Evening star., 1942-07-09

Japanese " n o - >%$s%>:
disting uished David Lawrence.
themselves in the action. But it has
caused considerable conjecture here.
It is obvious that If the Japanese
learned any more than they knew
last December they would not have
hesitated to announce it closer to
the event.
1t is possible, OF course, that the
Japanese have not been sure of any
Of their information and are trying
to entice the American authorities
into divulging more facts. For,
after all, there is no substantial
morale value at this late date
either to the Japanese people or ad-
versely to the American people in
claiming more ships than were be-
Neved to have been lost last De-
eember.
The real reason for the Japanese
strategy in making higher claims
now may be related to their own
lack Of authentic data as to what
Is happening to our battleships. Not
20 many days ago 1t became known
IN . general way through oflcial
dispatches concerning the action Of
the. United States Senate on ap-
preparation bills that battleship
construction was being postponed.
The Japanese must be wondering
whether the basic for this change is
the one given out-needs OF priori-
ties-or whether 1t is that the Amer
lean battleship fleet may shortly be
Or has already been reinforced.
Secret Deeply Kept.
The one thing that grows into
more than . suspicion is that the
japanese are really in the dark as
TO the number and location Of our
battleships and that they do not
know when the damaged ships may
reappear In the American fleet.
Whether the ships damaged At
Pearl Harbor will be In commission
sooner than anybody anticipated,
whether they have been crossed Of
as obsolete or whether they have
been subjected to . complete re-
building process Is not being dis
closed. It Il tightly kept secret
and properly -, because It is Of the
utmost Importance to Japanese
strategy 10 know the potential
strength and disposition Of the
American battle fleet for future
planning.
There Is reason to belive that the
American Navys policy Of conceal
ment about our aircraft carrier loss
1T the battle Of the Coral Sea until
after the battle Of Midway was .
factor In our successful operations
IN the latter instance. The Japanese
did not know the size Of the forces
that were available to meet them.
Since the battle Of Midway there
k reason to believe that the Japa
nese naval men have become some.
what cautious and conservative
They have been kept guessing as t<
our Pacific fleet, and they woule
like very much to know whether ir
the next few months some Of thoss
battleships allegedly sunk in Pear
Harbor may reappear as did th'
destroyer Shaw-reported sunk bu
now In commission.
The japanese claim they sani
ave Of our battleships and damaget
four others-a total Of nine. Sec.
fetary Knox on December IS an.
nounced that the battleship Arizona
and the old target battleship Utah
had been sunk and that one othe
tire Oklahoma-had been capsized
II never has been disclosed wha
other battleships were damaged o
whether any serious damage wa
done to any. President Roosevelt
said February 23 that only thre'
warships had been permanently pu
out OF commission. Nothing ha
been said since that date.
May Affect Jap Building.
The japanese would like to knoy
what's happening to the other 81
battleships-that is. those beside
the Arizona. Utah and Oklahoma
because In the Pacific what happen
to six capital ships, whether the
will be back In the fray soon or
year from now, may make a con
siderable difference.
The japanese doubtless have som
battleships under construction an
need steel acutely. II they coul
be certain that while we may b
deferring construction here on ne
battleships. there is no chance c
restoring the other six. they. to
might give up battleship construc
ton for q while. Or 1t may mea
the opposite-they may be con
vinced that this is the time to &C
celerate construction.
Anyway, despite the criticism ths
has been visited on the Navy II
making no further statements abol
the battleships damaged at Pea
Harbor, the policy Of secrecy woul
seem now to be justified-at least,
has aroused the japanese to tn
point of making broadcasts In tt
hope of eliciting denials and furthe
information.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.
GAVE H6l1R