Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-31
Stark
Continued From First Page.)

get results in peace that we would,
were we at war"
At the same time, the record of
the Pearl Harbor inquiry shows the
Army and Navy were seeking to de-
lay break in relations with Japan
to gain time to strengthen Pacific
defenses.
In this letter of July 81, written
| to Capt. Charles M. Cooke. jr., on
duty in the Pacific, Admiral Stark
added:
Whether or not we will get an
incident because of the protection
We are giving Iceland and the ship
ping which We must send in support
of Iceland and our troops, do not
know. Only Hitler can answer"
Admiral Stark described some of
the recommendations of the State
Department as childish" in a let
ter in April, 1941, to Rear Admiral
Husband E. Kimmel, then Pacific
Fleet commander.
AS in his earlier correspondence
with Admiral ]. o. Richardson,
Admiral Stark signed his letters
with his nickname Betty" and he
nearly always addressed Admiral
Kimmel as Dear Mustapha." His
letters to Capt. Cooke started Dear
Savvy."
Admiral Stark's reference to the
State Department in the April let
ter came while he was discussing a
decision which had been made to
send a detachment of warships from
the Pacific Fleet on a cruise to
Australia and New Zealand.
Gives Presidents Reaction.
Writing to Admiral Kimmel about
it on April 10, Admiral Stark said :.
I wrote you about the Australian
detachment. The President said
land incidentally when I open I'D to
you this way I don't expect you to
quote the President and know
there is nobody who can keep things
secret better than you can: Betty,
just as soon as those ships come
back from Australia and New Zeal
and, or perhaps a little before, I
want to send more out. I just want
to keep them popping up here and
there, and keep the Japs guessing
This, of course, is right down the
State Departments alley.
ITO my mind lot of State De-
partment suggestions and recon-
mendations are nothing less than
childish don't quote mel and I have
practically said so in so many words
in the presence of all concerned, but
after 10 months they finally got it
going. OF course, I recognize some
merit, If exercised with some discre-
tion-and there is where Navy has
to count on F. D. r. for reserve; so
We did not have to send ships into
Singapore, and we did keep them
on a flank to be in position to 60 to
work or to retire If something
broke"
"Can Go Anywhere"
Further on in the letter he told
Admiral Kimmel that when the
question of popping up everywhere
came, and, having in mind keeping
on the flank, said to the President:
How about going north?' He said:
Yes, you can keep any position you
like, and go anywhere
There was a little method in my
madness as to the northern cruise"
Admiral Stark's letter continued. II
thought for once, if I could, I would
give the State Department a shock
which might make them haul back,
and incidentally, that northwest
cruise has many good points.
OF course, you can see what q
striking force of the composition I
gave you, and known to the Japs,
would mean to them, in view of their
unholy fear of bombing. This strik-
ing detachment would have been
right in position for most anything.
Il had broad inward smile when
the State Department in effect said !:
Please, Mr.. President, don't let him
do it, or words to that effect. It
was little too much for them. The
above very briefly touches the high
points OF this episode and gives you
its inception and it's calling off"