Evening star., 1945-09-22
|G0P Moves 10 Call
Dewey as Witness in
Pearl Harbor Probe
By Jne Assoclat.o rress.


Republicans demanded today
that Congress invite Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey of New York
to tell whether he has reason to
believe the high command was
aware Of Japan's war intentions
hours before Pearl Harbor.
They also asserted the joint SEN
ate-House committee investigating
the disaster must take look at a
letter Gen. George C. Marshall
wrote while Gov. Dewey was run
ming for President last year.
Gov. Dewey has confirmed re-
ceiving the letter. but referred re-
porters to the Chief of Staff for It's
contents. Last night the War De-
partment said Gen. Marshall was
not available for comment.
A Life magazine story says the
letter asked Gov. Dewey to keep the
secret that the United States had
broken a Japanese code, because the
Japanese still were using it.
Information Kept in Vault.
The story goes on to say that
before the letter was written, Gov.
Dewey had learned the United
States had solved the Japanese
ultra" code. 1t adds that as a re-
suit President Roosevelt and the
high command knew IS hours be-
fore Pearl Harbor that the Japa-
aese would break with the United
States, but did not know the exact
place where the military attack
would come.
NeWsmen who travelled with Gov.
Dewey recalled that during the
campaign the candidate told some
of them he had information on the
Pearl Harbor disaster but was keep
ing it locked up in a bank vault
in New York. He said he believed
disclosure of the information might
adversely affect the war effort.
Senator Bridges. Republican, of
New Hampshire told reporter the
joint committee ought to study the
Marshall letter. Senator Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan, a COM
mittee member, said Gov. Dewey
should be called before the group.
Willing to Testify.
Now that the war is over" Sen
ator Bridges declared, there no
longer can be any reason for con-
cealment. Congress ought to have
all of the facts"
In Albany. N. Y, Gov. Dewey was
asked, In the event you are re-
quested to testify before a congress
sional committee, would you do so?"
He replied:
Certainly. would testify If I had
any information that the committee
wanted, although I have no infor-
nation not available directly from
Government sources to any con-
gressional committee"
Senator Bridges expressed the
opinion Gov. Dewey could have
been elected President If he had
charged President Roosevelt with
failing either to forestall or miti-
gate an attack" and had backed it
up with the letter as evidence of
advance warning.
Lack of Unity Charged.
Senator Green, Democrat, of
Rhode Island poked fun at this
idea. He wanted to know whether
Gov. Dewey is being revived"
Chairman Barkley of the Inquiry
Committee had nothing to say.
In New York last night, Herbert
Brownell, jr., Republican national
chairman, and another adviser to
Gov. Dewey, New York State Bank
ing Commissioner Elliot v. Bell, said
Gov. Dewey knew this Government
had solved the japanese code but
at Gen. Marshall's request decided
not to say anything about it.
The administration had advance
knowledge of Japanese plans and
also the texts of statements that
the Japanese were going to present
to Secretary Hull Cformer Secre-
tary Of State)," Mr.. Bell told re-
porters.
Our information indicated, among
other things Mr. Brownell said
in a statement, shocking lack OF
coordination between the President
the State Department and the
armed forces leading up to the
tragedy of Pearl Harbor."