Imperial Valley press., 1944-10-12
UNHEEDED WARNINGS AND
RESULTING TRAGEDY
(San Bernardino SUM

History may take the trouble TO relate
how a considerable list of newSpapermen
in the Orient did their best to warn the
United States that Japan intended to
attack this country.
Writers of the Associated Press, Unit
ed Press and International News Service,
so a study of their copy would show, sent
frequent dispatches to this country that
should have aroused not only the gov
ernment but the entire country
The Christian Science Monitor recently
reproduced page one of the Honolulu
Advertiser of Sunday, November 80.
l941-iuSt one week to the day before
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The eight-column headline over the
masthead read: Japanese May Strike
Over Weekend" Most public officials
are we'll aware of the fact that news
writer's are able to frequently anticipate
important events. They hear word
here. word there They can sense
through observance of the conduct OF
men in important places, that something
is about to happen. One famous cor
respondent was so certain that Japan
csc acquaintance was telling him some
thing in an notwithstanding conversa-
ton, that he caught boat from Hong
kong to Manila.
On November %, 1941, a United Press
writer wrote: "Cancellation of soldiers
leaves in Singapore tonight conceded
with widespread belief that Japan may
strike somewhere during the weekend.
And because a news editor on the Homo
lulu Advertiser had his own CONVICTION
that something was about to happen ne
was willing to risk the charge OF sensa-
tionalism by putting his most important
headline on that unsubstantial dispatch,
The news writer's of the Orient could
not understand why the government at
home could not see and hear the same
things they saw and heard.
Some day there will be a grand inquiry
as to why the terrible disaster at Pearl
Harbor happened. It would be interest
ing indeed if some curious senator would
ask for the assembling of all the dis
patches that were sent to this country
by the news writer's during the six months
that preceded Pearl Harbor, examine
them in public, and call the writers
themselves to testify as to what. they
knew.
A United Press writer thought he knew
there was "a widespread belief that Jap
an may strike somewhere during the
weekend. lie WAS WlOliS Olly ny oCNoi
short days.
Yet during those seven short days a
lot of things could have been done al
Pearl Harbor The inexperienced lieut.
enant. who refused to listen to soldier
warning at listening post that an arr
fleet was approaching, could have been
told to be on the lookout; that trouble
was expected. The sleepy'2yed officer
who early on the morning of December
T read the brief dispatch that the U.S.S
Ward had sunk q Jap submarine oil
Pearl Harbor would have known the
presence of the submarine meant some
thing very important In Washington
itself an order could have been formulat-
ed. during those seven days, to move the
fleet out to sea and to scatter the neatly
lned-up. airplanes.
We wonder, if part Of the reason why
nobody would listen was because GER
tain important parsonage in this country
had indicated again and again and again
that newspapers are not to be trusted
about much of anything
VIII I NJ