Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-03
War-Navy PLOT
|0n Pearl Harbor
Charged
Everything Relating
To Winds Code Gone /,
Copt. Stafford Says
BY CARTER BROOKE HOMES.

capt. l.. f. SANFORD, the officer
in charge of intelligence in naval
communications in 1941, charged
before the Pearl Harbor Com
mittee yesterday that there is
the appearance" of a War and
Navy Department conspiracy to
destroy all records of a winds"
code war warning which he said
was intercepted by the United
States three days before Pearl
Harbor.
Capt. Stafford asserted that the
War and Navy Departments had
been stripped mysteriously of all
files relating to the winds" message
and declared the Pacific feet could
have been saved if a warning mes
sage based on the disguised weather
report broadcast by Tokyo on that
date had been sent.
Under a gruelling cross-examina-
ton by Seth w. Richardson, COM
mittee counsel, Capt. Stafford in
sisted that all records pertaining to
the winds message had disappeared
from the War and Navy files and
from East Coast radio monitoring
stations which intercepted the mes
sage. He said he personally had
seen decided message which in
cluded the words, least wind, rain"
Those words, under a Jap code
known here. would have advised
Tokyo's agents abroad of a break
with the United States.
Asked About Suspects.
do you think there was a con-
spiracy to destroy these messages?"
Mr.. Richardson asked.
There is the appearance of it."
the witness replied.
Whom do you suspect?"
Capt. Stafford said he might haz-
ard a guess, but would not do so.
We'll. let's have your suspicion,
for the benefit of the committee,
in words of one syllable" Mr. Rich
ardson urged.
The frail-looking, nervous officer
remained silent.
/ "All you have is suspicion" the
attorney commented.
Il Previous Testimony Recalled.
Asked if he did not testify at the
Hewitt inquiry that the order to
destroy the War Department records
about the code came directly from
Gen. George c. Marshall, the chief
] Of staff" Capt. Stafford replied, IT
. prefer not to answer" He then said
, he had had a third-hand report to
that effect and reluctantly" told
about it at the investigation made
last year by Admiral H. z. Hewitt.
Capt. Stafford said Admiral Har-
old r. Stark, the chief of naval OPP
erations, and other high officers also
knew about the message.
Capt. Stafford also testified yes
terday that Navy officer represent
ing Secretary of the Navy Forrestal
LIT. Comdr. John F. Sonnet, now
an Assistant Attorney General
tried to influence Capt. Safford's
. testimony and the versions of other
witnesses at previous inquiry into
Pearl Harbor.
Reads Memorandum.
=, He read the committee a memo
randum charging that Comdr.
Sonnet. special representative of
: Mr.. Forrestal and counsel to Ad-
miral Hewitt's investigation, had
tried to get the captain to change
: his testimony at previous inquiries
concerning the winds code The
Navy court of inquiry had credited
the winds message, but Admiral
Hewitt, in his later report, held
, there was no convincing evidence
u it ever was received.
For my part" Capt. Stafford
told the committee, Il do not doubt
Admiral Hewitt's integrity, but ]
do believe that Sonnett has sue
=, ceeded in pulling the wool over his
~ eyes.
g II also believe that Sonnet en-
= ployed similar tactics on other wit
= nesses whose testimony had ia.
vored Admiral Kinmel, particularly
6 Rochefort and Kramer"
Il Rear Admiral Husband E. Kim
: mel was commander of the Pacific
= Fleet in 1941. Capt. Joseph H
e Rochefort was combat intelligence
n officer in Hawaii and Capt. Alwyn
= D. Kramer was on duty in the
y Office OF Naval Intelligence, Wash
Y ington, at the time of Pearl Harbor
r Capt. Kramer, who is to testify later
sat In the committee room as his
/ colleague testified.
S Mr.. Sonnett denied Capt. Stafford
accusation in statement last night
S There was no effort at any time
f on the part of myself or anyone
else concerned with the Pearl Har.
= Dor investigation, which was con.
/, (See PEARL HARBOR, Page l6,)