Evening star., 1944-08-22
Congress Is Divided
As Truman Reiierafes
Pearl Harbor Views
~ the Associated Press.

Senator Truman, Democrat, Of
Missouri reaflrmed late yesterday
his statements challenged by Rear
Admiral Husband z. Kimmel rs "un-
true" about what was going on at
Pearl Harbor when the japanese
struck, and both the Senator and
the admiral got support from mem
bers Of Congress.
Reaction at the Capitol ranged
from7A statement from Representa-
tive May, Democrat, of Kentucky
backing up the story the Demo-
cratic vice presidential nominee
told In an article In Golfers Mag
azine, to a charge by Representative
Church, Republican, of Illinois that
washington was to blame" for the
disaster.
Admiral Kimmel, in q letter to the
Senator released here Sunday night,
asserted that the report on the dis
aster from the investigating COM
mission headed by Justice Owen j.
Roberts does not contain the basic
truths"
Admiral Kimmel, naval command
er, and Maj. Gen. Walter c. Short,
Army commander, were relieved
from their Pearl Harbor posts after
the japanese attack. Both await
court-martial action.
Hits Charge Of Nonco- operation.
In particular Admiral Kimmel
protested In his letter, Your in
nuendo that Gen. Short and I were
not on speaking terms is not true.
Your statements alleging failure to
cooperate and coordinate our ef-
forts are equally false
The retired admiral asked for "an
end to untruths and half truths
about this matter until the entire
story Is given to our people, who I
am convinced will be amazed by the
truth"
Senator Truman, in = statement
issued at Kansas City late yester-
day, asserted that the magazine ar
ticle was all true. He said:
Every statement made in my
article in Golfers was correct.
Il have no desire, no intention, of
into personal controversy
with any one. but am certain from
the information at my command
not only will the court martial when
held bear out every statement I
made but even more"
The full story Of the Pearl Harbor
attack December 7, ls4l, will
shock the world" Representative
Church, Republican, told the House.
He asserted that the Roberts re-
port was nothing more than a po-
litical document" designed to PIE
vent the people from knowing the
truth"
Says Real Culprits Were Here.
I am personally convinced" Mr..
Church said, "and I believe that a
true investigation will substantiate
me, that the people really RESPONSE
Bile for the Pearl Harbor catastrophe
were here in Washington on De-
cember 7 and not in the Pacific.
How can one otherwise explain
the unwillingness of the administra-
ton to hold the court martial of
Gen. Short and Admiral Kimmel?"
Mr.. Church also told the House
that the lieutenant at Pearl Har-
Dor who. when informed by q pri-
vate that detectors indicated planes
were approaching. told the soldier
to forget 1t, was Kermit A. Tyler
Mr.. Church said that since Pearl
Harbor, Tyler has been made q,
lieutenant colonel.
Senator johnson, Democrat, of
Colorado. a member of the Senate
Affairs Committee, said the
dispute served to prove his conten-
ton that the Kimmel-Short courts
martial should have been held "a
year ago. so that the public could
know the facts.
Senator Chandler, Democrat. of
kentucky, also a member OF the
Military Affairs Committee, point
I'd out that the Navy has filed no
'ormal charge against Admiral Kim
mel and said the admiral and Gen.
Short had borne the "onus" of
Pearl Harbor pretty much in ST.
ence."
Il wish the vice presidential
nominee would refrain from at.
lacking Admiral Kimmel In ad-
vance Of the record" he said.