Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-09-13

hdiOoI llclueHC as SIMPLY as
the suggestion of President Tru-
man recommends we will be fail
ing in our obligation to future
generations and
The Pearl particularly to
HarbOr the families of
Incident men whose lives
were sacrificed
on that dread day, December Z,
1941.
1t is possible that in the mass
of conflicting reports and ru-
mors regarding Americas great
est military disaster many of US
unfairly seek the blood of the
two highest military officials
there at the time-Admiral Kim
mel and General Short. If then
there is no evidence to convict
them through Courts Martial
proceedings they, as citizens, are
entitled to such a clean bill of
health. If, however, the evidence
contained in the Roberts report,
gathered Immediately after the
disaster, can be fully sustained
then there seems ample room at
least for the trial.
Certainly it would seem that a
General and an Admiral placed in
full responsibility at our most i'm
portant outpost in a time of
danger should not escape their
respective obligations by waiting
for instructions from Washing
ton-thousands of miles away.
To prove the case against these
two high officers it is necessary
only to learn what each of them
would expect of a 20-year old
sentry. What would happen to
him If he failed to observe
everything within sight or hear
ing?' The youngsters failure
to be keenly alert with conse-
dhent disastrous results would
involve him in
General And a most compli-
Admiral Gated mess with
Involved his superiors. Is
it possible then
that we shall expect less of men
who have been trained at public
expense for just such occasions?
One of Americas greatest
weaknesses is our tendency to
"grow soft" when a terrible
wrong has been corrected. We
often fail to follow through on
questions involving criminal neg
ligence in civil life. And the
entire nation was at stake in
: the laxity of command at Pearl
Harbor. Had our top men been
"keenly alert" on the days pre-
ceding Pearl Harbor it is posi-
Bile that the war with Japan
would have been of short dura-
ton. Thousands and thousands
of our men could have been saved
as we'll as billions of dollars.
hope l am not intolerant of
men who have already been held
UP to public scorn. Of the indi-
viduals / care nothing and know
nothing. Of the fact that we
suffered at Pearl Harbor l know
well. also know that the
United States gave both Admir-
al Kimmei and General Short the
best that could be given in edu-
cation; placed them in honored
positions throughout their life;
paid them well; gave them entire
into the highest social circles
and clothed them with full au-
thority of the country's vast re-
sources only to have them fail
when the time came when they
should have been "keenly alert"
The American public should
carefully recall the dark days
following Pearl
Both Men Harbor our
Should willingness to
Face Trial accept denial of
information in
the interests of security; our
horror that any such sneak at
tack was possible our demand
that whoever be proved respon-
sible should pay for the error;
Our determination to insist
upon fixed leadership when dual
capacities might conflict as be-
between Army and Navy. There
would be no question then
whether Admiral Kimmel and
General Short would be tried.