Evening Star Newspaper, January 26, 1942, Page 2

Two Extra Pages In This Edition Late news and sports are covered on Pages 1-X and 2-X of this edition of The Star, supplementing the news of the regular home delivered edition. Closing N. Y, Markets—Sales, Pa 35,698. 90th YEAR. No. Japanese Ship Toll Rises to 30 In Four-Day Indies Strait Battle; 22 Lost in Slnkmg Oft Carolina U. S.-Dutch Forces Get Two More as Inva sion of Java Is Believed Thwarted By the Associated Press. United States and Dutch sea and air forces, locked in a great, running battle with a Japanese invasion armada in the Strait of Macassar, have sunk or damaged upward of 30 —and perhaps 33— transports and warships in the four| days of fighting and may have shattered an attempt to| invade Java, the heart of the United Nations defense in the| Southwest Pacific. The most recent claim was that unceasing attacks by Ameri- can-Dutch air and naval forces have sent at least one more Japanese destroyer and another large transport to the bottom in| the Macassar Strait. These we re only the minimum claims of the War Department, Dutch and United Nations’ Southwest Pa- cific commands today. American Flying Fortresses, transport, also scored a bomb hi co-operating in the same action on two Japanese cruisers and quarters said. besides sinking a big Rising Sun t on a cruiser, and Dutch planes scored a total of four direct hits another transport, Allied head- The War Department also reported thg sinking of the trans- port by American planes, declari ng that seven American bombers in the January 24-25 attack sank the transport, set another afire, shot down five enemy planes and returned to their base un- damaged. Independently, the Dutch communique reported that a Neth- erlands submarine, in addition to sinking a Japanese destroyer, scored a torpedo hit on a cruiser, terattack, could not wait to see w One Foothold Won by The next few days will tell in what strength, if any, the Japanese | - armada was able to negotiate the of the Netherlands Indies. The Japanese, however, won but, in the face of a violent coun- hether the blow was fatal. Japs on Road to Java. narrow shortcut to the inner arc at least one foothold on this sea road to Java—the Dutch oil port of Balik Papan, on the strait- side of the Island of Borneo, but the size of the invasion fleet indi- cated that Tokio was shooting for higher stakes to the south. The Strait of Macassar is the most direct route between Jap- anese caoncentration points in the Philippines and the rich island of Java on which the United Nations have centered their supume‘ command and much of their armed strength. Soerabaja, the great Dutch naval base, for example, lies lessl than 350 miles southwest of the southern mouth of the strait. The score against the Japane: as thus far reported in the communiques from the Java headquar- | ters, Batavia and Washington, with possible overlapping in some | instances, follows: Destroyed—Ten transports, one destroyer. se in the Macassar Straits battle, Probably sunk—six transports. Damaged, unclassified as to type—A warship, nnclmmed as to type, five cruisers, two destroyers, On Luzon Island in the Philippines, the War Department com- | munique said, fighting on Batan Peninsula was confined to rela- | tively unimportant skirmishes on the west coast and in the vicinity | of Subic Bay. Delayed reports received by the department from the Western Pa- | cific war theater disclosed that the | city of Cebu on the island of the‘ same name in the center of the | Philippine archipelago, was the ob- | ject of an intensive air raid by 15‘ enemy bombers January 21. One small boat was sunk in Cebu harbor, but no other serious damage | was reported. The department also reported 1 that the large Japanese tanker set | afire by American bombers January | 20 off Jolo ultimately sank. | Tremendous Toll Taken. ‘The American and Dutch forces | previously had exacted a tremendous | toll of the enemy in the narrow | straits where the huge Japanese ex- peditionary force was ambushed and trapped between the Dutch islands' of Borneo and Celebes. | It was a battle of annihilation and the length of time covered by the | action reported from Washington | and Java raised the possibility that the United Nations had blocked the retreat of the hapless expedition and were systematically cutting it to- pieces. ‘There was a confused picture of the destruction wrought in the Macassar fighting but the supreme eommand of the United Nations in the Southern Pacific gave this ac- | colade to the fighters: “The losses inflicted on this Jap-| anese convoy are the heaviest the| enemy has suffered in any single| operation since the war began.” . Fighting ships of the United| States Asiatic Fleet have sent seven Japanese vessels to the bottom and | Dutch and American bombers, some | of them likely based on secret Dutch bases in Borneo, accounted for at least another two. Five more sinkings were Isited as prob- able, - Perhaps for military reasons, the | exact extent of the havoc was left in doubt by the week-end com- muniques issued in Washington and | the South Pacific. But it was made clear that the Allied attackers es- caped almost without a scratch— one warship sustained slight damage | and no planes were lost. The one-two punch fighting—first | of a smash from the air, then a blow from the warships—developed as follows, the communiques re- ported: | Friday—Dutch planes scored = | dozen direct, crippling hits on eight enemy ships out of a strong forée of warships and transports; United " (See FAR EAST, Page A-10) | Earl G. Harrison To Talk in Forum Earl G. Harrison, special assistant to the Attorney General, will discuss new measures the Government is taking for control of enemy aliens on the National Radio Forum at 9 o'clock tonight. The forum, arranged by The Star, is broadcast over the Nation-wide Blue Network and is heard locally over Station WMAL. A eight transports. Brmsh Surrender Batu Pahat, West Anchor in Malaya Sharp Fight Reported Continuing Around City of Kluang By the Associated Press. SINGAPORE, Jan. 26.—Pound- ed for days by Japanese forces on the ground and in the air, Brit- |ish imperial forces have sur- rendered Batu Pahat, western anchor of their Malayan defense line 60 miles from Singapore, and have fallen back to new positions to the south, British headquar- ters announced today. ‘The communique announcing the withdrawal indicated there had been no important change elsewhere on the irregular 80-to-90-mile front along which the British, Australian | and Indian defenders of Singapore are deployed. Sharp fighting wes reported con- tinuing in the vicinity of Kluang, | which is situated 50 miles north of here on the Central Malayan Rail- way down which the Japanese have been trying- to drive toward this vital naval base. (Reuters, British news agency, heard the Vichy radio broadcast a Tokio report today that Kluang had been captured by the Jap- anese in their drive down the Malay Peninsula.) Little pressure, however, appar- ently was being exerted by the Jap- |anese on the British right flank, 'Foreign Markets Pact 0f Cotton Stafes Urged By the Asscciated Press. JACKSON, Miss., Jan. 26.—A pact by cotton-producing nations of the | Western Hemisphere to divide for- eign markets amicably and regulate production and prices was proposed today by Oscar Johnston of Scott, Miss., president of the National Cot- | ton Council. “There is neither rhyme nor rea- son for throat-cutting price compe- tition between the producers of the United States and those of Brazil, Argentina and Peru,” Mr. Johnston declared at the opening of the coun- cil convention. Quoting from the Atlantic Char- ter, in which President Roose- velt and Prime Minister Churchill pledged their nations to a post-war order of economic adjustment and free access to markets, Mr. Johnston predicted that with peace there would be “ample markets in the world for all the cotton now being grown in the Western Hemisphere and considerably more to maintain & normal cotton economy.” A @h WASHINGTON, D. C., Chinese Press Calls American Pilots ’ * o o Flying Tigers By the Associated Press. CHUNGKING, Jan. 26 —The Chinese press bestowed the name of “Flying Tigers” today on pilots of the American Vol- unteer Group in recognition of their recent exploits against the Japanese. Semi-official dispatches said the Americans, flying with the Chinese air force, had shot down 23 Japanese raiders over Rangoon Friday and 15 Satur- day with the loss of only one plane. These victories, the dis- patches declared, brought to 190 the number of Japanese planes downed by the Americans thus far. iAustralian Milifia ‘Hurled Info Battle 'On Invaded Islands 11 Japanese Assaults Reported Repulsed On New Britain BY the Associated Press. MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. day from cities in New Guinea | and in the heart of the Solomon | Islands as jungle-trained Aus- tralian militia battle invasion forces in the hills of New Britain | and New Ireland and the Japa- nese hurled new landing forces | into the arc of islands protecting this continent. The steadily-broadening opera- tions covered a broken front extend- ing almost 1,000 miles from North- land. (Australian forces fighting be- hind the Japanese-occupied city of Rabaul, capital of New Britain, have repulsed 11 Japanese attacks in the past two days even though most of the Australians are re- ceiving their baptism of fire and are greatly outnumbered, Austral- ian reports to Sydney said. The Australians were believed to hold strong vantage points. The Jap- anese were strongly supported by planes from aircraft carriers but it was said some of these had been withdrawn for operations against New Guinea. (The Exchange Telegraph, British news agency, heard a German broadcast today citing unconfirmed reports from Ba- tavia that the Australian port and naval harbor of Darwin was bombed this morning.) Australia Gets Staff Post. Prime Minister John Curtin de- clared that arrangements already were under way to give Australia a said Australia’s views on the war strategy had been placed plainly before Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt. While the militia fought a delay- ing action, the war cabinet ordered immediate full mobilization of work- ing and fighting manpower. men up to 60 years of age will be required to register. women is expected to follow. With the Japanese gaining bases within striking distance of the mainland, bomb disposal squads were being formed in Australian cities and steps were taken to ex- tend the present blackout to all coastal communities. Army Minister Francis Forde an- nounced that civilians were being taken from bombed’ Madang in Northeastern New Guinea and Tu- lagi on Florida Island in the Solomons. Civilians were removed from the east coast New Guinea town of Lae during the week end. (There was no immediate in- dication whether the evacuation was prompted by fear of further bombings or indicated Australian preparation to stand off expected Japanese landing atempts.) Coast Town Under Attack. . Even while Madang and Tulagi were being cleared of civilians, the coastal town of Wewak, northwest of Madang, was reported under Japanese aerial attack. Communica- tions with previously-bombed Bu- lolo, however, were re-established. Australia’s militm, in action for the first timesin the commonwealth's history, were said to be largely bush- men from Victoria, long trained for fighting in the jungles of the main- land and New Guinea. Reports reaching here indicated that they were holding out in g hard fighting stand in the hills south of Rabaul, at the northern end of New Britain, roughly 400 miles east of Madang. Japanese who landed there from 11 transports were estimated to number &t least 10,000, heavily out- numbering the defense forces. Other Japanese forces were ashore on New Ireland, northeast of New Britain, after landings last week near Kavieng. Reports here said that in the northeastern Solomon group the Japanese had put still further troops ashore at Kieta last night, rein- that still further Japanese landings had been made along Buka passage between New Ireland and the Solomons. | 26.—Civilians were removed to- | ern New Guinea east to Florida Is- | place on Gen. Sir Archibald P.| Wavell's Southwest Pacific staff and | All | Enrollment of | ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION 3 | 21 in Lifeboat Picked Up After 38 Hours By the Associated Press. | NORFOLK, Va, Jan. 26— Striking a sudden midmght blow with torpedoes and shells, ak Axis submarine sank the Ameri- can ore carrier Venore off the North Carolina coast Saturday morning and 22 crew members are believed lost, the Navy an- nounced today. Twenty-one survivors have been landed at Norfolk. They said the sub first sent a shell crashing into the port side of the ship and a tor- pedo followed a few minutes later. (The Venore was the eighth ship attacked on the Atlantic seaboard during the past two weeks. (The Norweglan tanker Varanger was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine 35 miles off the New Jersey coast yesterday, but the crew of 42 was saved.) Distress Call Flashed. ‘The Venore's radio operator flashed a distress call at 12:47 am,, stating: “Two crashes so far. Will keep in- formed. Think swimming soon.” The last message crackled out at 1:22 am.: “Cannot stay afloat much longer.” ¢ Foening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1942, IT'S BITTER, UNCLE. BUT THE QUICKER You SWALLOWIT,THE BEITER FOR YoU. An Evening Newspa With the full Dcy’s Novn LOCAL—NATIONAL—FOREIGN Associated Press and UP) Wirephotos, North American Newspaper Alliance, Chicago Daily News Foreign Service and The Star's Staff Writers, Reporters and Photographers. UP) Means Associated Press. THREE CENTS. Committee at Rio Backs Principles of Atlantic Charfer Also Adopts Proposal to Declare U. S. and Allies | Non-Belligerents ‘The survivors, all in the same life- boat, were picked up after 38 hours | | in the water. ! Their first comment on reaching | port was to bewail the fact that | their ship was not armed. Seaman Hubert Clarke of Boston | declared: “If we had had a gun I| | would have taken charge of it my- | self and blasted that sub out of the water.” Formerly a Tanker. ‘The Venore, 8016-ton, 550-foot | former tanker, had been converted, into an ore carrier. 1 The 8,016-ton Venore, owned by the Ore Steamship Co.. was hit at least | twice by torpedoes Priday and it | sank in tHe Atlantic Saturday morn- ing the Navy said. The crew members said the sub- i marine fired one shell at the ship, which struck it about amidship on the port side. A few minutes later | | & torpedo crashed into her port side. Phillip Gonsalves, able bodied sea- | man, of Baltimore, said he was in | the crow’s nest when “a shell hit the | ship on the port side about amid- | | ship. I slid down the rigging to the | deck.” After the torpedo struck the ship | a few minutes later, Gonsalves said, “The captain said to order the men | | not to lower the lifeboats because | the ship was running at full speed. | But when I went to give the order I found that three boats already had | been launched.” | Clarke was belowsdecks when the | | shell struck the ship. “I ran on deck,” he said. “I saw the sub’s lights about a half mile away. A | few minutes later she sent a wr- pedo into the port side.” He and 20 others lowered a life- | boat and later “we saw another lifeboat with only two men in it. We tried to reach them, but the sea was too rough.” List of Survivors. The following list of survivors was released by the 5th Naval District | | public relations office: Chief Officer Edgar Mulligan, Bal- | timore. Second Officer Cecil James Bird, | no address. Third Officer Andrew Jackson, no address. Quartermaster Peter Karlson, no address. Quartermaster Manuel Ballestro, Philippine Islands. Able-bodied Seaman Peter San- toes, Baltimore. Philip Gonsalves, Baltimore. Hubert Clarke, Boston. Allen Lonza Harten, Baltimore. Ordinary Seaman Clarence Wil- liams, Savannah, Ga. | the continent.” | drawn up by the committee. BY the Associated Press. | RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 26— The Political Committee of the Pan-American Conference adopt- ed today a proposal to declare the United States and all her American Allies non-belligerents, and approved the principles of the Atlantic Charter, which em- | bodied the war aims of the| United States and Britain. Ac- tion on both resolutions was unanimous. At the committee meeting repre- sentatives of Paraguay and Bolivia | announced formally that their gov- | ernments, following the recom- | lations with the Axis. | Delegates cheered the announce- | ment which raised to,17 the number of American repuhhc< which have broken off with Berlin, Rome and ‘Tokio. Also approved were resomuom calling for an immediate meeting of the general staffs of all American nations, and proposing that no | American nation represent.the in- terests of a warring government not on this continent in any other American nation. This last resolution on representa- ing. The proposal for a meeting of gen- eral staffs suggested that there should be formed at once a ‘“com- mission composed of military or‘ naval technicians named by each | government fo study and suggest measures necessary for defense of | The commission would meet in Washington. Final Session Tomorrow. Thus the committee moved swiftly | | through its last business before the | | final general session of the confer- | ence tomorrow. | The approval by the 21 American | nations of the principles of the At- lantic charter was expressed in a | new “charter of Rio de Janeiro”| It was stated, however, that the approval was expressed as the united | action of the Americas and not as a declaration aligning the nations with any non-American power. The growing list of American re- publics which have broken off re- lations with the Axis was swelled earlier by.the actions of Uruguay and Peru. Ecuador was expected to follow suit shortly and it was indicated that Brazil also would act on a reso- (See VENORE, Page A-6) (See PAN-AMERICAN, Page A-5) Background of Men Should Be Studied, She Declares Men in the armed services are doing jobs for which they are not suited, Mrs. Roosevelt declared today, and described such a sys- tem as “wasteful of human ma- terial.” The Army and Navy should study the bas of their men, she told her press conference, and move them around until all men are given jobs where they can show maximum usefulness, Extending her criticism to draft boards, Mrs. velt said if com- munities were more interested in their local boards selective service would really select, deciding whether men would be more useful in in- dustry /or in the Army. Favors Different Procedure. She said she believed it was more advantageous to get round pegs in round holes, adding, “I have tried to get people into the service where they could be most useful, but I've never tried to get them out.” Mrs. Roosevelt’s criticism of Army and Navy jobs followed a denial—in answer to a question—that she had tried to keep the Navy from calling a man to active duty. She said she believed the case re- ' Army and Navy Put Square Pegs In Round Holes—Mrs. Roosevelt White House Guests May Have to Bring Sugar or Do Without Salads in place of desserts will be the rule at the White House when sugar rationing comes, Mrs. Roosevelt disclosed today. Neither the President nor Mrs. Roosevelt cares much for sugar except in desserts. Mrs. Roosevelt believes ration- ing White House sugar will be complicated no end. There are some members of the house staff who live at the White House and eat three meals a day there, others who don't live there and eat three meals a day there, and still others who eat only two meals a day at the ‘White House. White House guests ultimately will have to bring their own sugar or go without it, she in- dicated. When the White House supply runs out, the sugar bowls will simply be removed from the table. ferred to In the question was that of & young man who sought her aid because he had known one of her sons at Harvard. All he wanted, she (See MRS. ROOSEVELT, Page A-2.) A 17.7 Billion Fund to Enlarge Navy Is Reported to House Ship and Plane Bill Covers Largest Sum Ever Proposed in History of Congress By the Associated Press. Demands Grow For Action on Pearl Harbor Congress Members Ask ‘Expulsion of Incompetents’ BY the Associated Press. Angry demands came from Congress members today for ex- pulsion of any “incompetents” | holding responsible positions in the war effort and for courts- martial to mete out punishment on those responsible for the de- bacle of Pearl Harbor. A furore of rare bitterness on both sides of Capitol Hill followed the week end report of a presidential investigating commission, blaming non-co-operation and ‘“dereliction | of duty” by Hawaii area commanders | of the Army and Navy for success of the Japanese sneak attack on the great Pacific naval base Many Senators and Representa- | tives asserted that the commission’s conclusions pointed to a pressing need for a super-command with control over the operations of both armed services. Officials Here Exonorated. Although the investigating com= mission decided that the Secretaries of State, War and Navy, as well as the Army chief of staff and chief of | naval operations, had “fulfilled their obligations,” some Congress members professed to find fault with pro- | visions made here for Hawaii's de- fense. The five-man commission, headed | by Associate Justice Owen J. Rob- Congress received today a $17,722,565,474 appropriation bill, largest in the Nation's history, to finance the Navy's war objective of attaining unquestioned supremacy above, below and on the seas through a gigantic ship and plane building program. In sending the huge outlay pro-%— posed to the House for debate the Appropriations Committee dealt in superlatives — “stupendous” and “staggering”—to describe its aims, but expressed full their accomplishments “with unbe- | lievable dispatch.” | An accompanying 313-page tran- script of !esflmony before the com- mittee by 'Secretary of Navy Knox and high-ranking naval officials | disclosed their conviction that 1942 would prove the critical year in| | the battle for victory. “If we can hold our own, and even advance a little, then we will | 1943 and 1944.” said Admiral Ernest J. King, commander in chief of the fleet. Just what that expanded produc- unn is mwnded to emhle us to confidence in | do” was laid down later by Admiral | H. R. Stark, chief of naval opera- | tions, in a terse, over-all, summation | of the Navy's hopes and plans to: 1. Increase its power to the point of unchallengable supremacy wherever it may operate. 2. Gain command of the sea by destruction of the enemies’ seagoing forces. | 3 Co-operate with our own mili- | ry forces and with the naval and mmu.ry forces of our Allies. i 4. Destroy or shut off the enemy’s | commerce in crder to effect eco- | nomic strangulation, thereby pro- | moting disaffection inside his bor- | mendation of the conference. had | be ready for whatever the expanded | ders. ‘ severed diplomatic and economic re- | production will enable us to do in | The omnibus measure carried an | any general officer might request additional $4.292.225,500 in new np-] | propriations for the fiscal year end- | ing June 30 and $13,430,339974 for | the year beginning July 1. On top | (See APPROPRIATION, Fage A-6) | M 'New Changes Studied In Working Hours fo Ease Traffic Load | tion of foreign interests was redraft- | |ed in subcommittee to get around | objections by Argentina to its phras- Staggered Schedule Said To Help, but Wider Distribution Is Needed Additional changes in the new- ly revised system of staggering | the hours of Federal employment | are being given serious considera- non by Federal and District offi- | clals, who still are not satisfied | with the distribution of the load | during the morning and after- noon rush hours, it was learned | | today. ‘While which became effective today is ex- <pected to improve the general pic- ture by distributing peak traffic loads, officials concerned with the problem are convinced that more shifts must be made to reduce the number of employes who report for work at 9 am., and the number quitting at 5 p.m. Traffic Director William A. Van Duzer declared that a wider dis- tribution would be needed to lighten the load at these two peak hours. He “said the matter still is under consideration, and that he was not in & position to forecast other changes. The traffic director pointed out that at present some 52,000 work- ers, including about 25.000 in pri- vate business establishments in the downtown area, report at 9 am. ‘The 5 p.m. load is even greater, he emphasized. Some 74,000 employes, 26,000 of them private industry workers, leave their offices at that hour, throwing a tremendous load on the mass transportation system. After touring the downtown area during the rush hours this morning, Mr. Van Duzer and Inspector Arthur E. Miller, chief of the traffic di- ‘(See STAGGERED HOURS, A-10) 300 Americans Reporfed Interned in France By the Associated Press. BERN, - Switzerland, Jan. 26— United States officials here said to- day they were investigating: repofl.s that possibly 300 Americans been interned in Compiegne mt. in Occupied France by the Nazis to | P00 insure good treatment of German nationals in the United States. Vichy reports indicated the Amer- icans were well treated and receiving double rations. Those held were be- lieved to include staff members of the American hospital in Paris. ‘Word reashed here that the Amer- icans were taken in trucks and buses at an early morning hour shortly after Germany declared war on the United States. The Ameri- cans, it was said, sang songs of the first World War and startled Parisians flung open their windows to see what was happening. 4 the revamped schedule | | Fire Destroys 14 Planes, | |Hangar at Flying School | By the Associated Press. DALLAS, Tex., Jan. 26—Fire de- | stroyed 14 airplanes and a hangar | at the Dallas Aviation School early today. I Maj. Bill Long, operator of the | school, attributed the blaze to a| short circuit. He estimated the loss | at $175,000 to $200,000. A workman was repairing a plane at the time the fire started. | The school will continue operating | from another hangar with a dozen | planes. Maj. Long also operates a primary training school for the‘ Army at Hicks Field, an advanced school at Brady and a R. A. F. unit at Terrell. Lewis W. Douglas Given \London Lease-Lend Post Lewis W. Douglas, former director of the budget, today was appointed by President Roosevelt as first as- | sistant to W. Averell Harriman, lease-lend expediter in London. Mr. Douglas and Mr. -Harriman | conferred with the President at the | ‘White House this morning, and Mr. Harriman disclosed the news of Mr. Douglas’ appointment after the con- ference. “We really have no titles. We just work,” Mr. Harriman said when he was asked what title Mr. Douglas would be given. Mr. Harriman has been designated formally Minister to London. Mr. Harriman said he himself is leaving for London as soon as pos- sible, but Mr. Douglas will remain on here for a few weeks in order to familiarize himself with his new work. Mr. Douglas said he would take a leave of absense from his position as president of the Mutual Life Insur- ance Co. He was President Roose- velt’s first director of the budget, a post he resigned in August, 1934. Four More Axis Ships Sunk By Subs, British Report (Earlier Story on Page A-3) BY the Associated Press. LONDON, Jan. 26—Four more Axis ships have been sunk.in the Mediterranean by British subma- rines, the Admiralty announced to- day. The ships sunk, the communique said, were two large, fully-laden tankers, one medium sized transport and the Italian salvage vessel Ram- The Rampino, the ®nly vessel identified by name in the repnrt was a 30l-ton craft normally in merchant service. The Aamiralty did not tell when or precisely where in the Mediter- ranean the vessels were sunk nor how many British submarines were involved. Three torpedoes lound their mark on one tanker, it said, and two hit the other, apparently blowing het up, although she was protected by a sea and air escort. Besides the transport sunk, the communique added, another .was “orpedoed. | the President,” | erts of the Supreme Court, re- ported to President Roosevelt that “errors of judgment” by Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, commander of the Army's Hawaiian Department, and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, com- mander of the Pacific Fleet and commander in chief of the whole Fleet, “were the effective causes for the success of the attack.” It concluded that the two officers had shown “a lack of appreciation of the responsibilities vested in them,” especially since each had been warned by his superiors in Washington that relations with Japan were critical. Asked what action was likely now, Presidential Secretary Stephen Early told reporters: “I don't know what action there is to be taken.” Procedure in Doubt. On the question of a court-martial, he said it was his recollection that one if he thought he had a case. Responding to a remark that the President might dismiss officers if he felt it justified, Mr. Early said he did not think “it is done that The Secretary of War or Navy could order a court-martial by the direction of the President, he said, but the phase “by the direction of is only a formality. Mr. Early said that Mr. Roose- velt, to his knowledge, had not yet discussed the Roberts report with | his War and Navy Secretaries. ‘The presidential secretary suggest- | ed that the, people who know the answer be asked a question whether Gen. Short and Admiral Kimmel could continue to draw pay and | hold rank. Chairman Walsh of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee said that it appeared from the report that both Secretaries Stimson and Knox “feared early in 1941 what actually happened on December 7" and that “in view of their apprehenhions” these inquiries pregent themselves: “First: What steps were taken to increase and strengthen the Army, the Navy and the air force at Hawaii and in the Pacific after Jan- uary, 1941? “Second: Is it a fact that the op- posite course was taken, and ships were actually moved from the Pa- cific to the Atlantic and that prac- tically no increases were made in the Army and Air Corps defenses?” “It would appear in the absence of any facts to the contrary that nothing was done to change the sit- uation in the Pacific,” Senator Walsh's statement continued. “If the Army and the Navy had been materially strengthened during this time, it might not necessarily have prevented the dereliction of duty that the board finds, but it would have given notice to the Army and Navy that the Government at Wash- ington was preparing a strong, de- termined, fighting defense.” Brooks Raises Question. Similarly Senator Brooks, Repub- lican, of Illinois demanded why Sec- retaries Stimson and Knox “con= sented to the sending of our mili- tary and naval equipment to other countries and other parts of the world when they knew war with Japan was inevitable and our mos! important outpost was inadequately suppued with ‘personnel, material and equipment to put it on a war footing.’ as stated in Justice Roberts’ report.” Senator La Follette, Progressive, of Wisconsin told reporters the re- port showed an “unconscionable lack of co-operation” between the Army and Navy commands that ought to prompt Congress to a “thor- ough exploration of the advisability of some consolidation in the defense organization.” Senator La Follette said it should be noted, however, that, the Inquiry Board found United States forces at Pearl Harbor did not have sufficient material. That they were not sent additional material might have led the commanding officers to conclude that Washington authorities did not expect an air attack on Pearl Har- bor and this may have contributed to their “complacency,” Senator La Follette said, adding: “I don't think you can uverlook the fact that some of the bility for this t.hinz was right heu in Washington.” Setup Called Antiquated. A House member, Representative O'Toole, Democrat, of New York, asserting that the report that the administration of the War | (See PEARL HARBOR, Page A-6.) |