Evening star., 1945-09-01
Inquiry in Jap Attack
On Philippines Urged

On fnIIIppIneS urged
Demands for New Investigations
Follow Pearl Harbor Reports
BY David Laurence
Demands for more Investigations are
coming thick and fast as an aftermath
OF the official reports on the Pearl
Harbor disaster.
Military men are saying that If any
individuals are culpable for failures at
Pearl Harbor, then an inquiry should
be begun Immediately to disclose what
happened at Clark Field, Manila, when
eight hours warning was given Gen.
Macarthur and yet our planes were
caught on the ground and did not rise
up to blast the enemy airfields in
nearby Formosa.
Most of the officers in the armed
services feel that to single out individ-
uals for blame is not fair and that lack
of equipment and planes and person.
mel both at Manila and Pearl Harbor
was the primary reason for the defeats
administered to us in both places, and
that 1t is Congress which should be held
accountable for failing to authorize the
money to protect both the Philippines
and the Hawaiian Islands.
Unfortunately, many of the members
of Congress who refused to vote ap-
preparations are not in Congress to be
brought to book by the people. Respon-
sibility cannot be readily fixed either,
because inevitably members Of both
houses will insist that the representa-
tives of the armed services did not al
ways come to them with recommended
tions that would have proved adequate
to protect our interests.
Controversy Over Guam.
To this the admirals and generals
probably would reply that requests for
appropriations were usually made not
on a basis of what was needed but what
could get by in Congress A significant
example of this Is the controversy over
money needed to fortify Guam. The
inside OF that episode has never been
revealed. On the one hand, the men,
bers of Congress in the last congress
sional campaign who were attacked for
failing to fortify Guam contended that
they never were asked to vote on a
specific request for funds for that pur-
pose, and that the administration never
presented 1t, while, on the other hand,
representatives of the Navy presumably
were told by some one in the admins.
tration not to press for the request be-
cause Congress wouldn't grant it any
way.
Much will be hearS about the late
President Roosevelt's part in these rec
concentrations or lack of recommenda.
tons. Thus whenever an admiral spoke
his views-as did Admiral Taussig in
| April, 1940-he was frowned upon by the
President, the theory being that nothing
must be said which would offend the
| Japanese.
Japs Were Outspoken.
The record will show, however, that
the japanese were quite frank and out
spoken themselves. They told us formal
| ly and officially at the London Naval
Conference in the latter part of 1884
that they didn't intend to abide by
armament limitation agreements any
further because they had come to the
conclusion that the United States was
bent on aggression, or at least on an Of
fensive course, by what we were doing
in the Philippines. We were told, more
over, that our Navy couldn't enter the
ports of the islands placed under man.
date or trusteeship by the League Of
Nations.
All these facts were known to the
President and the Secretary of State
and to the War and Navy Departments.
| Yet nobody in the administration or in
Congress ventured to demand and make
a real fight for larger appropriations for
more aircraft carriers and more air.
planes generally.
The most significant incident in the
background of our relations with the
military and naval problems of the Far
East occurred in April, 1910, when Ad-
miral Taussig was testifying before the
Senate Naval Affairs Committee. He
presented a memorandum which en-
bodied the views of Admiral Yarnell,
commander in chief of our Far Eastern
squadron
War Was Believed Inevitable.
That testimony indicated clearly be-
lief that war with Japan was inevitable,
that the feet should be enlarged and
both the Philippines and Guam pro-
tected and an immediate plan for coll
laboration with the Dutch and British
navies in the Far East be consummated.
At first the press reported that Admiral
Taussig was reprimanded by President
Roosevelt but If there was a technical
"reprimand," it was later removed from,
his record. The irony of fate was that,
Admiral Taussigs son-a young naval
of1cer-was one of those badly wounded
and perhaps permanently disabled by
the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Some reform must logically come
about for getting the real views of Army
and Navy officers. They are disciplined
If they speak too frankly or they are
muzzled and prevented from testifying
at the request of congressional COM
mittees. The power of subpoena COM,
pels the civilian to testify, and in peace-'
time no Army and Navy officer should
be prevented from testifying in execu-
tive session before congressional COM,
mittees. This is only one of number
of reforms that might well come out
of the Pearl Harbor controversy.
| Financial Fact