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

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17.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Public Had Questions<br />

How Much Damage Had the<br />

Japanese Inflicted on <strong>Pearl</strong> <strong>Harbor</strong>?<br />

<strong>The</strong> people in this country were panic-stricken. Why had Japan<br />

attacked the U.S. Fleet while negotiations with the U.S. were<br />

still ongoing? How much damage had been infl icted? Would<br />

the Japanese l<strong>and</strong> in Hawaii? Would they attack the west coast <strong>of</strong><br />

the United States? Would they attack Panama?<br />

Secretary <strong>of</strong> Navy Knox determined to investigate the situation<br />

in Hawaii himself. He called on President Roosevelt<br />

Monday morning to ask permission to fl y to <strong>Pearl</strong> <strong>Harbor</strong> to<br />

inspect the carnage fi rsth<strong>and</strong>, to fi nd out for himself how much<br />

damage had been done, <strong>and</strong> to determine the responsibility for<br />

our forces’ apparent lack <strong>of</strong> preparedness. Roosevelt agreed to<br />

his trip. Knox spent the day gathering background material to<br />

study on the fl ight. Hawaii was still a territory, not yet a state.<br />

Secretary <strong>of</strong> Navy would be traveling outside the country, so<br />

Under Secretary <strong>of</strong> Navy James W. Forrestal would take over as<br />

Acting Secretary. Forrestal had not previously been on the list <strong>of</strong><br />

those few top military <strong>and</strong> political <strong>of</strong>fi cials privy to the closely<br />

guarded MAGIC intercepts. However, as Acting Secretary he<br />

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