Evening star., 1942-08-08

occasion tnap prompted lIle IeLlueI-
vous. The situation had to be es-
timated at once and feet DISPOSE
tions made to meet the attack-the
strategist in chief had to figure out,
for instance, whether the Japs
would make a drive on Midway or
the Aleutians, or both. The cor
clusions were eminently correct"
The Secretary's own newspaper
correspondent, in this description
of the pre- battle strategy, certainly
imputed advance knowledge of en-
emy size and dispositions. Yet the
Secretary's correspondent and paper
have never been reprimanded or in
vestigated.
Certainly" Maloney observed, |
"the japanese did not figure this
big (American) force was up there
to pick daisies"
Admiral Wilson asked Maloney
why the Tribune's story, which had
Washington dateline on it, was
ascribed to naval intelligence off,
cials.
Tells Why Reporters Ascribe
Stories to Washington.
Maloney replied If there were
newspapermen in the room they
would understand why. 1t is COM
mon practice, and newspapermen
all over the United States follow
it, he declared, when a story OF
official affairs can not be pinned on
any definite place or spot, to ascribe
it to Washington.
Stanley Johnston went to WASH
ington and gave his version of the
affair on July 13. Present at that
hearing were Admiral Wilkinson,
Capt. Holden, Attorney Mitchell and
Mr.. Henning.
Questioned by Mitchell on the
events which occurred on the night
of June 6, the night the contro-
versial story was written, Johnston
remembered the first news of the
great Midway Island victory in the
communique of Admiral Nimitz,
To refresh the memory of his
hearers, Johnston quoted from the
Nimitz communique as follows:
The Japanese invasion force, far
from surprising the defenders of
Midway, was engaged in battle be-
fore it's advance raiding force could
sever the defenses of the tiny west
ernmost bastion In the Hawaiian
/ group and before its troop ships
could come close enough even to at
. tempt the landing. Just as in the
battle of the Coral Sea, this invasion
, force was hit more than 1000 miles
from its probable ultimate OBJ
jective.
The Tribune correspondent, versee
, in naval affairs and fresh from the
, Coral Sea triumph, a was greatly
, elated as he scanned the dispatche!
on the Midway scrap, he told hi!
5 inquisitors.
what did you do?" inquired
| Mitchell.
II said, This must be the bigges
fleet the Japs could get together
IT offered to list up for Mr.. Ma
J, loney for publication my views OF
what the Jap fleet at Midway con
sisted Of, and did So"
Made Up List Of Fleet
As Printed in Tribune.
: Johnston told the admirals tina
e he obtained a volume of Jane
e Fighting Ships and with its ali
= made up the list of the Jap fleet a
printed in the Tribune story
June 7.
= Attorney Mitchell asked Johnstol
4 why he believed the Navy had ad
4 vance knowledge of the size an
: disposition of the Jap feet. John
n ston in reply pointed out that fo
a several days before the attac
h American airplanes must have bee
S observing the hostile fleet and, a
2 times, had even attacked 1t. Unite
n States submarines were CONSTANT
q on watch in waters controlled by tn
Japanese.
"By submarine reconnaissance "
should have known the ships ths
were with the Japs," said Johnston
q Every one OF them?" aske
i Mitchell.
2 II see no reason why pot" reptile
Q Johnston.
# Johnston also recalled that wee
! before the Midway attack brok'
: Secretary Of War Henry L. Stimso
: issued warning that an attack Wa
j. coming. There were blackouts o
: the West Coast and warnings, h
l. recalled.
h johnson also noted that the late.
communicates on the Midway AHA
1t plainly indicated that reconnais
le sance aircraft and submarines ha
p. noted the withdrawal of enem
le naval ships from the Southwest Pa
ly cific toward Japan. This was tf
le same as imputing advance know
l. edge of the enemy forces, he dt
n clared.
al Furthermore, Associated Press di!
patches were based on the ofici
50 communicates, declared: "Japane.
at invasion armada ran into an Amer
l. can ambush in the Battle Of Midwa
le official reports disclosed today
i Johnston remarked that peop
E. don't lie in ambush for other peop
r. unless they have advance knowledi
ry the other people are coming.