Evening star., 1944-06-14
NAZ|S HURl a DIVISIONS INTO CAEN BATTLE
.ArmyCoIone|Hit
In House Report
On Pearl Harbor
Wymon's Dealings
With Reich-Born
Contractor Cited

PRESIDENT SIGNS resolution for
trial of Kimmel and Short by De-
cember Z. Page A-2
BY the Associated Press.
A congressional committees
inquiry into delayed defense
preparations at Pearl Harbor
produced a report today high
lighted by descriptions of yacht
ing parties given for the Army
colonel in charge of construction
in Hawaii by a German-born
contractor who held War De-
partment contracts for the work.
The report, by the House Military
Affairs Committee, called on the
Army for further explanation" Of
what 1t termed "mismanagement''
on the part OF Col. Theodore
Wyman, jr., and why the contracts
had been awarded to Hans Wilhelm
Rohl, then German alien, although
he had been resident of the United
States since 1918. Rohl was natu-
rallied, the committee said, only
three monthes before the sneak
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Asserting there were unexplained
delays in construction, particularly
in building an aircraft-warning sys-
tenn, the report said that had the
system been completed on schedule
the attack on the Pacific bastion
might have been robbed of much OF
its surprise.
Dragged of Nazi Contacts.
The committee, saying 1t could
not understand why a man known
to be German alien" was put in
charge of the work, devoted a por-
ton of It's report to Rotrs personal
background, noting that he Dragged
of close acquaintance with all visit
ing German diplomats and persons
of high rank"
Col Wyman and Rohl met in Los
Angeles in 1885, the committee
stated, and developed very close
social relations" which led, the re-
port added, to parties aboard Rohl's
yacht, the Ramona.
Among entertainment the COM
mittee said Rohl provided for the
colonel were wild drinking partiess
at which "cheap-looking type Of
young girls paraded in and out all
evening"
The long report contained no con-
clusions and only brief committee
comment. Whether additional re-
ports on the case would be made,
Chairman May said, depends on
future developments, adding:
THE next move is up to the War
Department.
Rohl Still in Business.
H. Ralph Burton, committee in
vestigator who prepared the report.
said his last information was that
Rohl still was in business In Los
Angeles.
The investigation was made by a
subcommittee headed by Mr.. May,
with these other members: Repre-
sentatives Costello, California;
Sparkman, Alabama, and Durham,
North Carolina, Democrats, and
Martin, Iowa; Elston, Ohio, and
Fenton, Pennsylvania, Republicans.
Their report was approved by the
full committee.
Rohl was major stockholder in
Hawaiian Constructors, joint con-
tracing venture which held s125,-
900 900 in contracts for work in
Hawaii, Alaska and South Pacific
islands.
Col. Wyman, 56-year-old veteran
of the last war, was an engineer
officer in charge of defense con-
struction in the Hawaiian and South
Pacific areas. He now is stationed
overseas.
Gave Contracts to German.
The committee said that despite
knowledge that Rohl was German
alien, the War Department, on Col.
Wyman's recommendation, on De-
cember 20, 1910, entered into con-
tract with Hawaiian Constructors to
install defense projects in Hawaii
which meant the safety and pro-
lection of the United States"
Less than two months before the
(See PEARL HARBOR, Page A-2)