The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-24
Pearl Harbor Attack
Planned Since 1921
By "Insulted" Japs
BY JAMES THRASHER
NEA Staf Correspondent

Of the treacherous background to
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
1t is a story of 20 years. patient
vengeful planning. And 1t can be
told because q souvenir hunting
American soldier, during lull in
the jungle fighting, stopped to pick
up dirty, dog-eared magazine that
lay beside a dead Jap in the boxhole.
Nobody in the soldiers outfit
could read the magazine or the pen
ciled japanese Scrawl on the cover.
But the souvenir was preserved and
finally came into the hands Of q
Japanese language scholar In
Washington who translated it.
The bagazine turned out to be
the victory" edition OF popular
periodical called Hinode (Sunrise).
dated February, 1912. Most Of the
contents was legendary fiction deal
ing with Jap heroes of the past. But
there also were two official articles
which provided the day of infany"
with its equally infamous back
ground. One was signed by Admiral
Sankichi Takahashi, former COM
mander in chief of the japanese
navy, the other by a Commander
Hiraide, chief of the information
bureau, japanese navy staff head
quarters.
FEW KNEW PLAN
The Pearl Harbor plot had its be-
ginning, Takahashi wrote, In WASH
ington in December, 1921, when the
Limitation of Naval Armaments
Conference fixed Japan's capital
ship tonnage on the short end OF
the famous $3.50 ratio. The red
faced japanese representatives rose
from the conference table convinced
that this ratio could be interpreted
only as a stigma of national infer
iority. Dali Nippon had lost face.
Thus, the Japanese Nays abid-
Ing hatred of Britain and the Unit
ed States was born. Slowly and
persistently the plot was put to-
gether. like a gigantic ORIENTAL jig
saw puzzle. Thousands of persons
contributed the individual pieces.
But only few key navy men knew,
as they fitted these pieces together,
the final picture of blood and flame
that the pattern would form.
1.-THE details had been mapped
out with as much sagacity and Sc
crecy as the Al ronin (outcast SAM
uraD had employed in avening the
death of their lord, Takuminokami
ASano," Takahashi told his readers.
STEPPED UP TRAINING
And the plotters kept their secret
through many years of hypocritical
friendship, not only from the ma
tons marked for attack, but from
their own political and military
leaders.
The first step IN this long-range
program Of revenge was to intensity
the naval training program, and to
abolish weekend holidays.
The Japanese navy made many
cruises to Pearl Harbor during this
score Of years, and officerS brought
back more and more pieces to fit
into the secret puzzle. In peace
time, the Jap with his ubiquitous
camera was the frequent subject OF
humorous cartoons, but he was or
deadly serious business.
When every arrangement had
been made, even to the wording OF
the proclamation that I'VE, the
Emperor" read after the attack, a
carrier feet set out from Japan to
meet an air feet which took Of
from a base in the South Seas.
"The secret of the plan was kept
so well that only the high command
knew about it," Said Hiraide in
his article, titled "a True Picture
OF the Destruction Of the United
States Fleet" The crew Of the I'M
perial Raiding Fleet was told about
it on the high seas day after leav-
ing base.
For three days before the Satur-
day set for the attack" the ac-
count continued, storms ragged over
the ocean and it seemed that
the raid might have to be aban-
doned." But the storm suddenly
abated. And what Hiraide called a
divine wind" aided the planes on
the takeoff.
Shortly after dawn, crews lined
up on the aft flight decks, reading
last-minute weather reports" The
article related. I'm every pilot,
flying jacket was a Stiffened mar
that could be unNpped and held on
his lap, showing installations. an
chorageS, harbor defenses and shiu
positions"
Sunday was chosen for the attack
H1raide said, because the Japs knew
that American sailors would be
ashore drinking whiskey and dane.
ing on Saturday night"
Hiraide was contemptuous both m
our ships and our sailors. "The
american navy was built as a DO.
ntical weapon Of threat, while the
Japanese navy has been built ia,
business" he said. american ses.
men are paid as much as Japanes,
admirals and induced to toin thf
navy to Gee the world. Japanese
sailors, on the other hand. are II
the navy to defend Japan"