Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

228 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
the middle of the message. . . . Kramer had underscored all three
“code phrases” on the original incoming teletype sheet. Below
the printed message was written in pencil or colored crayon in
Kramer’s handwriting, the following free translations:
War with England (including NEI, etc.)
War with the U.S.
Peace with Russia 21
Saff ord immediately sent the original teletype of the “Winds
Execute” with one of his offi cers up to the offi ce of his superior,
Rear Admiral Noyes, director of naval communications. Saff ord
did not explain the message or its signifi cance to the courier; he
only told him “to deliver this paper to Admiral Noyes in person.”
If Noyes wasn’t there, the offi cer was “to track him down and
not take ‘no’ for an answer.” If Noyes could not be found within
a reasonable time, the offi cer was to let Saff ord know. In a few
minutes, however, Saff ord received a report that the message had
been successfully delivered to Noyes. 22
Meanwhile over at the Japanese embassy in Washington,
Japanese Petty Offi cer Ogimoto, an intelligence offi cer posing as
a code clerk, had been on the alert since November 19, when
the government in Tokyo had announced the “Winds Code.”
We knew, of course, that the Japanese embassies and legations
throughout the world must have been listening for the “Winds
Execute” just as intently as we had been, although we had no way
of knowing just what arrangements they had made. However, in
the naval attaché room, Ogimoto had been straining his ears listening
to shortwave broadcasts on their sophisticated radio. At
about 4:00 p.m. on December 4, Ogimoto heard what he had
been waiting for, “East Wind Rain.” He shouted out, “Th e wind
21 Ibid., part 8, p. 3586, Saff ord testimony before the Joint Committee.
22 Ibid. See also p. 3611 and ibid., part 18, p. 3347, the memorandum of May
14, 1945, prepared by Saff ord for Lieutenant Commander John F. Sonnett,
legal assistant to Admiral Hewitt.