The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-30
Must Before Attack

Just Before Attack
 Here was the situation on the weekend of the attack:
 Early Sunday morning the dawn patrol went out on its regular survey and reported nothing unusual was happening in the area covered by its flight. Shortly afterward-during sabotage alert"--the Japanese struck, Bombs fell on hangars crowded with planes, Empty hangars were ignored,
 The Japanese knew precisely when to attack and where their objectives were. Some of the Japanese aViators shot down were wearing the rings of Honolulu high schools and oregon State. Some of the Japanese agents caught during or after the raid had been trusted figures in Honolulu for twenty years or more.
 The strength and importance of the Japanese community oG the Hawaiian Islands has hitherto passed without notice on the American mainland.
 The Japanese form the biggest ra- cial group in the islands, accounting for l55,o00 of the total population of 4l4,oo0 and outnumbering both the native Hawaiians and Americans of white stock.
 Many of the Japanese residents the American citizens with the right to vote. Politicians in the iS- lands could not afford to overlook or offend this important bloc of voters.
 Partly for this reason, Japanese Of American nationality intiltrated Into the police department and oh- talned jobs as road supervisors, san- itary inspectors or minor govern. ment officials,
 Ideal Spy Spots
 Many went to work in the post office and telephone servlce--ideal posts for spies. Some worked their way into the electric and gas com- panles and other public utilities vital to defense and civilian needs. As American citizens, they were admit ted to the territorial guard which was assigllned to protect key points in an emergency.
 Even after evidence of treachery had accumulated, old American reSi- dents refused to question the loyal ty Of many of their Japanese -Ameri. can friends, Army and navy officers continued to keep Japanese servants in their homes. The wife of one offl- cer told me she still had two Japa. neSe servants.
 We haven't the slightest doubt of their loyalty" he said. "They have been with us such long time--and they get along so well with the children"
 An American resident, who had studied Japanese methods in Man. churia and north China, told me that the Japanese fifth column and espionage organizations in the is. lands were similar to those which had been used to undermine the Chi nese. He said these organizations included
 1. A general espionage and sabot. age network directed by the Japa. nese consul general at Honolulu. This organization included the "Ronin," young gangsters recruited from the families of the poorer farmers.
 3. Japanese army intelligence which directed host o fspies, chief. ly proprietors of small stores, res. taurants and cafes.
 3. Japanese naval intelligence, which ran a much more extensive organization. Its agents included fishermen and seamen who knew the Hawaiian seas and coasts, hotel proprietors and employees, servants in private families and-most in- portant of all-fresh produce deal- CTS who supplied fruits and vege- tables to the ships in Pearl Harbor and army posts.
 Trace Ship Movements
 Up to the time of the attack, my informant said, ship movements could be traced through deliveries Of these supplies. They were or- dered in the name of a particular warship and dealers could judge the length of prospective cruise or a stay in port by the supplies talk en on board.
 By piecing together the informa- tion obtained from different dealers, Japanese naval intelligence SUD- posedly could predict when the bulk of the battle fleet would be in Pearl Harbor.
 Representatives of foreign govern mentS, who investigated fifth col umn activities in Honolulu, and other residents to whom I talked, were convinced that a number of Japanese in the islands had been tipped in advance to be prepared for action on December 2.
 Whether or not this was true, Japanese agents certainly swung quickly into action on the day of the attack.
 Despite the fact that the dawn patrol, which went up at 5 a. n.. reported nothing abnormal. AEnegi-