oi' si x 1 Hunia* rats and two Re-jiulilic-aas. in a UUMIO ward docuiuent, ruiiinieinlpd t li «' Jato Prosidoul Rnosevt'lt and said ln* had ltiadi* every pos■dble ellon tu avcrt wai'. They placod piiina ry blaiue i'nr Pearl Harbour on tlu* nuroadiiu'ss of tho niilitary onmiiiaiiders at Washington and llawaii and found no cvidpnce supporling .■harges matiu that tho Prosidont and Secretaries of State l*or Wai" and Xavy had triokod. provoked, iucitod. t-ajolol iir rociri'd .la]ian into attarkiug tho Pnitod Slatvs in order that a decla.ration of ttnr might he nioro oasilv ubI a: nod froni Cnngress. Tho t'oinniittoo doolarod tho attaok was an uuprovnked ■and t roaolioroiis aot of aggression plumied and lannchod whilo tho Japclipping. hould ho paid at tiu1 averago timis in Washington. Pnitod Statos di|)loinat ic polieies and actions did not provido any .jnst i liable pro\ ooation for .'a] an 's ai'tion. Tho oiioniy attaok was well planncd and skili'ully oxociitod liy a ntnoh niore poworful foroo thau Japan. was ihought oaiiahlo of in a singjp taotioal vontaro at stu-li a distanco. Mr. Mull had fully inforniod both tlio Wai* and Xavy Dopa rtniont, foroofully waruing thoni that rolalioits had passed boyond iiinloii!aoy into tho liands of tho niilitary. Tho Prosidont and high ollicials had tnado every possihle proper oll'ort to avoi't uar with Japan and till tho ovidoneo nroved tlntt tliov discharged

tlnir rosDon.siliilitio.s with dist jnct ioti, uhility and I'orcsight oonsistonl with highest traditions. Tho Pomniittoo do•darod tlio Poarl ITarbour disastor was (ino to Army and Xavy failuro to institnto ineiisuros to dotoot tlto approuehiug hostilo foroos and also laekod roadinoss to ontploy all available faoilitios to lopol the .fapaiieso. Virtnully everyonc uas snrprisod whon Japan strnck at I'eaii Harbour, vot ofiirers at llawaii and Washington wero fullv conscious •>f tiro dangpr of air attaok. Xevertheioss tlio llauaiian ooimnands failod to disrhaigo thoir responsibilities in the light of the warnings reeeivod from Washington. Tho llauaiian coinmandors also failod to integrate tho defonoes . 1 1 1 T alort all ofttablishnionts by nuitiial coopi-ra t i on.* 'The /{|nwa i ia^ h c oniniand'4 -is also 1 ?d T$ main^^fi offeot i \ i ( i otiria issanoo. *i Houovor, tho PoTnrnittoe"*" VSjiff'SSFft*' tiio view that tho orrors inado by tho llauaiian oouiinand wero orrors of nulj'iiiojil and not of dorfdiotions of diitv. Tho intfdliuonof and war phins division of tlio War and Xavy 'DepartiT.cnts had failod to »ive oarofnl oonsid■■rafion to ini oronptod niossagos from Tukio to Hoiiolulu. Tho intollio'onee divisions apparontly did not appreoiate t hi* sioiiilii-aiioo of theso intereeptod i.ii-ssauos uhioli shonld ha vo boen furrtvhod to the Ilawaiian eommandors fo t ' iieir assistanoo. The Committee said: "The conelusion is ineseapahle. There did hot orist any proper demarcation of responsihility hetween the Army and Navy Departments. Perhaps the administration's niost signal shortcoming t-oth at Washington and Hawaii, -was the failure to follow up orders and liistnictions and to ensnre they were carried out. The Pearl Harhour record is r^plete with evidenee of this fundame al deficiency. The story of Kim- | Yvs and Short's administration is the e]\' ome of worthy plans and purposes vvAiCli were never implemented. Complacency and procrastination are out of place where sudden decisive action is essential, yet beyond question the Hav/aii and Washington officials were beset hy lassitude horn of 20 years' pcace. ' ' Tho Ponnniftpe founn tho relafion>!.ip. undorstanding' and ooordination ietween tho war plans division and intval intolligenoOj whollv unsatisfactnry. The rp]iort rppomnipndpd inunediafp fnoioii to pnsurp nnity of oommand at Ji i I niilitary and navnl ontposts and tils.i tli(> conuilptp inteffration of tho Artnv and Xavy intelligonce dopartnii'nts. thoroby avoirting tho pitfalls of dividod" rosponsibility w-hioh woro so iib'utdantlv auparont. Tho ininovitv roport, consi^t'ni"' of tu>. T?oruiblicans, hold Ponsovclt chio.fly rc-non«il)ilitv for tho disastor and said hn-sident Tnnnan impodpd tho inquirv. fhio liiPinbor of tho niaioritv, ISTr. Koofp, Popublican^ ap]tended a long ad-

dilional oomment in whieli he stated the eourt trv itso.lf was not ready. Evorv timo Koosevclt tried to gct a preparedncsa programme through Congrcss tt was stitted. Whenever RooseveTt. made a statoment about preparedness he was vilified for doinig so.