Evening star., 1943-10-07


the South Pa David Lawrence.
Cific with members Of his staff and
Admiral King, commander in chief
OF the fleet, came with staff aides
from Washington. The session was
held at the headquarters OF Ad-
miral Nnnitz in Hawaii,
Both Admiral Halsey and Admiral
King travelled by plane. With some
of the fast aircraft available it is
not surprising that Admiral King
made the return trip from Hawaii
to Washington in 80 hours and it
may be assumed that within the
same time Admiral Halsey was back
al his headquarters.
This is a help to wartime strategy
which cannot possibly be eValuated.
The necessarily brief code messages
of instruction o. the letters sent by
air every day cannot always give
the personal touch that a confer
ence can bring. The fact that Ad-
miral King can so from his office
in Washington to Hawaii with only
one fun night on the plane is an
evidence Of what air communication
can mean TO the operation CT war
plans.
Operations Well Intcgrated.
Admiral King SIS as a member
not only Of the United States chiefs
Of stafTS but OF the combined chiefs
Of staffs Their meetings are held
IN washington. This National Cap
ltal, therefore, can function as a
naval headquarters today whereas
the same thing would have been i'm
possible in the last var. Admiral
King in these times could get to
London in less than q Gay if neces-
sity required it, situated on a con-
tinent which is midway between the
two oceans, Washington is playing
different part in the strategic op-
erations Of this war than it did in
the World War and there is every
reason to believe that operations
are better intcerated and controlled
for this reason as a consequence of
the fact that distance has been
overcome in the matter of staff
consultation.
Admiral King is essentially an
operating executive. He served in
the last World War as assistant
chief CT staff to the admiral in
charge Of our naval operations in
the Mediterranean. He has seen
service 2G a submarine commander,
as commander Of aircraft divl-
siOns, cruisers and battleships and
is one Of the best known fighting
men in the Navy. He is stern
taSkma, ter. He is not talkatlye and
believes ti.at the safest way to keep
anytime from the enemy is to tell
secrets cH'y to the few persons who
must actually EHow ABOUT opera
tlons !. c-oc- to carr them out.
Tawaiian Situation Cited.
Ona wonders what might have
been the fate of Pearl Harbor in
December, 194l, if the naval officers
in WASHINGTON at that tane-Ad-
mira, King was hot brought in from
sea CU,- till after the attack by
the Gars IcsC at HaWaji-c0uld have
been g accustomed to using air
cOmm1H. cation as Admiral King is
today. Daring the critical interval
between November &C when the
final American note was sent to
JaDcn and December : when the
attack at Fear. Farbor occurred,
an admiral accustomed to flying
might have actually gone to Hawaii
to ii gcct the situation and see
that cTc"y prccaution was being
taken 2~a.nSt surprise attacks.
Certainly the trip of Admiral
King recently from Hawaii to Wash
ington in IS hours is proof that had
the persons IN charge at this Cap
ital been air-minded they might
have made the trip to Hawaii sew
eral times Immediately before the
attack on Pearl HarHOr and thus
perhaps aEcrtaG the most bitter
defeat that has ever been ad-
mlnlS,ered TO our Navy.