Evening star., 1945-10-06
Army Closes It's Probe
OF Pearl harbor by
Clearing Col. Wyman
BY the Associated Press.

bs tHe Associatea Prtss.
Secretary OF War Patterson
closed the Army's Pearl Harbor
investigation today with a de-
cision that facts do not warrant
disciplining Col. Theodore Wy
man, jr., Army engineer for
merly In charge of Hawaiian
defense construction.
He made public a previously with
held section OF the boards report In
which the Army investigators re-
ported lavish" parties given by
Hans Wilhelm Rohl, German-born
contractor. at which Col. Wyman
was present.
Secretary Patterson said the re-
lationship between the officer and
the head of the Arm doing defense
construction was "quite close" but
it was doubtful that this Influenced
Col. Wyman to follow any course
that was prejudicial to the Govern
ment."
The Secretary said his study of
the report showed nothing in 1t to
indicate that the conduct of Col.
Wyman. Rohl or any Of the other
contractors contributed to the Pearl
Harbor disaster. Nor did Mr.. Pat
terson find any evidence that Rohl
gave any information Of any char
acter to the enemy, or was disloyal
in any way to the United States"
Included in the evidence of the
report was a memorandum by an
Army military intelligence officer
which described Rohl as a con-
f1rmed drunkard, and, inferentially,
incompetent as subversive influ-
ence for that reason"
Secretary Patterson said he be-
lieved Col. Wyman had been penal
lied enough by the investigation it.
self. Except for that, Mr.. Patter.
son added, it was probable the
colonel would have received at least
one promotion.
He declared Col Wyman per-
formed later zone of the outstand-
ing construction and operating tasks
of the European theater" while in
charge Of the port of Cherbourg in
the critical months of the Nor
mandy invasion. He was awarded
the Legion of Merit for that work.
The report also disclosed testi-
mony by Rear Admiral Husband
E. Kimmel that the Army failed
to advise the Navy until two days
after the Pear Harbor attack that
radar check had been recorded
on the approach of the japanese
attacking planes.
The Army report showed that
Admiral Kinnel, while testifying
before the Army Board, was asked
If he felt "let down" by the oper-
alton of the warning network on
the morning of December i, 194l.
Preyious reports had revealed
that two Army enlisted men, operat-
ing radar set before the Japanese
planes attacked, had discovered a
fight of planes coming in toward
the island. They reported this TO
superior officers)
In answer to the question,
Admiral Kimmel said he knew
nothing about the receipt of any
information at all in the Army
radar, until Tuesday, I think it was,
following the attack ION Sunday
norning) and when found out that
they had known where these planes
came from and located within rather
narrow limits the attacking forces
yes, felt let down."
Admiral Kimmel said he had been
told that two Navy officers called
the Army information center sew
eral times during the attack to ask
If 1t was known from what direction
the planes had come "and each time
they were informed they couldn't
get anything"
Admiral Kimmel added that when
this information was reconstructed
two days later, we felt that it was
unfortunate that we had not had