Evening star., 1941-12-10
Senate Committees
Refuse 10 Question
Defense Strategy
Trumun and Walsh
Decline to Summon
Naval Commanders
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Chairman Truman announced to-
day the Senate Defense Investigat-
ing Committee would continue its
work during the war, but believes
that it should not investigate mill
tary and naval strategy or tactics"
Therefore, Senator Truman said,
no attempt will be made to inquire
into the circumstances of the jap
anese attack at Pearl Harbor Sum-
day. He made the comment after a
closed committee session called to
determine future policy.
From It's inception" statement
said, the committee has confined
itself to "the military aspects
of the defense program, that is to
say, with seeing to it that the de-
tense articles which the Army and
Navy had determined that they need
are produced in a minimum Of time
at minimum of cost and with as
little disruption of the civilian econ
orny as possible"
Walsh Rejects Questioning.
The Senate Naval Affairs Com
mittee said President Roosevelt
must be the Judge of when informa-
ton about war operations should be
given to the American public and
for that reason the Senate commit
tee would make no effort to ques-
ton naval officials.
Senator Walsh said he was salts
fed the President had told all he
could about the Pacific situation.
Meanwhile the House Naval Af-
fairs Committee was called into
executive session to permit members
to question Rear Admiral Ross T.
McIntire, Naval surgeon general, as
to whether the Nays top-ranking
officers are physically fit for war
time duty.
Representative Vincent, Democrat
of Kentucky demanded the oppor-
tunity to interrogate DR.. McIntire
on the subject, asserting, I'VE can't
fight this war with IS or 70 year
old men"
The committee had invited Secre-
tary Knox and Admiral Harold r
Stark, chief of naval operations
to be on hand for the session SO
that they might be questioned as to
how the Japanese managed to de-
liver their surprising and damag-
ing attack on Pearl Harbor.
Vinson Halts Plan.
Chairman VinSon announced late
yesterday, however, that Secretary
Knox would be out of the city today
and that the war with Japan made
it impossible for Admiral Stark to
take time from his official duties to
testify.
President Roosevelt told the Ma
ton in his speech last night, how
ever, that he himself did not vet
have sufficient information on the
Pearl Harbor attack to state the
exact damage done to United States
Warships there. Because of this lack
of information, many lawmakers
considered that any investigation
OF the circumstances of the assault
would be premature.
Representative Vincent had de-
r1anded questioning of the Nays
high command on the Pearl Harbor
attack. declaring that somebody was
asleep" in Hawaii A short time
later, Representative Dingell, Dem
ocrat, of Michigan told the House he
planned to demand court-martial
proceedings against the ranking Army
and Navy officers involved, a step
which Mr.. Vinson promptly de-
nounced as nothing but a cheap ef-
fort to get newspaper publicity
Representative Dingell was fore
stalled at the close of yesterdays
House session from making a five
minute additional speech on the sub
ject when representative Cole
Democrat, of Maryland forced ad-
journment because a quorum was
lacking.
I'll get five minutes one way or
the other tomorrow to make this
speech in spite of the brass hats, u
stormed Mr.. Dingell a few minutes
later.
Naval Expansion.
Chairman Vinson disclosed yester-
day that the Navy is preparing leg
islation to authorize the building Of
still more combat ships which will
be started just as soon as new or
existing ways are available.
Mr.. Vinson said he would insist
that the new program emphasize
battleships, apparently to offset any
similar construction which Japan
might undertake The Georgian
gave no details of the projected
expansion.
At present, the United States has
about 345 combat ships in the five
major categories-battleships, air.
craft carriers, cruisers, destroyers
and submarines-under construction
and on last Navy Day, October u
the number in service totaled 346.
Asserting that all naval building
now is on a 24-hour-a-da basis
Mr.. Vinson said the forthcoming
legislation might include some pro-
visions for further expediting the
work