Evening star., 1948-02-21
he memoirs OF IordeH f7WI
Hull Informed Of Jap Attack on Pearl Horbor
While ENJOYS Waited to Deliver Last Message

,dent telephoned me from the
White House. His voice was steady
but clipped.
He said, There's a report that
the Japanese have attacked Pearl
Harbor."
HAS the report been confrmed?"
I asked.
He said, mo"
While each Of us indicated his
belief that the report was probably
true. suggested that he have 1t
confirmed, having in mind my ap-
pointment with the Japanese. Am
bassadors.
Receives Jap ENJOYS
With me in my office were Green
H. Hackworth, legal adviser, and
Joseph w. Ballantine, who had been
with me during most of my CONVEX
sations with the Japanese. I turned
to them, saying:
1.-The President has an uncon-
drmed report that the Japanese have
attacked Pearl Harbor. The jap
anese Ambassadors are waiting to
see me. I know what they want.
They are going to turn us down on
our note Of November 26. Perhaps
they want to tell us that war has
been declared. I am rather in
clined not to see them"
AS I thought it over, however, I
decided that, since the Presidents
report had not been confirmed and
there was one chance out OF a
hundred that it was not true,
would receive the ENJOYS. / went
over briefly with Hackworth and
Ballantine what I would say to
them. Hackworth left the room
and Ballantine remained as I called
for the Ambassadors.
Nomura and Kurusu came into
my office at 2:20. I received them
coldly and did not ask them to sit
down.
Nomura diffidently said he had
been instructed by his government
to deliver a document to me at
pm, but that difficulty in decod-
ing the message had delayed him.
He then handed me his govern
ment's note.
asked him why he had specified
o'clock in his first request for an
interview.
He replied that he did not know,
but that was his instruction.
I made pretense of glancing
through the note. knew its con-
tents already, but naturally could
give no indication of this fact.
"Infamous FaIsehoods."
After reading two or three pages.
I asked Nomura whether he had
presented the document under in
structions from his government. He
replied that he had.
When I finished skimming the
pages I turned to Nomura and put
my eye on him.
II must say" said, that in all
my conversations with you during
the last nine months I have never
uttered one word of untruth. This
is borne out absolutely by the rec
ord. In all my so years. of public
service I have never seen docu-
ment that was more crowded with
infamous falsehoods and distortions
infamous falsehoods and distor-
tions on a scale so huge that I
never imagined until today that any
government on this planet was
capable of uttering them"
Nomura seemed about to say
something His face was impassive,
but I felt he was under great emo
tional strain. I stopped him with
a motion Of my hand. I nodded
toward the door. The Ambassadors
turned without a word and walked
out, their heads down.
I have seen it stated that I
"cussed out" the Japanese ENJOYS
in rich Tennessee mountain Ian
guage, but the fact is I told them
exactly what I said above. No
'cussing out" could have made it
any stronger.
Ballantine took notes of what I
said. The moment the Ambassa-
dors left I called in a stenographer
and dictated from memory what I
had told them. This is the state
ment as issued to the press.
1t was therefore without warning
that the Japanese struck at Pearl
Harbor, more than an hour before
Nomura and Kurusu delivered their
note.
I talked with the President on
the telephone shortly after the AM
bassadors left my Office, and re-
peated to him what had told them.
He said he was pleased that I had
spoken so strongly. BY then he had
received further reports on the at
tack at Pearl Harbor.
(Copyright, 194S, by North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inco
(Mr. Hulps memoirs toiu be
resumed Monday. A specially
written article Uill appear in the
editorial section OF The Star to-
morro1u.