Evening star., 1948-02-27

To the Editor of The Star
have never read more damn1ng reVeia-
ton of American craftsmanship than that set
forth in the extracts Of Corden Hulls Memoirs
published by The Star last Thursday and FIJI
day, February 10 and 20, 1948.
First comes the specific warning OF the Jape-
nese plan to attack Pearl Harbor given In Janu-
ary. 1914 Ca year ahead d the actual attack
to Ambassador Grew in Tokyo by Peruvian
diplomat who said the warning had come to
him from many sources. On receipt Of Crews
rabaed report Hull states: "The following day
we communicated the contents OF the cable
to the War and Navy Departments" HUI
makes no further mention Of this momentous
warning.
Next the ex-Secretary of State says that an
indirect proposal of Nomura's In Washington
was q keen disappointment to the State De-
partment, that most of its provisions were all
that the ardent Japanese imperiAlkts could
want" Whereupon, two days later, Huh handed
Nomura statement "of four basic principles
which would have to underlie any agreement
we reached" These four basic principles were
as far from Nomura's proposal as the North
Pole from the South, and Of course were re-
jected.
"Sbrry Revelation"
With this impasse established Hull then re-
veals that the Japanese code had been broken
and We we're deciphering messages from Tokyo
to Washington and other capitals. Thereby
We knew much that Nomura was receiving
from his government and much he in turn
transmitted to it-and this showed that the
Japanese government was going ahead with
its plans of conquest even while talking OF
peace with us'-this in May seven months be-
fore Pearl Harbor."
Then comes official proposals OF Nomura
(those mentioned before as indirect being
moficiaD which called "for overlordshfp OF
the Pacific with little consideration Of the
rights and interests of other Nations Still,
Hull would negotiate, says ito have rejected
1t outright would have meant throwing away
the only real chance" for a discussion Of
fundamentals. The real chance"-in May
mind you-when, as he states, 1--WE had very
definite knowledge of what Japan was plan
ming" srF ii 81 -
Early in July intercepted messages to Berlin
and to Nomura in Washington announced that
Japan would adhere to her pact with Hitler
and Mussolini, would strike In Indo China and
Thailand, and 'in the meantime diplomatic
negotiations shall be carried on with great
care"
On July 21st Japan invaded Indo China.
The diplomatic negotiations were indeed car
ried on with great care-and great success at
least with Hull. This sorry revelation reaches
its climax in The Star extract of February
goth.
On November 8, 1941, Grew cabled his opin-
ion ''that Japan might make do-or-d at
tempt if our conversations failed" From In
tercepts in message to Nomura on Novem-
ber 5th Hull says "for the first time we now
saw a deadline stated in the intercepts-this
lad hyr1Ny TorNa had
decided not to stop short of war with the Unit
ed States II by November 25th we had not
agreed to her demands"
Our Russian Dealings.
Next he says, although Nomura continued
to offer protestations of Japans peaceful in
tentions, the intercepts which flowed to my
desk told different story" Then came new
proposal from Nomura, so preposterous in
character that no responsible official could
have dreamed Of accepting it."
Did this smack in the face to negotiations by
ENJOYS who, Hull knew through the broken
code, were practcing deceit of the blackest
kind, did this arouse our Secretary of State
from his coma? II ever craftsmanship called
for an end to dealings of this stripe, called for
denunciation. for verbal castgation Of these
emissaries of intransigence and aggression the
day this last proposal was handed Hull was
the day of days. But what was the reaction
thereto of the imperturbable, the angelic Sec
retary of State? He took care, as he says,
not to "be so sharp in my reactions that the
Japanese would have pretext to walk out"
Is there need to comment on such weak
ness? Could a statesman ever be more justi-
fled in ordering couple of base tricksters, de-
ceivers out of his door and out of his country
than was Hull? And is it not sickening. des-
picable fact that our statesmen in Office today
are showing the same fatal fear of breaking
with Russia, though they know, as Hull knew OF
the Japanese, that she is an enemy and more,
an avowed enemy, biding her time to strike
us, down when she can, in the meantime weak
ening us in every possible way, and accom-
panying her cold war; by heaped-on abuse
and vilidcation as she jostles and throws us
around?
BY our valor and might We win the wars;
through false ideology, child-like statesman
ship ever lose the peace.
WILLIAM L. HILLYER.