Evening star., 1945-12-03
Army Guessed
Hawaii Attack
Plans in 1895
Files on Probable
Strategy Of Jops
Read at Hearing
BY ]. A. O'LEARY and
CARTER BROOKE JONES

The japanese surprise air at
tack on the fleet at Pearl Har-
Dor December 7, l941, followed
almost exactly written patterr
on file in the War Department
at the time, drafted from expert
opinion on the most likely way
the japanese would strike, the
Pearl Harbor Investigating Com
mittee learned today.
This was brought out in a
memorandum read into the record
by Gerhard A. Gesell, a commit
tee attorney, and confirmed by Mai
Gen. Sherman Miles, chief of Army
Intelligence on the date of the at
tack.
Such a probable enemy plan was
worked out as early in 1885 by Mai
Gen. Hugh A. Drum, then COM
mander in Hawaii, the records dis
closed. 1t foresaw the most likely
Japanese war move as a surprise
assault by bombers operating from
carriers hundreds of miles away.
GeselI Reads Details.
After Mr. Gesell read details of
the theoretical attack plan which
proved so prophetic, Representative
Cooper, Democrat. of Tennessee
asked Gen. Miles if that wasn't the
way it happened.
so far as I know" said the gen.
eral, 'it occurred almost exactly
as worked out at that time by Gen
Drum and the war plans division OF
the War Department"
Gen. Miles testified earlier that he
considered a message sent Novem-
Der ~, l941, by Gen. George G. Mar
shall ''sufiicient warning to cause
the necessary and proper alert to be
put into effect" and that he inter-
preted the message as word to the
HAWeiiAn feftreEs that s.the situa-
tion YOU were built for has arrived .
A reply to the Marshall message
the next day, in which Maj. Gen.
Walter G. Short said the Hawaiian
department was 'alerted to prevent
sabotage" was termed by Gen. Miles
as totally inadequate"
Previous Impression Corrected.
Gen. Miles corrected a previous
impression which he had given the
committee that he had no informa-
ton as to whether the Army forces
in Hawaii ever knew of the alarm
ing message which the Navy sent
out December 8, 1941, conveying in
tercepted orders from Tokyo for
Japanese diplomats and consuls to
destroy codes and other secret
papers.
Gen. Miles quoted an affidavit tc
the effect that the Navy in Hawaii
passed this message along to the
Army and it was discussed at an
Army staff meeting. The document
did not disclose whether Gen. Short
was present.
Mr.. ,Gesell asked permission to
interrupt the cross examination OF
Gen. Miles by Representative Cooper
to read into the record the paper
relating to the War Departments
pre-Pearl Harbor idea of what the
japanese might do.
Gen, Miles, who was in the Wa,
Plans Division in the middle 1896
and served tour of duty in Hawaii
was asked by Mr.. Cooper why more
adequate protection was not giver
Hawaii in view of all the advance
information which the War Depart.
ment seemed to have.
Couldn't Send Enough Planes.
"At the time" said the general
I'VE were not able to give the com.
manding general out there all tn.
airplanes needed to cover the enor.
NOUS perimeter of a possible at.
tack"
"The fact that radar later ex.
isted," Mr.. Cooper added, was 8
further advantage in making de.
tense plans for the islands,"
That Is correct, sir"
1t was brought out that Gen
Drum In 1885 gave the adjutant gen,
eral at the War Department a de.
tailed report on what he regarded
as the most likely form Japanes,
attack would take.
we can assume with certainty. ,
(see PEARL HARBoR, Page Aid