Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-07-11

ENOUGH 49,.
BY estbrook
PeqIer

Pearl Harbor investigation. the
Roberts committee reported:
"The secretary of state fus-
filled his obligations BY keeping
tho war and navy departments
In close touch with the interDa-
tionai situation and fully advis-
ing them respecting the course
and probable teJpination Of Re-
gotiations with Japan"
II that is so. did Mr.. Hull
notify Secretaries Knox and
Stimson that the United States
had decided TO shoot or sight,
without warning in the Pacific.
il the Japs crossed an underlined
line, as Senator Pepper of Flor
ida had announced two weeks
before Pearl Harbor?
IL Mr.. Hull did so notify Knox
and Stimson, there is nothing IN
the Roberts report to show that
the word was passed down the
line to Adm. Kimmel and Gen.
Short, who. up TO now. have
been the goats OF the disaster.
To anticipate remarks that
the dead and wounded were the
goats. let us agree not 10 ba
flippant. We are speaking OF the
living.
TT is possible that Pepper WAS
L merely sounding off in his
statement which the Associated
Press carried out of Boston.
If so. then Pepper was guilty
OF historic offense.
For, considering his prestige
az A member of the foreign rela-
tons committee and as an init
mate and political protege of
President Roosevelt. the Japs
might have regarded his re-
marks as an invitation TO use
the same method.
In the code of the old Ameri-
can West. II one man announced
that he would shoot another one
on sight, the other man was JUS
titled in shooting on sight. TOO.
Then. il the party of the
second part was quicker on the
draw. the coroner always SAID
"self-defense
But the Roberts COMMITTEES
makes no ment ION Of the
Pepper announcement and APP
parently never heard Of II
There is a temptation 10 dis
count what Pepper said as an
irresponsible utterance by a
man who may have hoped that
his own peculiar reputation
among those who knew hun
would reassure the laps that
he was Just talking bombastlc
nonsense
Still the possibility cannot no
dismissed thai the Japs we're
thus persuaded 10 hit first
IF PEPPER lied and on his
own responsibility. he should
have been disowned by Presl.
dent Roosevelt for his remarks
might have been partly or
wholly responsible for great.
, historical disaster and the loss
OF thousands Of American lives.
n he told the truth, the guilt.
NJ course. is higher up for Pep
per could not have made the
decision himself
But an important popularity
of the committees authority
forbade ~ 10 inquire whether
statesmen or politicians IN
Washington were culpable
AS the committee said IN ~
report 10 Mr.. Roosevelt, by
whose order j, was created. It's
mission was 10 examine the con-
duct Of army and navy person
mel. NOT civilian officials.
Anyway. President Roosevelt
did moi Eepudiate Pepper Far
from <hat, he gave him ths
small nachine support in the
tlopdS spring primary and, ~
the /climaX. Pepper received .
most cynical demonstration Of
political favor.
IN THAT campaign, down "a
L the closing day, Pepper was
hard pressed and he went into
Pinellas County. which includes
Tampa, where about 25, 900 war
workers are employed in the
shipysrds, fighting for renoml-
nation.
On that day, in dramatic
fashion, the federal government
rushed 10 completion long legal
proceedings against the private
owners Of the great Candy
bridge and causeway. connect
ing Tampa with st. Petersburg.
where many of the war workers
live. and seized the bridge and
abolished the tolls.
The right and wrong OF this
action need not be argued here.
IL may have been justified.
But the timing of this great
boon to the warworkers. and
indeed TO all the wage earpers
of the region, was obviously
political
In an instant. popular fight
Of years was won and Pepper
reaped the benefit at the polls;
for he personified the admins
tration which did the trick.
A New Deal editor in Tampa
writes that Pepper Undoubtedly
got TO the President at his
South Carolina retreat" during
Mr.. Roosevelt's convalescence
and urged him to seize the