Evening star., 1941-12-19
Knox Says Third Wave
lin Hawaii Attack
Was Stopped Cold
Tells Middle Graduates
Warning Would Have
Made Big Difference
Nv the Associated Press.

| BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 19.-Secretary
of the Navy Knox, asserting that 80
minutes warning of the japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor would have
made "all the difference in the
world" disclosed today that the third
and final wave of enemy bombers
met such a devastating attack that
it turned away without hitting
single objective.
The Navy Secretary, speaker at
graduation exercises for the Naval
Academy's class of 1912, said Japan's
assault on the great Pacific naval
base was "damning account Of in
famous treachery" such as was
never recorded in the history of the
world"
There is no question at all, in the
light Of what happened he said,
that half an hours warning of the
approach of the Japanese planes
would have made all the difference
in the world
Divided Into Three Attacks.
II say this with considerable con-
fldence because that assault was
divided into three attacks. The third
assault came two hours after the
first one. With all of the resources
that were left, We were ready,
and that attack never got home.
1T encountered. as it approached
Pearl Harbor, such barrage from
every gun and every ship that the
not a single torpedo found its mark
or did the slightest damage to our
ships or to our equipment ashore"
On the other hand, he told the
midshipmen, I'VE ought to have
been on our guard against treach-
cry. If we had studied Japan's rec
ord in the war with Russia when, in
similar manner, they descended
upon the Russian fleet at a moment
when those two nations were still
at peace and destroyed that feet
without warning-if we had studied
have been surprised
Served Useful Purpose.
But the attack did serve a useful
purpose, he continued, because it
drove home with frightful force
upon the minds of our military lead
ers the importance Of guarding
against surprise, the importance of
never Understanding the boldness
and resourcefulness of the enemy:
and upon the civilian population it
drove home with a sense of horror
the treachery Of the foe We have to
defeat.
This gave us what we must have
and now do have-a completely
united country for the prosecution
Of war to successful conclusion.
So out Of this affair of treachery
ultimate good comes"
Secretary Knox conceded that the
Axis had an army which until re-
Gently swept all Europe before it, a
large and well-trained air force and
a very considerable fleet-at pres
ent by far the largest naval force
In the Western Pacific, where most
VI sScd WIN DC OOIlS.
Nevertheless victory would come
to the United States and its allies
eventually and inevitably" he de-
clared.
Stronger Than Foe.
1T will be ours because, strong
though our enemies are, We are
stronger still The United States
Is the greatest single economic
force in the world today. With our
allies We can outproduce the Axis
powers in all the material of war
in planes and in ships; in tanks
and in guns"
In addition to Britain. China and
Russia. with their vast resources of
man power. Secretary Knox said. the
smaller nations which had joined
the allied front had each "a valu-
able contribution to make to the
common cause" and the under
ground activities of the populations
OF occupied areas has already
created a new front in the Aart
OF conquered Europe"
The secretary told the midship-
men 1t would not be easy to live up
to the heroism and devotion to
duty shown by their Navy mates
at Pearl Harbor, but that it was up
to them to do 50.
There are names which are
fragrant in our memories whenever
we think Of American courage and
American fighting spirit he said.
Valley Forge and Belleau Wood
Bunker Hill and Mobile Bay, Get
tysburg and Chateau Thierry.
New Pearl Added.
To-day we have a new pearl to
add to the rosary of memory: Pearl
Harbor"
Thirty-one seniors and juniors
received prizes and awards from
Rear Admiral Russell Wilson, acad-
emy superintendent, and representa-
tives OF patriotic societies in a cere-
mony witnessed by the entire regi-
ment Of more than 5000 midship-
men in Dahlgren Hall.
Recipients included:
Arthur G. Hamilton, jr., Hyatts-
vile, the Secretary of the Navy's
rifle trophy, and Robert c. Gooding,
Alexandria, Va, the class of 1912
prize, a gold watch.
Twenty-Six members of the class
were honorably discharged upon
their graduation. Some of them are