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

756 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
himself, who refused to change his story, was vilifi ed. Blame for
the surprise attack had been levied by the Roberts Commission
and by public opinion against the two Pearl Harbor commanders.
And then there was the disappearance, not only of the “Winds
Execute” message itself, which should have been retained in the
fi les, but also any reference to the instructions to Cheltenham
station concerning its interception. 95 Moreover, other crucial preattack
MAGIC intercepts had turned up missing as well. 96
Representative John W. Murphy questioned Saff ord about
his remarks in his letter to Kramer, to the eff ect that “No one
in OpNav can be trusted” and that Kimmel “was victim of a
frame-up.”
Murphy: Tell us who was in Opnav who could not be trusted.
. . . Please give us some names. . . . Who were you saying could
not be trusted? Names please. Who could not be trusted? . . .
Names, please. I am still waiting. Waiting. Will you please give
us the names as to who could not be trusted in Opnav? Please,
sir. . . .
Saff ord: I prefer not to answer. 97
Murphy also asked Saff ord whom he was accusing of framing
Kimmel and Short. Framing somebody, Murphy said, was
“one of the meanest and lowest crimes.” When pressed to say
whether he “felt that the General Staff of the United States Army
under General Marshall, and the General Staff of the Navy under
Admiral Stark had framed Kimmel and Short,” Saff ord replied,
“I felt that way.” 98
95 Ibid., part 8, p. 3652, Saff ord testimony.
96 Ibid., p. 3686.
97 Ibid., pp. 3721–22.
98 Ibid., pp. 3723–24.