The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-07-10
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

Of
his readers. His articles serve the good purpose Of
making people think.
BY WEsTBRooK PEGLER
NEW YORK,-On November "a, 1941, the AS
soclated Press carried small item from Bos-
ton reporting that Senator Claude Pepper, of
FLORIDA, President Roosevelt's confidant and
political protege, had announced in a press in
terview the intention of the United States to
adopt the German and japanese sneak-punch
method OF starting a war without formally de-
claTlng war. Congress was not to be consulted
Senator Pepper had done much bellicose talk
ing. He was and remains a member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thus
may be presumed to have known what he WAS
talking about on that date, 10 days before Pearl
Harbor. He was Al years old at the time
Peppers flip3ant announcement of this coun-
try's abandonment Of the constitutional method
of going to war was made several days be-
fore Adm. H. E. Kimmel and Gen. Walter c..
Short, the American commanders in Hawaii
received their last alarms and orders from
Washington. Those final communications told
them nothing about any intention to hit the
Japs without warning and under cover of
peace negotiations in progress at the time
They counseled restraint The maximum in
formation to Kimmel and Short up to the
last minute, indicated that Japan was aiming
at detectives in Asia and cutoned them, under
penalty of punishment to confine their
preparations to legal measures. all precau-
tlonary and defensive. This information con-
corning their orders and advice from Wash
lngton IS contained in the report of the Roberts
committee, appointed by President Roosevelt
which whitewashed the President but condemn
ed the two commanders without trial and with
out an opportunity to face charges.
The President, his cabinet officers and others
concerned with national policy were absolv-
6d hyyto
t1at 1t was not within their province to dis
cuss the national policy of basing the entire
Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor o. "any such
topic The phrase "any such topic,' quietly
precluded criticism of the policies. decisions
or actions of all persons superior to Kimmel
and Short, including Mr.. Roosevelt.
The remarks attributed to Pepper by the A.
P. under a Boston date line were as follows;
I'VE are only waiting for Japan to cross a
line before start shooting. do not know
exactly where that line is and I am the
President knows exactly where it is. But when
they cross it, we will start shooting. The ac-
tual declaration OF war is a legal teclnicali-
ty and such technicalities being held in
allegiance as long those brigands continue in
force"
Considering Peppers well-known intimacy
with President Roosevelt, for whom he had
acted as informal spokesman on matters con-
corning war, the Japanese might have taken
this announcement seriously
However that may be, Kimmel and Short,
up to the very minute Of 755 am. Dec T.
1941, were advised of no such intention as Pep
per announced in Boston. In accordance with
the information and instructions received from
Washington they were in state of readiness
described by the Army as the No. alert.
'"This alert says the Roberts report 'is
a defense against acts of sabotage and upris
ings within the islands, with no threat from
without"
| Gen. Short decided to use this formula Out
of respect for his orders from Washington re
ceived on Nov %, four days after Peppers an
nouncement The report says these orders were
| that .'protective measures should be confined
i to those essential to security, SO as to avoic
unnecessary publicity and alarm.
| At t;lis point in view of Peppers earlier an
| norncement. the question suggests itself i'm
negatively whether these provisions agains
unnecessary publicity and alarm were
shrewdly designed to deceive the japanese
spies in Hawaii and through them taeir prn
| cinals in Toxic If So they nevertheless lief
Hawaii unprepared for internal attack
Thus. if Pepper told the truth, the wors
derelictions taat could be charged to Kimme
and Short are reduced to triviality by com
| parison with the offense of those who made the
decision to "sta-t shooting Mr.. Roosevelt
would have had final responsibility for tla
decision.
If Pepper lied on his own responsibility. hi
should have been repudiated after Pearl Har
bor if not immediately. On the contrary. how
ever Mr.. Roosevelt not only failed to repudiat
hin, but recently made most cynical demon
stration of his particular favor