Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-02-04
All American People
To Blame for Hawaii
Attack, Barley Says
'Smueness' Of Public and
Congress Cited; Truman
Defends Wheeler

The American people generally,
including members of Congress,
must share some of the response
bility for what happened at Pearl
Harbor On December Z, because of
'smugness" that prevailed in this
country before the attack, Majority
Leader Barley told the Senate yes
terday.
Senator Truman, Democrat, Of
Missouri had just reviewed the his
tory Of proposed overlapping leg
islation in recent years to support
his claim that the absence Of such
law had nothing to do with the
failure to detect in advance the
surprise attack on Hawaii and to
show that Chairman Wheeler Of
the Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee had never done any
thing to hold up overlapping bills.
The Missouri Senator said he was
prompted to lay the matter before
the Senate because Senator Wheeler
had been subjected to unfair crit
icism in connection with the argu-
ment that if a overlapping law
had been passed the planned at
tack on Pearl Harbor might have
been uncovered.
Advised to Be Tough Skinned"
Senator Barley joined in to say
he had not heard of anybody stupid
enough to think that the debacle at
Pearl Harbor was caused by the
failure Of Congress to pass wire
tapping legislation" Then the ma
jority leader added:
"An of us must take more or less
responsibility for Pearl Harbor-
everybody In the United States and
every member of the Congress. We
might go back number of years
from now and recite what might
have been done in the Pacific that
was not done that would have
averted the disaster at Pearl Har-
bor."
He advised his colleagues they
would have to "be a little tough
skinned" about what people say.
Chairman Walsh of the Senate
Naval Affairs Committee interposed
to say he assumed that when Sena-
tor Barley suggested that "all of
us ought to assume some RESPONSE
bility for what happened at Pearl
Harbor he refers to the general
smugness Of the American people,
and he does not mean that Congress
has failed to take any action that
might have changed the situation"
Smugness Called General.
II did have in mind the general
smugness of the American people"
Senator Barley replied.
(Which the Congress shared?"
said Senator Walsh.
"Of course, we are part Of the
American people" added Senator
Barley, land there was a certain
smugness on the part Of Congress.
could go into some specific in
stances. For instance, I think
Guam should have been fortified"
In denouncing critics Of Senator
Wheeler in connection with the
overlapping bills of the last few
years, oClldOO1 uuldA oolo . bAh
on the subject was defeated in the
House last June, and that Senator
Wheeler, In naming q subcommittee
Of seven to consider <he subject,
placed on it q majority Of supporters
of the administrators foreign pol
icy. The Montana Senator at all
times proceeded fairly and square,
ly" in dealing with the overlapping
said Senator Truman.
Senator Truman asserted that, in
the first place, the Department Of
Justice definitely took the position
that under the present law as it now
stands overlapping as such is not
unlawful" He quoted from q letter
The Justice Department sent House
Committee last March, stating there
is no Federal statute Furnishing wire
tapping alone. The only offense
under present law, the letter con-
tinued, is to intercept any COM
and divulge or publish
the same"