The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-16

Washington, Nov. l6.-The frSt public hearing in the Congressional investigation of the Pearl Harbor disaster was gavelled to ordered by Chairman Alben W. Barkley, D., Ky, at 10:05 a. m. yesterday.
 In an opening statement Barkley warned the audience to refrain from conversation or any deInonstrative applause or otherwise" during the hearing.
 He told photographers they might take as many pictures as they wished as long as they did not in- terfere with the hearings. But he ordered them barred from the space between the committee table and the witness stand.
 Protests Beginning
 Before testimony began, Sens. Owen Brewster, R., Me, and Homer Ferguson, R., Mich, registered pro- tests against starting the hearing on that date.
 "It is only in the last week that we obtained modification of the presidential order to permit us to interview witnesses for preparation" he said. "It is only in the last 48 hours that I have received this stack of papers which should be examined if we are to examine witnesses in- telligently."
 Barkley replied that the commit tee unanimously That is, those who voted" agreed to start the hearing yesterday. He said the sit- uation confronting Brewster was the same as that confronting all mem bers - they have not had too much time to study voluminous documents. He added that witnesses may be re- called.
 Ferguson protested that "thou- sands" of documents had made it "a physical impossibility" to go over all exhibits.
 Barkley remarked that records re- quested "are either delivered or on their way"
 Fuse Blown Out
 At i0:l5 Barkley gavelled again and asked Committee Counsel Will liam D. Mitchell to proceed.
 The session began in gloom, be- cause fuse had blown.
 As Mitchell began, Ferguson asked him to speak directly into the micro- phone.
 T never tried a case with my nose in a mike," Mitchell said, "but I'll try"
 Mitchell placed in the record the resolution organizing the committee as well as the names of witnesses and correspondence from Barkley to the State, War and Navy depart ments. He also introduced letter from the estate of the late President Roosevelt concerning his files, and the various presidential orders au- thoring service personnel and others to give evidence.
 Messages Entered
 Brewster asked for inclusion in the record of the debate in the Senate when the original resolution was introduced. Barkley agreed.
 Then Exhibit No. l" went into the record-a 253-page document containing intercepted messages sent by the Japanese government be- tween July and Dec. 8. l94l.
 Brewster remarked, This is the one that was received by us We'd neSday."
 The lights went on at lO:25 a. m. Mitchell also introduced a second volume of Japanese messages relat- ing to military installations and espionage reports.
 The first two witnesses-Rear Ad- miral T. B. Ingliis and Col. Bernard Thielen - were sworn together at 1929 a. m.
 Questioned Together
 Mitchell said they would tell to- gether their story Of events at Pearl Harbor.
 Inglis said he was attached to the chief of naval operations as director of naval intelligence. He said he had held that post for about one week.
 Q. What duty were you engaged on Dec. '. l94l2 A. was com- manding officer of the U.S.S. Algarat III port aI NeW 1ork on Dec. T.
 Q. Had you been stationed at the Pearl Harbor base before that? A. had visited Pearl Harbor on nu- merous occasions.
 Q. So you're familiar with the locale2 A. Yes.
 Mitchell then questioned Thielen, member of the War department general staff, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor from 1884 to 1886. On Pearl Harbor day he was an in- structor at West Point.
 Stations Not Radar
 Inglis said the Pacific fleet was two-thirds the size of the Atlantic fleet, but contained better vessels at that time.
 He emphasized that naval radio
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