Detroit evening times., 1941-12-12
Hawaii Defense
Abso|ved; Knox
Arrives at Isle

Continued from Page One)
bombed some residential sections,
including crowded tenements
jammed with helpless civilians.
Some Of the 40 civilian deaths ana
many of the injuries are attrib-
utable to direct hits. Others were
caused by shrapnel from explo-
sives rained down upon the city.
A number of homes were ruined.
Emergency hospitals teemed
with both pathetic and heroic
sights. A shortage of operating
tables soon developed, and doctors
used borrowed kitchen tables.
NO ACTUAL PANIC
Reasonable order was estab-
lished within an hour following
the initial attack, and during the
entire disaster ! failed to see q
single instance of actual panic.
The first call for blood donors
resulted in a long lineup of volun-
teers, and many citizens offered
their homes for emergency hospi-
talization of the injured. Radio
stations did yeoman service dur
ing the first two hours after the
raid, instructing the populace In
emergency conduct and summon
ing volunteers to duty.
Gov. j. B. Poindexter arrived
at his office simultaneously with
an emergency group of leaders.
and quickly proclaimed state OF
emergency and later martial law
Then the work of directing civilian
defense began in earnest. ST
BLACKOUTS STARTED
Since that fateful Sunday,
Honolulu has been concentrating
upon one job effective defense
and care of civilians. Rationing OF
goods and gasoline-as conserva-
ton step and not because Of q
shortages proving effective.
Blackouts are held nightly, with
all business firms closing early.
However, all businesses are func.
tioning.
Estimated by observers to In
clude as many as $50 planes, the
Japanese air squadrons struck
carefully at military targets, OBJ
viously in accord with a carefully
pre- arranged plan, and than
dropped number of explosives In
residential areas and machine
gunned civilians.
The care and accuracy with
which the invaders struck at mili-
tary objectives left officials cons
vinced that the terror tactics
inflicted on civilian communities
were not accidental.
Many of the civilian casualties,
announced as 40 dead and more
than 100 wounded, occurred far
from any military targets. n
This loss of life and destruction
of property was in addition to the
Carnage visited upon the great
Rearl Harbor naval base and army
air fields and the 5000 casualties
about half of them fatalities, which
resulted. at
IS. w. King, Hawaii's COM I
gressionai delegate, in Wash-a
ington said that Gov. j. BE-
Poindexter had informed him bys1
telephone from Honolulu that,
20 Japanese planes were de-
stroyed in Sundays assaults.) >
Island authorities emphasized
two characteristics of Sundays
unwarranted and unexpected at
tack, which started the war in the
Pacific. as illustrating the treach-
cry and international lawlessness
of the Nipponese.
First, said these authorities.
there was the obviously careful
and prolonged planning of the
assault before the Japanese gov
ernment sent Envoy Kurusu to
Washington to engage in the last
conversation with the United
States ostensibly in the pursuit Of
peace.
SUBS IN ATTACK
This was established by the
simultaneous arrival of Nipponese
planes and submarines. The latter
are very slow and would take
weeks to make the transit across
the Pacific.
1t now is established that when
Honolulu citizens were awakened
early Sunday morning by explod-
ing bombs and anti-aircraft fire
they saw the Japanese fliers
sweeping in from the west. The
planes divided into two groups
which attacked targets obviously
pre-assigned.
Prac ically simultaneously
they attacked at least FIVE mlli-
tary targets, exclusive Of the
city and the harbor, In nearly
all cases diving through the be-
ginnings OF snti-aircraft bar
RACES to the lowest possible
attitudes.
Five bombs, aimed at two ra-
do stations and three utilities
plants, which would have rem
dered the city without power
and telephone and radio service,
all missed their targets by mar.
row margins.
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