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

1944: A Year of Investigations 437
until December 14. Hawaii was then a territory, not yet a state.
With the secretary out of the country, Undersecretary James V.
Forrestal became acting secretary. Forrestal had known nothing
of “Purple” and had not been privy to MAGIC. On assuming
the responsibilities of secretary, he asked to be briefed. Th erefore,
apparently on orders of Admiral Noyes, director of naval communications,
Lieutenant Commander Kramer, Japanese translator
and Navy courier, assembled for Forrestal a special folder of
intercepts and other papers “relative to the break in diplomatic
relations with Japan.” 52 Because of Saff ord’s familiarity with the
traffi c, Kramer had gone over the folder with Saff ord to check for
completeness. 53 Th en both Commander McCollum of Far East
intelligence and Kramer briefed Forrestal, “explaining the signifi -
cance of the various messages” 54 and “the way things shaped up
from this traffi c.” 55
When Knox returned and Forrestal was relieved of his position
as Acting Secretary, his bundle of intercepts must have been
tossed in a safe and forgotten.
Court Martial Deadline Extended
Th e tides of war had shifted by this time. Th e Allies were
preparing to launch a second front in Europe. Th e Axis powers
were on the defensive both in Europe and in Asia. Many people,
Republicans and some anti-New Deal Democrats, were beginning
to ask why, after all this time, it was still necessary to maintain
secrecy about the Pearl Harbor attack. Why couldn’t the
truth be told? Was the administration trying to hide something?
52 Joint Committee, Pearl Harbor Attack, part 8, p. 3689, Saff ord testimony
before the Joint Committee. At the time, Saff ord was under the impression the
folder of intercepts was being assembled for the use of the Roberts Commission.
53 Ibid., part 36, p. 71, Saff ord testimony before the Hewitt Inquiry.
54 Ibid., part 36, p. 71, Saff ord testimony.
55 Ibid., pp. 83–84, Kramer testimony before the Hewitt Inquiry.