The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-02-12
Pearl Horbor
Probe Record
Is 'FIoperoo'
Edition Now Sells
For S5,666 a Copy;
Proceedings Lays
BY FREDERICK c. OTHMAN

Washington, Feb. l2.-(UP)-
1t pains me to report today that ONT
of the most monumental books evei
wrought by man, the record Of Con.
gress' Pearl Harbor probe, is q lit
erary floperoo.
The authors still are writing Il
and may get TO the exciting par
later. AS of now it is 20 time,
longer than Gone With the Wind
and if I'm any critic) % times
duller. It clocks in at 1882, l0C
words, on l1,l07 pages, in So vol
umes. The paper-backed edition
at Is cents a page, sells for IS y666.05
copy. This is no bargain. Ia
rather buy a house.
Since the proceedings began in
the. Senate caucus room last Nov
Is, it has been my custom to drop
in every couple of weeks to see
how the five Senators, the five
Representatives, the lawyers, the
gold braid boys, and the gentle
men Of the press are progressing. I
don't believe they're getting any
where, much.
Binge Deserved
The wretches with the black PEN
ellis scribbling accounts OF the pro-
ceedings for their newspapers are
roofing for the lawmakers to finish
by Friday, but admit that's wish;
full thinking. They have organized
the east wind rain survivors asso-
citation, named after the Jap code
messages mentioned on almost
every page Of the book. They
plan a hinge on adjournment day.
They deserve 1t.
For the occasional visitor, the
shows not bad. I hadn't been in
the room more than five minutes
before the white hair Of Sen. HON.
or Ferguson, Mich, began to look
like an unmade bed. He was shout
ing at Navy Capt. Alvin Dalton
Kramer, who shouted back at him.
The captain decided Jap messages
during the war, he couldn't seem to
remember the things that Sen.
Ferguson wanted him TO remember,
and he was nervous. He pulled
cigarets Of different flavors from
two packages tapped each one so
hard 1t sounded like a telegraph
instrument, lit 1t, put 1t down and
lit another.
No Idea Of Subject
He kept a small brass-bound suit
case (full OF secret codes on the
table and he got into series Of ar
guments so involved with the sena-
tor that I have no idea what they
were talking about. Stenograph-
ers in relays took down every word.
Tomorrow they'll be in volume SO.
SO everybody was fidgeting. MY
seat was getting harder by the
but 1 figured II stuck I'd
learn something. My vigil was re-
warded. learned about the Nays
troubles keeping secret secret.
II has confidential documents
One step more confidential are its
restricted papers. Still more con-
fidential are the letters stamped,
secret. For real secrets. 1t has
reported typed top secret"
Fair Example
This still is not secret enough for
the Nays top-top secrets. go
ahead, read it," Sen. Ferguson Or
dered. "This red tipping"
Top secret. ultra" said Capt
Kramer dousing one cigaret and
Lighting another.
And what's this thing?" Sen
demanded, pointing at a
I symbol. CD
That's code" Capt. Kramer said.
1T is o pound mark"
II know Sen. Ferguson said
But what does 1t mean?'
ut means, London" the captain
replied.
you mean, Great BritainP" the
Senator asked.
Capt. Kramer said, Yes sir"
That's a fair sample from Con-
gress' S. 900 book. It's not without
interest, but / still claim 1t isn't
worth money. I'd prefer a yacht, a
miuk overcoat, OF a small place
IN the country.