Evening star., 1944-10-20
Attempt 10 Suppress
Pearl Harbor Report
Is Charged by Mas
By the Associated Press

Representative Mas, Repub.
lican, of Minnesota was on rec.
ord today with the charge tina
the administration is withhold.
ing from the public until aftel
the election a new report or
Pearl Harbor prepared by al
official board of inquiry of Navy
Asked about the charge at hi
news conference today, President
Roosevelt said he didn't know any
thing about the matter, one way or
another.
Meanwhile, 1t was reliably report
ed that the naval board of inquiry
has taken testimony from both Rear
Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and
Maj. Gen. Walter c. Short, the Navy
and Army commanders at Pearl
Harbor when the Japanese attacked
Telling the ST. Paul Business and
Professional Mems Association yes
terday that he intended ito force
the publication of this report before
election If it is possible to do so, II
Mr.. Mas amplified:
Il had not planned to make these
charges during the present political
campaign, but I have learned that
the naval board of inquiry set up by
order of Congress to conduct its own
investigation of the Pearl Harbor
incident has completed that report
Suppression Attempt Charged.
"It was directed by Congress that
this report be presented forthwith
when finished The administration
has not permitted this. The admin
istration is seeking to suppress it
until after election.
The administration thus forced
me to make my public accusat ton. in
order to try to get the truth to the
American people.
There is no element of military
security involved in this matter.
The naval board report would be
politically embarrassing to the ad-
ministration, and that is the reason
it has not been made public.
THE public has never had the
full truth about the findings of the
Pearl Harbor Commission, headed
by Justice Roberts. After that body
had finished its work at Pearl Har-
bor- and was leaving, Justice Rob-
erts shook hands with Kimmel and
said, Admiral, l wish to congratu-
late you on your part in this affair.
I am glad that you are in the clear
Two Blamed in Findings.
"Yet the published findings of the
Roberts commission pinned the
blame for Pearl Harbor on Admiral
Kimmel and Gen. Short.
Il renew my charge that the Pres
ident and high officials had word of
the Pearl Harbor attack plans six
hours in advance and sent no warm
ing. I am informed that after the
attack was in progress Washington
sent a commercial telegraph mes
sage to Pearl Harbor containing the
information
Mr.. Mas congressional oppo-
nent, Frank T. Starkey, who is run
ming on the Democratic-F Farmer
Labor ticket, contended the Mime
sofa Republican was "concocting
last-minute shocker.''
Representative Mas, World
War marine flyer, who saw service
in the Pacific in the early days OF
the present war, had charged in a
speech Wednesday night that high
civilian and military officials here
knew the Pearl Harbor attack was
coming off on December 7, 1941.
Similar charges were made in
Congress several weeks ago, and
President Roosevelt, asked for COM
ment, suggested that any one hav-
ing information of the sort should
turn it over to the board of inquiry
The board of inquiry operates un-
der procedure closely approximating
that of a grand jury, and informa-
ton developed at its sessions is not
public record.
Admiral Kimmel is understood to
have testified at length before the
board, which will submit it's findings
to Secretary of the Navy Forrestal,
who will study the record to deter
mine what further action should
be taken.
Gen. Short also is understood to
have given his story of circumstances
of the raid.
Mr.. Forrestal has said he expects
the boards report to be turned over
to him in the near future. There
has been no indication when the
Army might act.
Wor E,,n1