Evening star., 1946-01-30
Naval Intelligence
Officer Says He Never
Saw Winds MESSAGE
Continued From First Page.) }

Japan was imminent, but his super
ior officers decided it was not nee
esSary to send it.
He explained that he had not seer
at that time the war warning dis
patch which Admiral Stark sent
Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel
Pacific Fleet commander, and Ad-
mlral Thomas G. Hart, Asiatic Fleet
commander, on November 27.
Chairman Barkley brought out
from Capt. McCollum that there
would have been no reason for the
Japanese to use the emergency
winds code" as a war warning
since their regular means of com
munlcation between Tokyo and their
embassies never broke down before
the attack.
If any such message had been
received, you would have seen it?'
the Senator asked.
The witness said he felt sure of
that. One of his assistants would
have brought it at once, he said.
Given Top Priority.
Representative Cooper, Democrat
of Tennessee, asked why the trans
lation and DECIDING of intercepted
messages was not given top priority
at naval communications.
They were, Capt. McCollum re-
piled, adding:
Everyone was working tooth and
nail to get them out just as quickly
as possible"
Referring to exhibits before the
committee, Mr.. Cooper asked why
an unimportant intercept of Decem-
ber 6, 194l, was decoded the same
day, While a highly important one
of the same date was not recoded
until two days later. The latter
message was from Honolulu to Tokyo
and referred to American air recon-
naissance.
Capt. McCollum said he did not
have the information to answer, and
he explained: Much would depend
on what station picked up the mes
sage and how fast they got it to
Washington"
Smith Will Return to Stand.
Vice Admiral William Warden
Smith, Pacific Fleet Chief of Staff
in 1941, will be called back before
the committee later today to COM
plete testimony in which he roundly
criticized Washington for clinging
to secret information which might
have warned the fleet in time to
prevent the disaster of December 7.
Representative Murphy, Demo-
crat, of Pennsylvania. planned to
question Admiral Smith further
concerning the liaison between the
Navy and the Army in Hawaii.
Mr.. Murphy brought out late yes
terday that Admiral Smith took no
steps to turn over to the Army a
Navy message, few days before
the Japanese attack, that Tokyo
had instructed diplomats to destroy
their codes. Fhe admiral said he
was under the impression the Army
had this information. Mai. Gen.
Walter C. Short, Army commander
in Hawaii at the time, has testified
that he knew nothing of this.
9uAZLCu oh 4Ndty UiiCys
Admiral Smith, under Questioning
by Senator Ferguson, Republican,
of Michigan, said of the Navy De-
partment's policy: A@
II believe this secrecy has some
bearing on Pearl Harbor. All these
magic intercepted and decoded
japanese wireless) messages, I never
heard of until sat here and listen
t.. n this testimony. They certain
ly sho.'d have beer sent to the
commander i.4 .inef of the fleet"
The outspoken admiral added: II
think it's admitted that not all the
naval brains are in Washington
He pointed out that Admiral
Kimmel, had a staff which could
have evaluated the messages and
used the information they con-
tanned to great advantage.
Il believe" said Admiral Smith,
''it was a state of mind in Washing
ton. The war is in the Atlantic
Contradicts Zacharias.
Earlier, Admiral Smith contra
dicted the testimony of the previous
witness, Capt. Ellis M. ZachariaS,
regarding a prediction which the
junior officer said he made to Ad-
miral Kimmel in his Chief of Staff's
presence in March, 1941. Capt.
Zacharias said he told Admiral
Kimmel that if war came, the Japa-
nese would start it with an air at
tack On Pearl Harbor from the
north and probably on a Sunday.
They did strike from the north on
Sunday, December 7.
Admiral Smith said he was quite
sure during the conversation there
was no mention of Pearl Harbor or
an air attack. |
Remarking that he had listened
to Capt. zacharias with astonish-
ment, Admiral Smith said: 1T
struck me as the testimony of
clairvoyance in reverse"
Admiral Smith said Capt. Zac-
harias, then commanding a cruiser.
had sought an interview with Ad-
miral Kimmel, and the commander
had asked him about japanese
ANobSlc anu nav al C1AClCllSy, Sl1lCc
the captain had been a japanese
language officer and was rated an
expert on Japan.
Kimmel Disappointed.
Admiral Kimmel was disappoint-
ed at the result, Admiral Smith
added, since Capt. Zacharias had
little information that the COM
mander didn't already have.
Capt. Zacharias testified that Ad-
miSal Kimmel told him there were
not enough planes or men to carry
on distant reconnaissance. The cap
tain said he then warned the ad-
miral, "You had better get them,
admiral, because that is what is
coming" Admiral Smith comment
ed:
IF an officer of Capt. Zacharias'
rank. had ever talked to Admiral
KinHnel in that way, the words
would have SO impressed them
selves on me that I'd never have
forgotten them"
admiral Smith corroborated Ad-
vol II inn rvnoI r,I,~ @11L 49,