Evening star., 1946-01-06

rated by the President and highly
commended by the then Secretary
of the Navy Knox for services rs
chief of naval operations and then
during three-year tour as COM
mander of naval forces in Europe
had been decorated by the Army
and by three foreign governments
and commended by Gen. Eisenhower
then, on his return to Washing
ton, had been humiliated" by Mr.
Knox's successor, Secretary For
restal, on recommendation of Ad-
miral King.
Yes, sir" said Admiral Stark.
He explained he took the GUS
tomary four-month terminal leave
prior to retirement, and this was Up
December "A, but he had not yet
been retired, Sin view of these
hearings" and still remained an &C
tive admiral of the Navy.
do you feel" Mr.. Keefe asked
that you did everything you
thought proper and possible to alert
the Navy at Pearl Harbor before
December ~"
Il thought so."
Mr.. Keefe asked If this belief wal
based on the messages of November
"A and n, 1914, the latter labeled 4
war warning" plus the message in
forming Admiral Kimmel that the
Japanese were burning their codes.
Those messages" said the ad-
miral, plus background of in
formation over many months"
Expected Execution Of Orders.
AS chief OF naval operations,
Mr.. Keefe pressed, did you have
any responsibility to see that Adj
miral Kimmel carried out your or
ders?"
No, did not feel that I had. !
assumed they would be carried out. =
In other words, Kimmel was su-
preme commander out there, and
you had given him orders, and It
was up to him to carry them out?"
Yes"
did you expect Kimmel and
Short to get together and decide
what to do?"
+ r'T did" S - E# =
you. the President, Gen. Mar
shall, everybody in Washington, >
Mr.. Keefe went on, were surprised
Yet ali OF you expected Admiral
Kimmel, with less information than
you had, to be prepared against. an
attack which none OF you thought
would take placer"
Yes, Admiral Stark said, 1t was
matter of taking every precaution
in the face Of a war warning plainly
worded
Yet. Mr. Keefe added, the final
messages warned the fleet com
mander against Japanese attack
in, Asia, thousands Of miles from
Pearl Harbor.
That was true, the admiral ad-
mitted, and 1t was based on the
best information the Navy Depart
ment had, which indicated an am
phibious attack on the Kra Pen
insula or the Philippines. There
was nothing said about raid which
might take place anywhere, he
pointed out. He added that the
possibility of surprise air attack
on Hawaii had been discussed fol
months, even years past, drills had
been held often, the department had
pressed for enough planes for re-
connaiSsance and fighting.
Question In Plan.
Mr.. Keefe held up copy Of Rain
bow s." the plan which the Navy hac
prepared in the event Of war in the
Pacific.
will you kindly tell me-" hs
asked, where in this plan there Ii
a specific program that sets out this
so-called deployment'
II don't think there is anything
that tells what the commander i.
to do in defensive deployment," Ad.
miral Stark replied.
Then how in the name of con.
science would he know what to do?'
Mr.. Keefe demanded.
The plan, Admiral Stark explained
was general, with details left for ths
commander to work out. 1t meant {
defensive spread" he added
did that mean Kimmel shoult
have taken the feet out Of Pear
Harbor and spread it?"
! It meant, Admiral Stark answered
scouting with planes and disposition
of surface craft in accordance witt
Ibis best judgment"
Admiral Stark told Senator Fergu
son that, in discussing the Far East
ern crisis with Japanese Ambassado
:. Nomura, late in the fall Of 1941, N
warned the envoy that war woult
mean "the end of the Japanese EN-,
pire."
"I said the Japanese might scor'
some initial successes" the admira
recalled, "but that In the end th'
empire would fall. And think h
agreed with me"
Aware Of Situation.
j Senator Ferguson asked If 1t wa
possible the Navy Department dit
not realize the vulnerability OF tn
fleet based in Hawaii In 1871. Nc
the admiral said, the department
was very much aware OF its situa
ton and intended to convey, in tn
many messages sent to its com
mander, the critical shape event
were taking.
i In response to another question
Adm. Stark said he knew of NJ
commitments for American ship
to shoot If the japanese crossed
certain line.
1 I'VE were not to shoot unless VI
were attacked" he added, "and thel
we wouldn't have needed any order
to shoot"
/ Adm. Stark, questioned furthe
by Senator Ferguson, said the re
moval Of Adm. Kimmel from hi