Evening star., 1941-12-15

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ed to every out David Lawrence.
post, whether American or British
or Russian Or Dutch or ChineSe-a
whole theater of war is envisaged
and not merely Americas S part in
the great conflict.
What happened December 7 at
Hawaii will be told and retold by
those who witnessed it and by Off
cial reports. Nobody will deny that
the American feet suffered a ma jor
defeat, but what is going to prove
more important is just how the
United States Navy reacted to the
blow and the things that have been
occurring since December 7.
The public has been impatient to
know the extent of the damage
done. The administration is criti-
cized for not telling all. But the
public doesn't yet perceive how i'm
portant it is to conceal from the
enemy exactly what did happen. 1t
Is no answer to assume the Japa-
nese know just what battleships were
affected. The fact is they do not
know. They may see ship go down,
but they may not be sure which
one. And it makes a great deal of
difference whether a battleShip Of
the 1915 class or one of the 1899
class is lost.
What Japs Want to Know.
When ship is damaged it is
important for the enemy to know
exactly how extensive are the in
Juries and particularly how long it
may take to make repairs. The
Japanese naval command would like
TO know, too, just how long it will
be before the ships are restored and
If a ship of certain type is dam
aged then it is obvious what the
placements must be.
Thus, undoubtedly, too, some big
capital ships were ordered from the
Atlantic to the Pacific the moment
the naval command here realized
what had happened. 1t Is important
for the Japanese to know which
ships and how many and where they
are going. These are secrets which
1t is vital to withhold and that's why
illogical impasience or curiosity to
force the American naval command
to tell what happened at Hawaii is
not in the public interest. 1t is
urged that the British told promptly
about the loss of the Prince of Wales
and the Repulse. But this has not
always happened. The British, for
reasons of their own, have often
postponed announcement of naval
losses in the past.
Certainly there is no purpose in
concealment except strategic. The
facts ultimately become known any,
how, but there may be great military
advantage in waiting few days
or even month sometimes so as
to confound the enemy strategists.
Knox Got Facts.
The theory that dive bomber
can make direct hit and see what
Is happening and report back to
his base may be true of a sinking
but it is not necessarily true of a
severe damaging.
The President sent Secretary Knox
to Hawaii to get the facts. 1t was
essential that something like this
be done because undoubtedly the
public wanted a more thorough
examination of civilian and military
and naval losses than could be
given in the normal process of Off
cial reporting. Mr.. Knox has come
back with the facts.
1t Is necessary to dispel the notion
that the reason for withholding the
story had to do with a fear of
lowering American morale. On the
contrary the weeks events have
proved that America not only "can
take it, but that the Hawaiian news
has had an electric effect on the
whole country. Enlistments have
been stimulated to an unprecedented
rate. Production hours have beer
heightened. Congress has pu
through needed legislation. The
whole mechanism of war prepare.
ton is moving with a spirit and g
speed that has been hoped for but
never attained in the last two years
japanese Blunder.
Some day the japanese will lool
back on what happened on Decem
ber 7 and they will recognize it al
the greatest blunder they possibl.
could have made. For if the Japa
nese had pushed on in Indo-Chin