Evening star., 1955-07-23

INFAMOUS Cn2fge.
After World War II ended,
MIR. Hull was said by an Army
inquiry board to have presented
the japanese with what they
regarded as an ultimatum at a
time when the Army and Navy
were trying to stall for time to
get prepared. This. said the
board. touched the button that
started the war" although it
quickly added that war was in
evitable and imminent anyway
Mr.. Hull branded as IAN in
famous charge" the implication
that the note he handed the jap
anese on November 26 touched
off the Pearl Harbor attack. He
asserted the japanese were "hell-
bent" for war and I'VE could
not have stopped them unless
we had laid down like towards. .
The report of the Joint Con-
gressional Committee on the In
yeStigation of the Pearl Harbor
attack cleared MIR. Hull.
In the midst of the global wal
he had tried to hold back by
diplomatic maneuvers. Mr.. Hull
looked ahead to organization oi
the peace. In 1943, then u years
old, he boarded an airplane fol
the first time in his life and flew
to Moscow for a conference with
the foreign secretaries of Russia
and Britain.
/ This conference adopted dec
laration, Joined in by China
pledging the four powers to es.
tablish a general international
organization open to all nations
for the maintenance of peace
and security. by force if neces-
isary. This was the foundation
for later organization of the
United Nations. The work wa.
carried forward at the Dunn.
barton Oaks Conference, callec
here the following year at Mr.
Hull's instigation.
Mr.. Hull's frail health forced
him to retire before the Sar
Francisco Conference in 1874:
actually set up the United Ma.
tions, but there was no question
that the chief foundations Of
that conference had come ou
of the preparatory work in which
he had taken the lead.
Quit Office i'm 1914.
| Mr.. Hull's last day in the State
Department was on October 2
1914. his 73d birthday. He lef
his Office ill then. and after sew.
eral days went to the Nava
Hospital at Bethesda, where ht
remained for seven months. Hs
withheld his resignation unit
after the reelection of Presiden
Roosevelt for a fourth term IL
November, but rendered it for
mally in a letter from the hos.
'Ipital on November 81.
The President wrote Mr.. HUI
! that his resignation hit him
between wind and water" ane
urged him to hold it up. Blu
/, Mr.. Hull's doctors told him HI
: could not return to his Office fol
a long time. So he prevailed OF
Mr.. Roosevelt to accept his res
ignation, and it was announced
on November 27.
When Mr.. Hull got out Of tht
} hospital that time, he livee
quietly at his apartment and be
gan work on his memoirs in 1946
: That was interrupted in Sep.
tember. 1916, when he returned
to the hospital for a checkup.
i Critically iii at Time.
At the urging Of his ole
friends, he prepared a Statement
in the hospital for release OF
his 18th birthday. October Q. II
that statement he warned tina
: nations must be united within
. themselves and cooperate will
each other in working for peac'
to avert "incalculable disaster.
He suffered a stroke on Sep
tember 80. and was critically il
when the birthday statemen
: was made public. He remained
in critical condition for severa
days, but rallied and gradual.
regained his strength to tn
point where he could resum
: work on his memoirs, walk to 1
S sun porch outside his room an,
/ take occasional automobile ride
in good weather.
S He spent most of the summe
of 1851 at Bethesda but returne,
7 home in the fall to celebrate hi
: 60th birthday.
On that occasion, he receive'
a birthday tribute from Presi
dent Truman saluting him 'il
the name of the Nation whicl
? you have served so long and S
] faithfully"
= Urged Maximum Effort.
: Through all of the disap
appointments and vicissitudes tha
0 have beset the world since
: faithless ally broke it's pledge
q to all freedom-loving nations,
= President Truman wrote, "yo
S have worked with single-minde
purpose for world peace. An
. now at 80. neither hope no
courage falters. You stand four
square with face to the battl
a and eyes to the future"
!, In his own 80th birthda
e statement. Mr.. Hull urged max
!. imum effort by the Unite
States and other free nations t
win victory over the forces G
evil
s Mr.. Hull's private papers
Il $4,000 documents dating fror
a al1910 to 1950-were presented t
9 the Library of Congress in Jul!
" 1852. The Rockefeller Founda
q ton provided a $4,000 gran
q to the library to arrange an
: index the historic papers.
g 9 Church Music Leader