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

Administration Directed Supplementary Investigations 605
absolute fl at denial of that . . . because as far as I know that message
was never in the War Department and I never made any
statement that General Marshall ordered it destroyed or that
anyone told me that General Marshall ordered it destroyed.” 111
Sadtler said he was told by Spalding in August 1943 that J. T. B.
Bissell said everything pertaining to PH was destroyed. 112 Spalding
then added “[A]t no time was the name of Gen. Marshall ever
brought into the conversation or discussion.” 113
Spalding was told by Bissell that he deemed it necessary to
destroy fi les in G-2, implying that he had done this “on his own
responsibility.” 114 Spalding said further “I hope it is clear in here
that I wouldn’t want anything I say to transgress the integrity of
Mr. Stimson or George Marshall. Th ey are two of the fi nest men
in the world and they would hew to the line I know.” 115
Bissell later testifi ed that as far as he knew no messages pertaining
to Pearl Harbor had been destroyed; once a message was
okayed and sent, “It went into the fi le immediately. . . . And no
fi les were ever destroyed.” 116
Clarke’s Report
After quoting Friedman’s statement before the Hewitt
Inquiry, Clarke stated:
I fi nd that Mr. Friedman . . . was told by Col. Sadtler at some
time in 1943 that Brig. Gen. Isaac Spalding told Col. Sadtler
that Brig. Gen. J.T.B. Bissell had told Gen. Spalding that
111 Ibid., p. 86.
112 Ibid., p. 86.
113 Ibid., p. 90.
114 Ibid., pp. 90–93.
115 Ibid.
116 Ibid., pp. 101–02.