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

Joint Congressional Committee, Pearl Harbor Attack: Part 3 817
most of the principals involved in the attack had been heard from.
Th e hearings continued a few more days and a few more persons
were questioned. Finally the committee members decided it was
time to wind up their hearings. In closing Chairman Barkley congratulated
the members: “[O]n the whole the attendance of this
committee and the interest it has manifested in the testimony of all
the witnesses has been extraordinary.” Th e committee adjourned
February 20, 1946, subject to recall by the chairman. 286
Committee Reconvened to Hear
Testimony re December 6–7 Whereabouts
of Stark and Marshall
On April 9 Barkley reconvened the committee to question
Stark and Marshall once more as to their whereabouts on
December 6–7. 287
Marshall had been appointed ambassador to China by
President Truman in November 1945, but was back in Washington
for a brief visit in April 1946. At that time he appeared once more
before the committee.
Brewster asked Marshall, among other things, to explain why,
in view of all pre-attack considerations and factors, he had not
expected an attack on Pearl Harbor. Marshall said he had
felt that was a vital installation. . . . [T]hat was the only installation
we had anywhere that was reasonably well equipped. . . . In
our opinion, the commanders had been alerted. In our opinion,
there was nothing more we could give them at the time for the
purpose of defense. In our opinion, that was one place that had
enough within itself to put up a reasonable defense.
286Ibid., part 10, pp. 5150–51.
287Ibid., part 11, p. 5153.