Evening star., 1946-01-04
Pearl Hurbor
Continued From First Page. J


two days ago he wrote to former
Justice Owen Roberts, who headed
that first investigating commission
asking if he could give the commit
tee any lead as to where it might be.
Mr.. Gearhart had raised the ques-
tion, pointing out that several times
since the hearings began members
have asked for the first draft of the
Roberts findings that went to the
White House, together with any ad-
ditions or subtractions that may
have been made in it.
Admiral Stark testified late yester-
day that he believed the United
States was at war in the Atlantic
before Pearl Harbor was attacked,
and Mr.. Gearhart pressed him to-
day to say when that state of war
began.
Began in September.
E1olll41 al oGc1 n OClI ~
about the time President Roosevelt
addressed the Nation in September,
l941, followed by Mr. Roosevelt S
October order to the Navy to shoot
at Axis raiders found within certain
limits in the Atlantic.
Admiral Stark explained that,
from an international standpoint,
I'VE were not at war and did not
have the rights of belligerents," but
actually, it was war, within certain
areas, whenever Axis raiders pene-
.trated those sea lanes.
TT wasn't all-out-it was linn
fited, but effective-and it was wal
within those limits" said the
admiral.
I Not About War.
To show it was not "all-out" war
Admiral Stark revealed that on De-
cember /, 1941, he received a dis
patch from an American naval aide
in London, Vice Admiral Robert L.
Ghormley, stating that the British
Admiralty had information that GER
tain French and German ships were
preparing to sail with rubber and
other supplies for Germany. The
British wanted to know if the Amer
ican Navy would intercept them, as
it had in the Odenwald case.
Admiral Stark said he replied
that, since the United States was
not at war, the Navy could not be
directed to intercept particular ships
at specific points. He explained that
the Odenwald, which had been cap
tured in the South Atlantic while
transporting a valuable cargo to
Germany, had made the mistake OF
flying the American flag. He ex-
planned also that when an American
cruiser approached the Odenwald
the crew abandoned ship and the
Navy took it into Puerto Rico.
Navy Orders Limited.
There is no use quibbling," OBJ
served Mr. Gearhart. I'VE were pre-
pared to do anything to end Hitler
ism, were we not?"
mo, sir" replied Admiral Stark
adding that the Navy's orders were
specific, to insure the safety of ship
ping that was carrying the hun
dreds of millions of dollars worth
of supplies to England under lease
lend
by insuring the delivery of
American goods to England we
were insuring the end of Hitler
Mr.. Gearhart responded.
Admiral Stark said that was the
objective of lease-lend, but that the
orders to the Navy were limited.
Axis Pact Cited.
When Mr.. Gearhart. pointed out
that, under the tripartite alliance
Japan was to go to the aid of the
other Axis powers if they were at
tackled by a power not originally in
the war, Admiral Stark replied:
Eyes, I think that is correct, al
though believe the State Depart
ment would testify Japan, in the
last analysis, would make her own
decision on that"
He explained that one of the pur-
poses of the United States was to
try to draw Japan away from her
Axis obligations, but he observed
that I'VE didn't get to first base or
that"
Mr.. Gearhart reverted to a post.
script in one of Admiral Stark
letters to Rear Admiral Husband E
, Kimmel, Pacific Fleet commander
and Admiral Thomas c. Hart
Asiatic Fleet commander, saying
neither the President nor Mr.. Hui
would be surprised" if the japanese
opened war with surprise attach
somewhere.
This showed, Mr.. Gearhart com