Evening star., 1944-01-20
Pacific Coast Japs
|Signa|ed 70 Subs,
Gen. Dewitt Says
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Japanese attacks on the West
Coast during the early stages of
the war were aided by signaling
from the shore, according to 1t.
Gen. John L. Dewitt, who as COM
manding general of the Western De-
fense Command supervised removal
of the Japanese from that area in
1912.
In his final report on the trans
migration, Gen. De Witt adds that
it brought virtual elimination of
the signals and a reduction in the
number of submarine attacks on
ships sailing from West Coast ports.
The 600-page report, issued yes
terday, noted difficulties of author
ity in connection with the signals.
Signaling was observed from
buildings that could not be entered
without a search warrant and radio
messages were intercepted and their
source determined within an area of
city block, but the Justice Depart
ment, the report said, was unwilling
to make mass raids" and, at the
time, the Army still lacked author
ity.
All Ships Attacked.
For several weeks after the attack
on Pearl Harbor, it said, every ship
leaving West Coast ports was at
tackled by enemy submarines.
N Nn lCn
apparently were apprised of the
range of coastal defense guns and
on one occasion an enemy vessel sur
faced and shelled the coast from the
only position in which it would not
be in range. The report cited three
specific instances of attacks by en-
emy submarines or airplanes, each
on unprotected spots.
The report also noted that invari-
ably Japanese communities on the
West Coast fianked strategic install
lations, while there were no Japanese
in nearby, availa BILE farming sections.
1T was difficult to explain the sit
uation by coincidence alone"
said the report.
Cites Three Cases.
In his report to Gen. George c.
Army Chief of Staff. Gen.
De Witt said the most striking il
Illustrations" of the many available
on hostile communications were
these three:
On February %, 1912, hostile
submarine Shelled Goleta, near
Santa Barbara. Calf, in an at
tempt to destroy vital oil installa-
tions there. On the preceding day
the shore battery in position at this
point had been withdrawn to be
replaced by another. On the sue
ceeding day, when the Shelling oc-
CURED, 1t was the only point along
the coast where an enemy sub
marine could have successfully sur
faced and fired on vital installa-
ton without coming within the
range Of coast defense guns.
In the vicinity of Brookings
Mount Emily. Greg, an enemy
submarine based plane dropped in
forest fires At that time it was
the only section of the Pacific Coast
which could have been approached
by enemy aircraft without intercept
ton by aircraft warning devices.
Similarly. precise knowledge of
the range of coast defense guns at
Astoria. Greg, was in the possession
Of the enemy. A hostile submarine
surfaced and shelled shore batteries
from the only position at which
surfaced submarine could have ap-
preached the coast line close enough
to shell part of its coast defenses
being within range of the
coastal batteries.
Outlines Farm Picture.
"Throughout the Santa Maria VAL
ley in Santa Barbara County, Calf.
including the cities of Santa Maria
and Guadalupe, every utility, air.
field. bridge. telephone and power
line or other facility Of Importance
was t1anked by Japanese. They
even surrounded the oil fields in this
area.
only few miles south. how
ever, in the Santa Ynez Valley, lay
an area equally as productive agri-
culturally as the Santa Maria VAL
ley, and with lands equally available
for purchase and lease, but without
any strategic installations what
ever, There we're no Japanese in
Santa YneZ Valley"