Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-10
Pearl Harbor
Head Hunting
Premature
Time Asked TO Fix Full
Raid Responsibility
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

Il hunting for a scapegoat for
the Pacific catastrophe, particu-
larly at Pearl Harbor and the
Philippine Islands.
The damage done to our de-
lenses seems to be so terrific
that an eventual head-hunt is
pretty notwithstanding now of
individuals whose official skulls
must roll in the sawdust basket
for some garrison's Sunday
morning snooze.
But it is not too early to
seek out the direct responsible
ity that considering the whole
situation in the Pacific, could
permit such a relaxation of vigil
lance and disposition of troops
and ships as would permit dar-
ing raid on three such powerful
stations as Pearl Harbor and
from all that appears, Cavite
and Olangapo.
On Armistiee Day this coll
umn called attention, not only
to the practical certainty of
such a sudden attack, TO the
absolute certainty of very
early war in the Pacific. and 10
the disposition to treat that
ocean and our defenses there as
a sort of side show to the main
circus in Russia. but it showed,
among other things. that such
n Japanese war would close one
of the only three routes by
which we can send our prom
ised billion dollars worth of sup
plies to our great democratic
ally. Russia CVladivostock, the
most practicaD-the other two
being through Murmansk by
rail TO central Russia and
through the Persian Gulf.
THE cond, or Murmansk
Il route. is threatened with con-
troll from Finland-which ex-
plains the British declaration of
war on that great aggressor
nation.
The third persian Gulf Is
likely to be useless. The Vladi-
vostock route is now corked up
by the japanese action. The
situation thus has more adj
verse aspects than appear on
the surface, and they came into
being since Sunday night.
Somebody certainly is respon-
sible for an insufficient prepara-
ton in this major field of the
larger strategy and this lack of
proper emphasis on the Pacific
area.
Considering the distance Of
the scenes of these hit-and-run
japanese actions from the bases
from which they were launched.
a terrible revenge should be
taken on the attacking forces
before they can return home IL
our navy and air forces are as
good and the Japanese are as
poor as we have been led TO
believe.
In addition. our officials In
charge of certain raw materials
such as tin and rubber are al
ready beginning 10 tank about
stringent shortages in those inn
ported commodities by reason
of our now being cut off from
the East Indies and Burma.
If Britain and America can
maintain practically an uninter-
rupted stream of lend-leaSe sup
plies through the submarine
infested waters Of the Atlantic.
we and Britain certainly should
be able 10 secure the rubber and
tin needed from the Pacific
areas.
IF WE can't do so, this should
Il be added to the other con-
siderations on the side OF con-
clusion that our Pacific situation
was treated, on it's strategic
side. more like an orphan foun-
ding than ever.
At least these circumstances
should be given an airing at the
earliest convenient moment.
But il should be done in no
spirit of hysteria, head-hunt-
ing. scapegoat-finding or buck
passing.
Responsibility for this sort Of
thing usually goes very far up
in the scale of rank. yet the
practice ordinarily is TO fix the
guilt on a subordinate.
The decisions that fixed these
dispositions in the tremendous
area of the Pacific ocean could
have been made only by men OF
the very highest rank and re-
sponsibility in, or in connection
with, the navy and its air force.
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