Evening star., 1946-01-28
Capt. zacharias
Says He Warned
kinmeI Of Raid
Testifies He Forecast
jap Attack From
North on Sunday
By ]. A. O'LEARY and
CARTER BROOKE JONES.

Chh1Eh bhOOhE JONES.
Capt. Ellis M. Zacharias, vet
eran naval intelligence officer,
told the Pearl Harbor Committee
today that he forecast the at
tack on Hawaii to Admiral Hus-
band E. Kimmel, retired Pacific
Fleet commander and his chief
OF staff, nine months before the
Japs struck.
Admiral Kimmel has testified
that he had no recollection of such
a conversation with Capt. Zach
arias.
Capt. Zacharias denied he ever
attempted to predict the date of
the attack, but did say he told the
admiral that the japanese prob
ably would strike on a Sunday and
from the north - both of these
things happened-and that they
would want to knock out at least
four battleships before attempting
to invade points in the Far East.
Roberts to Appear in Afternoon.
Following Capt Zacnarias' testi-
mony. former Supreme Court JUS
tice Owen j. Roberts was to appear
before the committee this afternoon
Tor questioning on the report of the
initial investigation of the Pearl
Harbor disaster by commission
which he headed.
Capt. zacharias said his CONVEX
sation with Admiral Kimmel took
place at Pacific Fleet Headquarters,
Pearl Harbor, between March 26
and 81, l941. The admiral's chief
of staff, Capt. now Vice AdmiraD
w. w. Smith was present, the wit
ness said.
There has been a misunderstand-
ing about what I said" Capt.
zacharias continued. 81 don't think
any one would attempt to predict
the exact date of an attack.
I told Admiral Kimmel that if
the situation became such that
Japan decided to go to war the
war would begin with an air attack
on our fleet, on a week end, prob
ably on Sunday morning"
Talked With Munson.
Capt. Zacharias said he also dis
cussed his prediction in October,
l941, with Curtis Munson, who, ac-
cording to documents already in the
record. was sent out as a special in
vestigator for the State Department
and White House to find out if there
was any danger of an uprising of
japanese either in Hawaii or on the
West Coast of the United States.
He said he told Mr. MunSon that
he could forget about the fear of
an uprising or sabotage of any kind,
because surprise attack by Japan
would have to be planned in great
secrecy.
The witness, who commanded the
cruiser Salt Lake City in Hawaiian
waters at the time, testified it was
in his talks with Mr.. Munson that
he said the arrival of a third Jap
emissary in Washington would be
an indication things were about to
happen.
He had not mentioned this angle
Ito Admiral KimmeI he said, but did
tell the admiral that the appearance
OF japanese submarines in Hawaiian
waters would be an unmistakable
sign they were ready to strike.
Defense Methods Discussed.
He also said the Pacific Fleet in
telligence Office had knowledge of
book written by civilian in Japan
before the war, in which an attack
on Hawaii was mentioned as the
first move in the event of war
against the United States.
Capt. Zacharias not only insisted
he made the prediction to Admiral
Kimmel in March, but described in
some detail the conversation. in
which he said they discussed meth
DDS of defeating such an attack
The captain said he pictured two
methods of approach: Cd by bring
ing seaplanes on merchant ships,
or (2) by carrier attack.
He said Admiral Kimmel asked
him how a carrier attack could be
prevented, and he replied only by
hetplIlS udllS pdllOl OUT 10 cover
the approach for 500 miles.
Says He Warned Admiral.
The witness quoted Admiral Kim
mel as saying, We'll, we have nei-
ther the personnel nor material to
carry out such a patrol"
Il said to him." Capt Zacharias
continued, well, admiral, you better
get them because that's what's COM
ing"
Capt. Zacharias made this COM
ment on Admiral Kimmel's testi-
mony that he could not recall the
conversation:
Il realize that the Commander in
Chief was a very busy man, and
that I was only one of many he was
seeing. 1t was quite possible that he
could not remember the details.
However, would like to add that
his chief of staff, Vice Admiral
Smith, was present throughout, and
I as sure he remembers the con-
(See PEARL HARBOR, Page A-5.)
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