The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-11-30
Pearl Harbor
ROBBERS Seek
Recording
BY JACK BELL

1h JAIN DILL
Washington, Nov. 80 -AP-A Re-
publican pushed the search today
for tn, repeatedly missing record
Of Japans winds broadcast as the
Pearl Harbor Committee plOughed
deeply into other intercepted mes
sages.
Rep. Keefe (R-Wis) told a re-
porter he intends to ask Mai. Gen.
Sherman Miles, former Army intel
ligencC chief, what he knows about
the purported recording of a Tokyo
radio broadcast which Koefe said
meant the war was on.
The japanese prepared code
to sipnal their diplomats that Il
break with the United States was
near
Committee members said there
is disrpte In official records OF prev
ious Tearl Harbor Inquiries as to
whether the message ever was
broadcast. whether II was recorded
by American monitoring stations
and whether copies OF it were tled.
Senator Brewster Or MED al.
tempted unsuCcessfully earlier to
get the committees permission 10
look At what he said he suspects
may be a vacant War Department
file that might once have contained
a copy OF the message.
Keefe told a reporter he thinks
General Miles can play an import,
ant par. in giving us what know
ledge he has OF the disappearance
of that message.
Ths Japanese had arranged, in a
document deeoded and translated
by the Navy Nov %, 1941, TO insert
in the middle Of the daily Tokyo
short wave radio Gews broadcast
the words east wind rain They
Instructed their diplomats this was
to be the signal that Japan-U. S.
relations in danger" and for them
to destroy their codes.
Gesell pressed Miles with ques-
tions yesterday which brought oIt
these points.
/. Looking now at Tokyo mes
sage to a Honolulu agent, decided
October 9, 1891, it appears that the
Japant Sc were seeking Information
to plal a bombing attack on Pearl
Harbor
,. Army and Navy commanders
in Hawaii weren't told about the
breaaing OF the Japanese code
although some Of the information
thus obtained was sent on TO them
because General Marshall want
ed the operation magic kept
highly secret. Operation magic
was the code name applied to the
reading Of intercepted messagCs)
?. Tn Army and Navy didn't
have the personnel and equipment
necessary to make swift decodings
and traLslations in all cases
Miles insisted that the message
concerning Pearl Harbor didn't
look particularly significant at the
time II was received. He said the
Japanese had been following the
movement OF American warships,
Just as the United States was keep
ing tab on NIpponese ships.
The message asked the Honolulu
agent to divide Pearl Harhor into
five areas and report on the posi-
tons of ships in them. II asked
especially for reports on anchored
ships and for mention when two
or more were tied up along side
the sane wharf
The committee previously re civ.
cd testimony that ships often were
herthed together as defense
against torpedo attacks, in which
the inner vessel would he protected
BY the outer one.
Mics said lack Of facilities and
personnel slowed the DECIDING
field.
Gesell noted several important
Japanese messages were transmit
ed before Pearl Hsrbor but not
translate until after the attack.
az facilities had been available
for more prompt translation, we
would have had more data indieat-
Ing a surprise attack" he asked.
"A strong probability or posi-
bility q attack" Miles replied.
The general told counsel he did
not believe the war Department
lifted It's ban against transmission
overseas OF intercepted Japanese
messages until the war ended.
1T wa. secret right to the
awd 90 ha added