NO COURT-MARTIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 134, 4 December 1944, Page 5

NO COURT-MARTIAL

PEARL HARBOUR ATTACK

WASHINGTON, December 1. The War and Navy Departments simultaneously announced that special investigating boards had found no reason for the court-martialling of MajorGeneral W. E. Short and Rear-Adrmral Husband Kimmel in connection with the Pearl Harbour disaster. The Navy Department .said that the evidence now available does not warrant general court-martial proceedings against any person or persons in the naval service. The Navy Secretary, Mr. J. V. Forrestal, said he was not satisfied that the investigation had exhausted all possible evidence. Therefore, his own investiga,tion would be further continued. Mr- H.L. Stimson, Secretary of War, said: "I am satisfied that proper steps were taken to correct such inadequacies as were shown to exist at the time of the Pearl Harbour disaster. The Army Board, although it recommends no disciplinary or other action, concluded that there were several officers who did not perform their duties with the necessary skill or exercise, the judgment which the circumstances required."

The navy, stated Admiral E. J. King Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet, were advised#by letter on November 3 that a substantial part of the inquiry court's 'records could not be revealed publicly for security reasons.

Referring to Major-General Short, Mr. Stimson said: "I am of the opinion that his errors of judgment were of such a nature as to demand his relief from command status. That was done on January 11, 1942. That in itself is a serious result for an officer with his excellent record. In my judgment, it was sufficient action."

. The latest finding on the subject of the defence of Pearl Harbour conflicts with the report of the official inquiry held soon after the-Japanese bombed the base and presided over by Mr Justice Roberts, of the U.S. Supreme Court. That inquiry found that the necessary steps for the defence of the base had not been taken, though some steps which were not authorised had been taken. For instance, Admiral Kimmel ordered his forces to attack any Japanese submarines located around the islands, which was completely outside his province. The key to the situation at Hawaii is to be found in the fact that £he United btates was not at war when the attack was made, that there was no plan for the effective defence of the base until war began, that an intermediate stage of precaution was applied after the warnings from Washington were received, and that the-'command was divided between the army and the navy.