Evening star., 1944-12-07
Letters to The Star
Pearl Harbor Facts Demanded
For People to Jud&e
To the Editor Of The Star,


For People to Judge
To the Editor Of The Star:
More than 5000 Americans died at
Pearl Harbor, more than 10000 Ameri-
can soldiers are sweating out living
death as prisoners of the Japs after
other thousands of their comrades were
killed at Bataan. Over 100000 addition
al Americans have been killed, wound
ed or taken prisoner in the war that
Pearl Harbor started for America. Two
military officers have stood accused be-
fore the world as derelict in duty for
three years, being denied fair trial
because of security reasons"
The heads of the War and the Navy
departments now announce that there
is no basis for court -martialing either
Gen. Short or Admiral Kimmel.
What new facts have been brought to
light that were not obtainable imme-
diately after Pearl Harbor when the
case was fresh and all witnesses avail
able? And who are the others the lat
est investigation associates with Ad-
miral Kimmel and Gen. Short, "in
the field and in Washington" who were
guilty of bad judgment? Are they still
in positions of great power and is that
why for purposes of security" the lat
est report on Pearl Harbor will not be
made public? Having erred SO fright
fully at Pearl Harbor, should they be
In such positions today? Was Admiral
Richardson removed from command of
the Pacific Fleet because he refused to
keep the United States Fleet bottled up
in Pearl Harbor and replaced by Ad-
miral Kimmel who may have been fol-
lowing orders to keep the fleet where
1t was setup for the Japs?
What Is the nature of the security
reasons" that require the suppression of
the facts regarding responsibility for
Pearl Harbor? The people may be just
TOO dumb" Tin the words of Harry
Hopkins) to understand the reasons.
but they are entitled to an opportunity
to judge them.
Remember Pearl Harbor! J.E.S.
More About Union Now"
1 would greatly appreciate an oppor-
tunity to reply 20 A. A. Williamson's s
letter, published in The Star of Decem-
Der and commenting upon my letter
advocating the Streit proposal for a
federal union of democracies.
1t must be noted that Mr.. Williamson
never replies to the federal union pro-
posal as I stated it. He says that is
something else entirely, then proceeds
to demolish this false concept of the
STREET plan which he himself has Gre
ated.
1 was present at the 1943 convention
of federal unionists. where, Mr.. Will
Hanson asserts, "the proposal was en-
larged to include all the nations of the
world" The statement of policy adopted
there may be quoted as follows: Part l :.
The United Nations must win
complete victory over the Axis" Part
z: An international organization
to include all the peoples of the world
Is essential to peace ." Part 8:
We, the people Of the United
States should lead in forming now a
nuclear federal union of all those peo-
pies willing and able to accept an inter-
national federal constitution, assume
and perform its responsibilities and en-
force its bill of rights"
This should make it clear that federal
unionists advocate two international
organizations, and that the original
federal union proposal, embodied in
part 3 above, is now as when it was
first advanced confined to states already
democratic, as indicated by the insist
ence on bill of rights.
The universal organization, mentioned
IN part 2, can be only a league of sep
arate states because of the disparity
existing among present-day national
governments. 1t obviously is impos-
sible to embody an insistence on demo-
cratic procedure in any organization
which Is to be world wide at this time.
Yet our many points of contact with
nondemocratic governments necessitate
some kind of world league as means
to the equitable settlement of mutual
concerns.
The federal union of democracies
urged in part is all the more impera-
tive because Of the proven weakness of
any league structure as a war preven-
tive. If the democracies fail to form
common government, they will provide
fresh example of the old, old saying,
United, we stand; divided, we fall"
Mr.. Williamson cites as coercive
measure the provision from the Illus
trative constitution in Union Now"
which states that the federal union
government would guarantee a demo-
cratic form of government to every
member state. 1t is obvious, since no
undemocratic state will be admitted to
the union, that this provision is simply
an assurance that existing democratic
rights will be defended by the union
government from internal usurpation
and external violence. Article w, Sec
ton of the United States Consti-
tuition makes the same guarantee to
every State in our Union.
Mr.. Williamson at times appears to
agree that we ought to have the demo-
cratic federal union, and to feel that
Mr.. Streit, though hopelessly unin-
formed and confused, miraculously has
emerged with the right conclusion.
JANICE HOLLAND.
Sad View of Alternatives