Evening Star Newspaper, January 29, 1942, Page 2

- Two Extra Pages In This Edition “Yate néws and sports afe covered on Pages 1-X and 2-X of this edition of ‘The Star, supplementing the news of the regular home delivered edition. Closina N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 18. 90th YEAR. No. 35,702 MacArthur's Big Guns Repel Japs: Foe 30 Miles From Johore Strait; Commons Ba 'A. E. F. in Ulster Shows U S Wants Quick Action, He Says Counterpart of Nelson to Be Appointed In British Cabinet, Commons Told Enemy Infantry Losses Heavy, Army Reports By the Associated Press. The War Department reported today that headlong Japanese infantry assaults on Gen. Doug- las MacArthur’'s lines in the Batan Peninsula had been bro- ken up by American artillery fire with heavy enemy losses. In the Netherlands Indies, the de- partment said in its morning com- munique, a third attack by heavy| American bombers on Japanese shipping in Macassar Straits de- stroyed an enemy transport in Balik Papan Harbor and set another transport afire. Two enemy fighting planes were shot down and a third damaged, with all American planes returning safely to their base. This apparently was the same action announced yesterday in a United Nations’ communique from Batavia. The communique said that air activity in Batan was limited to reconnaissance. Lull of Several Days. For several days there had been & comparative lull on the Batan | front in the Philippines, since Gen. MacArthur’s greatly outnumbered | forces hurled back an all-out at-| tempt by the enemy to smother his | lines. | The fact that the Japanese con- | fined their air activity to recun-! naissance flights in the fighting re- | ported today indicates they may | have failed to bring in sufficient reinforcements of bombers to re- | peat the costly raids on the Cor- | regidor fortress and Gen. Mac- Arthur’s front-line positions. Up to January 16 officials of the ‘War Department had estimated a total of 124 Japanese warplanes shot down in the Philippines by Amer- ican airmen and anti-aircraft bat- teries. Reports today gave no indication | of further landings of Japanese reinforcements in Subic Bay, Japanese Seen Preparing For Invasion of Java BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies, Jan. 29 (#).—Japanese forces driv- | ing down the west coast of Borneo | and the Japanese invasion fleet in Macassar Strait tonight appeared to be clearing the way for a major offensive against Java, heart of the Netherlands Indies and site of the United Nations' Southwest Pacific supreme command. Today's Dutch communique re- | ported a two-pointed Japanese thrust toward Pontianak, chief city on the we<t coast of Dutch Borneo situated * 440 miles airline north of Bat: launched by troops reshly lanced 85 miles farther north and by other forces operating out of Kuching, capital of Japanese-oc- cupied Sarawak. Convoy Pushing South. From informed sources the news agency Aneta learned that the Jap- anese convoy in Macassar Straits, despite the heavy losses it has suf- fered in the last six days, is trying to push farther south to the bottom of the strait. From here, these sources said, the convoy would sep- arate for simultaneous attacks on the Borneo port of Banjermassin and the Celebes capital of Macassar. Banjermassin is less than 300 miles northeast of the principal Dutch naval base of Soerabaja, across the Java Sea. (The Batavia correspondent of the London Daily Mail said that, despite heavy destruction of ships, the Japanese convoy “is estimated to have 65 ships still afloat carrying 150,000 troops” and that it is “intent on & full- scale invasion of Java.”) Offensive Foreseen. Naval aircraft are attacking the Borneo invaders, the high command reported, and the defense forces have destroyed “all important objectives” in the endangered area of Pontianak. That the Dutch apparently were aware this new offensive was immi- nent was seen in the fact that navy bombers have been hammering at Kuching for the past two days, con- centrating their attacks on the air- drome and storage yards. The overland drive at Pontianak had been preceded by several Japa- nese air raids. The first and most severe of these, December 19, killed 128 persons, most of them civilians. Hundreds of persons left the city then, but most of them were said to have returned in recent weeks. A Dutch communique acknowl- edged that ‘“notwithstanding firm resistance the Japanese are obtain- ing local successes, while Pontianak | is being threatened.” | The communique, released through | Aneta, said that near Kendari, on Celebes, and at Balik Papan, the | Dutch-destroyed oil port in Eastern Borneo, the defenders were continu- ing stubborn resistance against Jap- snese forces landed within the last week. 2 “The landings in the vicinity of Kendarl,” said the communique, “were covered by fire from Jap- anese warships.” The high command reported the second Japanese air attack in two days on the port of Emmahaven, on the west coast of Sumatra, which caused some damage to ships in the harbor, but no casualties. A dispatch from Tokio broadcast by the Berlin radio declared the United States garrison at the fort- ress island of Corregidor in Manila Bay had been called on by radio to- day to surrender to the Japanese commander on Luzon. The dispatch did not indicate that the Japanese received any reply. | cks By the Associated Press. LONDON, Jan. 29.—The House of Commons, with but one dissenting vote, expressed confidence today in the conduct of the war by Prime Minister Churchill after he had told them the United | States was determined to close with the German foe as soon as, possible. The vote was 464 to 1. The lone negative ballot came - from James Maxton, Independent Labor “ Party, whose two co-mem- bers, Jack McGovern and Campbell Stephen, acted as tellers and could not vote. Twenty-four members, mostly Laborites, abstained from voting. The presence of an A. E. F. on soil of the United Kingdom—in North- ern Ireland—represents the desire of the United States that her ready troops should establish battle con- tact as soon as feasible, the Prime Minister said. Non-Committal on Singapore. As for the battle of Malaya on the other side of the world, Mr. Churchill held forth neither con- viction that Singapore could be held nor fear that it would be lost. He said, however, that reinforcements had been steadily arriving in the WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1942 Churchil past several weeks for defense of that Pacific bulwark. In closing the debate on the con- duct of the war, Mr. Churchill said there were four important points with which he wanted to deal. The first was the arrival of United States Army forces in Northern Ire- land, which, he said, Americans and their leaders wished to see “in con- tact with the enemy as close and !as soon as possible.” The second point was that the presence of these troops “implants greoter freedom of movement over- seas in ‘theaters where we are already engaged.” Third, the United States rein- |Iorcemenu have afforded not only “latitude of maneuver” to “mature and seasoned divisions of the Brit- (See CHURCHILL, Page A-6) Americans and Briiish Bag 13 More Planes In Rangoon Fight Four More May Have Been Destroyed; No Allied Losses Reported By the Associated Press. RANGOON, Burma, Jan. 29.— Sharp-shooting Yankee and Brit- ish combat pilots wiped out a Japanese fighter plane sweep over the cloud-decked Rangoon area this afternoon, destroying at least 13 enemy planes, and possibly four more, without a loss in their own squadrons. The smashing blow to the Japa- nese added to the already glistening fighting record of the American volunteers and the British pilots ‘who yesterday knocked down 7 raid- ers and chased off 30 others at a cost of but a single plane whose pilot bailed out unhurt, Today’s Army communique for the Tenasserim front, east and south of Moulmein, said the situation in gen- eral remained unchanged. “There has been some slight ac- tivity to the south where our troops have engaged small forces of the enemy,” the communique said. A. V. G. Get Most of Spoils. The American-built (Curtiss) Tomahawks of the American Vol- unteer Group bagged the major share of the spoils. But two Hurri- canes and one Buffalo fighter of the R. A. F. did victory barrel-rolls over the airdromes to show they had done their blazing bit. To onlookers from the ground the far-flung battle consisted of a dis- tant chatter of machine guns, bil- lowing puffs of anti-aircraft smoke and the occasional smoky spiral of a falling Japanese plane. Suddenly, out of a cloud bank 3,000 feet up, appeared a Japanese plane. It was weaving drunkenly, its motor almost idling. The pilot apparently intended to | repeat the performance of a wound- ed comrade who yesterday made a suicide dive into a Tomahawk on the runway. At 400 feet the Japanese crossed the field, then hurtled down at a parked Blenheim bomber. He missed it by 5 yards. From the splintered remnants of the Japanese plane—No. 842—R. A. F. medical orderlies removed the pilot’s broken body. “Certainly had some pluck, that chap,” said an R. A. F. sergeant. One of the Americans, “Sandy,” from San Antonio, Tex., shot down two planes and may have downed a third in yesterday’s fight. A communique announcing “the appearance of the Japanese over the Axis Reports Entry Info Port of Bengasi In Libyan Advance Continuous Action Against British in Sandstorms Announced by Rome . By the Associated Press. | ROME (From Italian Broad- casts), Jan. 20.—The Italian high command announced in a special bulletin that German and Italian troops this morning en- tered Bengasi, chief port and capital of Cirenaica. (The same announcement was - made in Berlin.) The entry of the Axis columns was made at dawn, the bulletin said. (Today’s British communique admitted Axis forces were clos- ing in on the city, which now has changed hands four times in 13 months, from the east and south.) Earlier the high command’s reg- ular communique reported fighting between British and Axis patrols in desert sandstorms in the west- ern Cirenaica area. Surprise Thrust. Despite handicaps of the storms, German and Italian air forces were said to have carried out continuous actions against British supply lines in the battle instituted last week with a surprise thrust eventually ex- tended northeastward 150 miles by the armored units of German Gen. Erwin Rommell. “Attacks of Axis air forces against Malta continued,” the high com- mand said, “and military objectives were bombed.” A British air raid on Tripoli, capi- tal of Libya and major base of Axis military operations, was acknowl- edged. Slight Damage Reported. “There was slight damage and several persons were injured,” the communique said. One British plane was reported shot down in an air fight. A British reconnaissance plane crashed into the Ionian Sea near Catanzaro, on the sole of the Italian boot, and the pilot was captured by a detail of anti-parachute troops, the high command said. Axis Shifts Direction Of Drive in Libya CAIRO, Jan. 29 (#).—Gen. Erwin Rommel’s Libyan counteroffensive has veered sharply to the west and northwest and driven to within 16 miles of the British-held port of Bengasi, the British command an- nounced today. The sudden change in direction |, 4641 | Imperial Guards are leading the | way, the British reported no change Australian Forces In Counterattacks Above Singapore BY the Associated Press. SINGAPORE, Jan. 29.—Austra- lian troops wielding bayomets in close fighting successfully coun- terattacked the Japanese above Singapore, it was announced to- | day, but the British Far East | command indicated the picked | Japanese troops had penetrated to abcut 30 miles from the Strait of Johore. The Strait of Johore, along whose shore the British have begun clear- ing a mile-wide strip in preparation for the battle of Singapore Island, separates the fortified island from the mainland by about a mile of water, The British Far East command communique announced that its troops are in contact in the center with the Japanese in the Layang- Layang area. Layang - Layang is a town on the main Singapore | railroad 30 miles above the strait. | 200 Jap Casualties Reported. | It was on this central front that | a company of Australians charged with bayonets yesterday and in- flicted about 200 casualties on the Japanese, the Far East command said, at no cost to itself. The communique indicated a considerable advance by the Jap- anese, since the latest report had located the fighting in the area about 15 or 20 miles to the north, around Kluang and Ayer-Hitam.) On the east coast the Japanese were fighting the British about Ulu | Sedili, on the Sedili River 28 miles south of Mersing and 40 miles north of the Strait of Johore, the head- quarters communique reparted. The Japanese Veteran 5th Di- vision is fighting on the central sector. To the west, where the Jtpmesci in the situation. There heavy fighting was re- ported around Rengit, 40-odd miles north of Singapore. Japanese Trapped. The communique said Australians fighting on the east coast last ‘Tuesday successfully trapped the Japanese between the Australian forward elements and Australian fire and inflicted about 250 casual- ties. The Australians suffered about 30 casualties, the communique said. Heavy aerial activity by the Jap- anese continues, it was said, but| a Japanese bomber formation which | approached Singapore island this morning was “driven off by our fighter aircraft and forced to jetti- son their bombs,” Other formations attacked targets on the island, the communique added, but reports of damage and casualties had not yet been received. Maj. Gen. Gordon Bennett, com- mander of the Australians on the Johore front, declared at his fleld | headquarters that his men have been forced to withdraw from the positions in Northern Johore state, where they entered the Malayan battle, because the Japanese have been able to get around the west flank along the coast. No Ground Surrendered. “Our men never have given groupd under pressure,” he said, “and our gunners have vowed that no Japanese tanks ever will get through our positions—and they haven't.” Gen. Bennett said the Japanese once sent out patrols on bicycles taken from Malayans, but the Aus- tralians stopped that by gathering the bicycles all along the coast. British truck convoys moved to and from the front in the face of the repeated Japanese air attacks. The spirit of the drivers was shown in-inscriptions on the sides of their trucks—one of which bore the words: “Don’t worry, we will be back.” Japs Report Relentless Hammering of British TOKIO (From Japanese Broad- casts), Jan. 29 (#).—Japanese forces advancing on the western coastal strip of the Malay Peninsula ham- mered relentlessly throughout yes- terday at British mechanized units (See BURMA, Page A-3) (See LIBYA, Page A-2) By DANIEL DELUCE, Associated Press War Correspondent. RANGOON, Burma, Jan. 29.—The young man from Chipley, Ga., came tumbling out of the blue Burma sky—down, down, down at the rate of 140 miles an hour. Somewhere near him his bullet- slashed Tomahawk plane, flat on its back with the painted shark’s teeth on its belly grinning up at the sun, spun to the earth like a crazy top—nose over tail, sidewise, back- wards. The Georglan kept falling. The half-broken strap of his wrist watch flapped annoyingly. He took it off and put it in his pocket. He remembered a passage in his textbook which said a parachute jump gave very little feeling of dropping through space at a high rate of speed. “Nuts,” he thought, “I can feel ni:r);selt falling now, and it's ter- rific.” The revolving sky, the rice pad- dies, the clouds and patches of green jungle made a crazy-quilt \ U. S. Pilot, Forced to Bail Out in Burma Battle, ‘Takes Off Watch on Way Down at 140 M.P.H. around him. No matter how he strained he couldn’t manage to stay upright, feet first toward the ground. When he finally pulled the rip- cord, for the first time in his life, he guessed he’d fallen 10,000 or 12,- 000 feet. His chute opened and then, he said later, “I felt right in the groove.” One eye was surrounded hy a bruise from striking the buck- ing cockpit. “Balling out and falling so far was 50 the Japs wouldn't have a chance to take pot-shots at me the way they did at Chris (another American pilot) last week,” said the Georgian. “Gil and I had taken on seven Japs at about 21,000 feet. I was on a Jap’s tail, firing, when my plane flopped over, out of control, prob- ably from an attack by some one I never saw. “I pulled back the hatch to change my Tommy's fiying charac- ter, but it was no good. I was get- ting quite & belting around. 5 (See MALAYA, Page A-12) “After we'd dropped about 4,000 feet I let go the safety buckle. All I knew after that was that the plane’s tail went by me and I was dropping like a rock. “It was a lot more sensation than they tell you in the textbooks. “One plane came at me after the ‘chute opened. I thought sure it was a Jap. “Then I got a good look and it turned out to be Gil, just hanging around to convoy me down. “I barely missed plopping into a cattle water-hole, and Tommy landed flat on his belly about a quarter of a mile away. “The native farmers were very kind. One of them insisted on spurting mouthfuls of water to wash the blood off my forehead. Others stuffed my pockets full of crackers to eat on the way back to town. Io-finl now,” he * day’s flying you caught me sald. First Congressional Medal ictim Of War Given Batan V Lt. Nininger Went Into Foe's Positions Alone to Kill Snipers The posthumous award of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Second Lt. Alexander R. Nininger, jr., the first time this highest United States decoration has been authorized since the war started, was announced today by the War Department. Lt. Nininger, 24, an officer of the 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, was killed in action January 12 on the Batan Peninsula. The citation was for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and - beyond the call of duty. Gen. Douglas MacArthur recom- | mended the award, reporting that Lt. Nininger, whose own company | was not in action, voluntarily at- tached himself to another outfit en- gaged in fierce fighting against Jap- anese snipers and ooters who, posted in “fox holes,” were halting a counterattack in which the Americans sought to regain lost po~ sitions. With rifie and hand grenade Lt. Nininger fought his way forward, killing several enemy snipers and Readers Prefer The Star The Star’s afternoon and evening circulation is more than double that of any other Washington mewspaper: Its total circulation in Washington far exceeds that of any of its contem- poraries in the morning or on Synday. “UP) Means Associated Press. LT. A. R. NININGER, JR. destroying several groups of Jap- anese troops in the fox holes before he himself yls.kuled. 1 When the pdsitions finally were retaken by Gen. MacArthur's troops Lt. Nininger's body was found with (See MEDAL, Page A-2) i Senate Commitfee Recommends Ouster Of Langer as Unfit Former North Dakota Governor Is Declared Not Entitled to Seat By the Associated Press. The Senate Elections Commit- tee reported today that Senawr" Langer, Republican, of North| Dakota was not entitled to a | Senate seat because of “a| continuous, contemptuous and | shamefyl disregard for high con- cepts of public duty.” “The respondent (Langer),” the committee said, “has not avoided, and cannot avoid, the consequences of the acts of gross impropriety, lawlessness, shotgun law enforce- ment, jail breaking, violation of oath as an attorney, rabble-rousing, civil disobedience, breach of the peace, obstruction of the admin- istration of justice and tampering with court officials. * * *” Asserting that the integrity of the Senate was at stake, the committee asked the chamber to deny member- ship to the former Governor of North Dakota, and recommended that action be taken by a simple majority vote. Hearings Exceeded Year. Filing of the committee report climaxed more than a year of in- vestigations and public hearings on 21 allegations made against Sena- tor Langer by a group of North Da- kota petitioners. Senator Langer was seated “with- out prejudice” January 3, 1941, and continues to serve with all the rights and privileges of a Senator pending a final vote by the Senate. The committee voted, 13 to 3, against Langer December 18, and then be- gan preparation of its formal re- port. In it the committee told the Sen- ate that “the charge of moral turpitude against respondent has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt.”s Senator Langer, the report said, (See LANGER, Page A-6) Dr. Ruiz Guinazu Hurt in Crash of Airliner at Rio B3 the Associated Press. RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 20.—An Argentine air liner carrying Dr. En- rique Ruiz Guinazu, Foreign Minis- ter of Argentina, and other dele- gates home from the Rio de Janeiro Pan-American Conference fell into the sea today, but all aboard were saved. Dr. Ruiz Guinazu suffered a chest injury. He was picked up by a launch and taken to the Naval School Hospital. ‘The accident occurred at 9:30 am. (7:30 am., E. 8. T.) as the plane was taking off from the Rio de Janeiro de A | | ings W. E. Reynolds today told Further Transfers 0f Workers From D. C. Recommended Public Buildings Chief Also | Says $50,000,000 Housing Fund Will Be Inadquute Commissioner of Public Build- the House Public Buildings and | Grounds Committee it is possible | to move 25000 Government workers out of Washington and that he had recommended fur- ther decentralization of Federal | agencies that would take away | far more than the 11,000 or 12,- | 000 already slated to go. At the same time, he declared the | proposed $50,000,000 appropriation to relieve the acute housing short- age in the metropolitan area would be inadequate to provide accommo- dations for the steady influx of new Federal war workers. One of the first witnesses before the committee as it began hearings on legislation aimed at providing special funds for construction of vast housing projects and public ‘works in the District area, Mr. Rey- nolds bluntly declared: “The present plans of decentrall- zation provide for removal of 11,000 or 12000 Federal workers. It is possible to move additional people from Washington and it should cer- tainly be done with dispatch. I made such a recommendation re- cently before a House Appropria- tions Subcommittee.” Mr. Reynolds pointed out that (See HOUSING, Page A-6) Australian Aircraft Hits Japanese Ship at Rabaul* By the Associated Press. MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 29. —Australian aircraft scored a direct hit on one Japanese ship and prob- ably hit another despite bad visi- bility in their third attack on Rabaul, New Britain, since the island port was occupied by the Japanese, an R. A. A. F. communique said today. All the Australian planes returned to their base. Four of the 11 Japanese vessels known to be at Rabaul were reported previously to have been knocked out of action by damage from the Aus- tralian raiders. Reconnaissance flights over the Bismarck Archipelago, of which New Britain is a part, were reported to have disclosed no developments of major importance. Formation of a special people’s army, trained on the lines of Brit- Conference on Spies | to the White House today for dis- | | cussion of steps to free American | | counterespionage | peace-time Hoover Summoned To White House for Roosevelt Hopes to Extend Powers of Justice Agents (Alien Registration Story, Page A-2) ‘ By JOHN C. HENRY. President Roosevelt summoned J. Edgar Hoover, head of the | Federal Bureau of Investigation, agents of restrictions which | already have worked to the ad- | vantage of enemy powers. The President took this step as legislation tightening alien registra- | tion requirements came from Capitol | Hill for his approval. The measure received congressional concurrence yesterday after critical debate in the House on compromise features of the conference report. In announcing the Hoover ap- pointment today, White House Sec- retary Stephen T. Early said the | purpose was to consider ways and | means of broadening the limited | powers of the F. B. I. in counter- 1 espionage operations, particularly with regard to intercepting tele- | phone and telegraph messages. “The President's feeling,” Mr. Early said, “is that the handcuffs ought to be taken off the F. B. I.| and put somewhere else.” The President and the Justice De- partment went on record some time ago as favoring legislation to permit wire tapping and the interception of other messages when specifically authorized by the Attorney General, | but Congress has refused its ap- | proval on grounds of endangering | civil liberties. Mr. Early predicted new legislative efforts will be pressed | intensively as a result of the White House conversations today. Under- existing law, intercepted messages are inadmissable as evidence in Federal courts. In its report on the Japanese- American engagement at Pearl | Harbor, the Roberts Commission dis- | closed that the Hawaiian Islands | prior to December 7 were teeming | with a network of Japanese spies. The most detailed and accurate information on American defense operations in that area was col- lected by this espionage system and transmitted to Tokio, principally | through ordinary commercial com- | | munication facilities “The contents of these messages, | if they could have been learned, | might have furnished valuable in- formation,” the Roberts report stated. “In view of the peaceful relations with Japan and the con- sequent restrictions on the activities of the’ investigating agencies they were unable prior to December 7 to obtain and examine messages trans- mitted through commercial chan- nels by the Japanese consul or by | persons acting for him.” Hampered by Laws. The intelligence services of both the Army and Navy and the F. B. I. all were exercising co-ordinated jurisdiction in Hawail, but in the | face of the specified restrictions were prevented from any effective | counter-espionage. Among other obstacles, the report cited, was an expressed unwilling- | (See ROOSEVELT, Page A-8.) President May Make Fireside Address About February 22 President Roosevelt may make another fireside radio ad- dress to the Nation next month, it was indicated at the White House today. Stephen T. Early, presidential secretary, said there had been many requests that the Chief Executive make another Na- tion-wide address on progress of the war and in answer to “poisonous and troublesome rumors.” Mr. Early explained that the President does not feel that a formal address would be timely right now but that it is prob- able he will plan such an ac- counting about the time of ain’s home guard, for protection of by Francis M. Forde and Maj. Gen. Vernon Sturdee, chief of the Aus- tralian general staff. A Washington’s birthday, Febru- ary 22. At that time, Mr. Early added, there may be some news |. of importance to bring to the | in general charge. | all forces of the United Nations are } bilities develops, | said, THREE CENTS. House Unit Kills New Inquiry on Pearl Harbor Proposal Defeated, 14-6; Stimson Bares Unified Commands The House Naval Affairs Com- mittee refused today, by a vote of 14 to 6, to undertake a supple- mentary congressional inquiry into the Pearl Harbor disaster. The committee’s action followed by only a short time a revelatior by Secretary of War Stimson that the commander of the Pacific Fleet now is in complete charge of all Hawaiian defenses, land and sea, 2s a step in the United States’ speeding unifica- tion of commands for important outposts and task forces. Although expedited by the Pearl Harbor disaster where the Army and Navy commands were found not to be collaborating, the eJorts to attain unity between land and sea forces have been in progress, how- ever, since RBritain's loss of Crete dramatized its necessity, Secretary Stimson told a press conference. Commanders Listed. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz now is in charge at Hawaii. In the Panama Canal Zone, Lt. Gen. Frenk M. Andrews of the Army Air Force is in command, with some naval forces under him. In other areas of the Caribbean, however, Secretary Stimson disclosed the. Atlantic Fleet commander was In the Far East headed by British Gen. Sir Archi- | bald Wavell. “These are only certain examples.” Mr. Stimson said, in refusing to comment on any other phases of this policy affecting either Amer- ican or United Nations forces in other combat zones. The Secretary refused to discuss various phases of the Pearl Harbor report. Gen. Short’s Case Studied. Asked what the War Department intended doing in the case of Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, who was re- lieved from the command of the Hawaiian Army forces, he said. “I can only say that this matter has been under careful study and con- sideration. Gen. Short is now at his home awaiting further orders.” (The Department announced that Maj. Gen. Frederick L. Mar- tin, who had commanded the Air Force in Hawali, had been reassigned to the important post of commanding general of the Second Air Force at Fort George Wright, Washington.) Mr. Stimson refused also to dis- cuss questions raised in the Pearl Harbor report implying failure on the part of Army and Navy officials here to check with the Hawaiian commanders to see if the proper defense precautions had been taken against a surprise attack. The House committee vote on the Pearl Harbor probe came on a motion to request the documentary evidence collected by the President’s special commission. Vinson Withholds Comment. “This means no investigation at this time, by this committee,” de- clared Representative Maas, Re- publican, of Minnesota, ranking Re- publican member of the committee. Chairman Vinson refused to elab- orate on the announcement beyond saying that the motion had been tabled by a 14-to-6 vote. On the Senate side of the Capitol, meanwhile, criticism arose because Ino reinforcements have been sent to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's be- leaguered forces in the Philippines, so far as is publicly known. Secretary Stimson touched on this topic today also. Asked whether Gen. MacArthur had received any reinforcements in planes or ships since the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, he said: “Would you like to have that news go to the Japanese?” He did say, however, that “reine forcements to the Pacific South- west area are going on.” The motor torpedo boats which have figured in spectacular exploits in Subic Bay belonged to Gen. MacArthur's orig- inal equipment, he added. Second Committee May Act. Chairman May was on record as saying the House Military Affairs Committee might study conditions at Pearl Harbor, but would wait until President Roosevelt or the War Department had time to act. “As commander in chief of our armed forces,” Representative May said, “the President may, if he be- | ieves the facts in the Roberts re- port justify it, dismiss those respon- sible for what happened at Pearl Harbor. He may, if he wishes, turn the report over to the War and Navy Departments and request courts-martial. A third possibility is that the officers accused of negli- | gence may themselves seek a court- martial so they can present their | side of the case if they wish.” In the event none of those possi- the Kentuckian “I believe our committee should make an investigation of the military end of the situation.” Clark Urges Aid for MacArthur. Talking to reporters concerning reinforcements for the Philippines, Senator Clark, Democrat, of Mis- sourl said he was nettled that Amer- ican equipment seemed to be going in large part to Europe instead of toward the Southwest Pacific. “It must have been a great source of comfort to Gen. MacArthur to hear Churchill announce to the House of Commons that we have plénty of bombers to send over Ger- many,” he said with irony. “We ought to get some of those bombers out to the Philippines.” There was some criticism also of the transfer of American troops to Northern Ireland, but Senator Chandler, Democrat, of Kentucky said no one ought to assume that this action precluded the early bol- stering of forces of the United Na- tions opposing the Japanese. \