Evening star., 1945-11-15

Charles B. RugR, sat at one OF the
tables reserved for counsel.
Gen. Short, garbed In light tan.
suit, sat at the counsel table, beside
his legal aide, Capt. Patrick H.
Ford.
The spectators fled into the pub
lie space early. on q first-come first
serve basis. In one corner q battery
OF newsreel cameras, flanked by
strong lights, were trained on the
committee table for the drama to
start.
Hearing Gets Under Way.
Chairman Barkley brought down
his gavel a few minutes after 10
o'clock and the hearing was on, with
committee members blinking In the
glare of Kleig lights. Senator Bark
ley told the audience, I'VE are glad
to have you here, but must ask that
you refrain from conversation or
demonstrations of any kind" Then
he turned to the cameramen and
told them that, once a witness begins
his testimony, the photographers
must retire from the congested space
around the committee table.
"The last hearing / attended In
this room ! couldn't see the witness
half the time" the chairman added.
AS Senator Barley was about to
signal Mr.. Mitchell to call the first
witness, the two Republican Sena-
tors on the committee-BrewSter of
Maine and Ferguson of Michigan
broke in to get on the record their
formal protest against starting the
hearings this week.
Both Senators insisted 1t has been
physically impossible for them to
review all of the data placed in their
hands within the past few days.
Brewster Records Protest.
Il want to record my regret and
protest at the starting OF these
hearings at this time" Senator
Brewster began. 1T is only within
the past week that Government en-
ployes have been free to talk to
committee members under the modi-
fed executive order, and only in the
last 48 hours that have been given
this stack of records of 1000 pages
or more" pointing to a pile of papers.
$50, it is somewhat premature to
start the inquiry today"
Chairman Barkley explained the
committee recently voted down a
motion to postpone the hearings an
other week. He suggested the hear
ings will continue for several
weeks" and that members may
peruse exhibits as the testimony
unfolds.
This prompted Senator Ferguson
to serve notice 'it may become nee
essary to recall some witnesses later"
to get all the evidence. Chairman
Barkley indicated there would be no
objection to recalling witnesses.
Admiral Harold r. Stark, who was
chief OF naval operations In 194l. is
represented at the hearings by At
torney Hugh H. Obear, president of
the District Bar Association, and by
Navy commander.
Admiral j. o. Richardson, former
commander of the Pacific Fleet, may
be called this afternoon. Admiral
Richardson turned the Pacific Fleet
over to Admiral Kimmel early in 194l
Some committee members have in
dicated they will ask Admiral Rich
ardson about reports that he op-
posed keeping the Pacific Fleet an
chored in Pearl Harbor, and that his
disagreement with Washington on
that issue led to the change in Pa
cif1c command.
i Although Chairman Barkley hopes
to finish the hearings by Christmas
and file report within the January
3 deadline in the investigating reso-
luton, the list Of witnesses already
has reached so.
Some witnesses will be disposed
of quickly. but other key figures are
expected to be examined at length.
These include Admiral Kimmel and
Gen. Short, Gen. George C. Mar
shall, Army Chief of Staff, and Ad-
miral Stark, who were top uniformed
commanders in Washington.