Ask the Scholar

Page 7 of 23
I can add historical knowledge about this page.

Page image

Page 7

OCR

-7- I do not find that there was any information in the possession of the War Department and which was not made available to General Short which would have modified the essence of the above information which was sent to him or which would have affected or increased the duties of vigilance and alertness thus alroady imposed upon him. The available information might have given him a clearer picture of the increasing tenseness of the situation and as later pointed out I believe that the War Department would have carried out its duties more adequately if General Short had been given more complete information, but I find that he was amply warned for the performance of his paramount duty of being alert against a surprise air attack by Japan. I find that he failed in the light of the information which he had received adequately to alert his command to the degree of preparedness which the situation demanded; and that this failure contributed measurably to the extent of the disaster, although much damage probably would have resulted from the attack in any event. I find that he failed to use fully the means at hand for reconnaissance, especially the radar air warning service, which was of prime necessity; that he failed to ascertain from the Navy the extent of its reconnaissance or to collaborate with it to the end that more adequate reconnaissance should be secured. I find that he failed to have his antiaircraft defenses sufficiently manned or supplied with ready arrunition as the situation demended. Preservation. Copy

Page data

Page
7
Source index
0
Type
photo
Media ID
c384ce423884cec5
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
290017595
Core
doc
Type
document
DTO data
{
    "id": "290017595",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Press Release, Statement of the Secretary of War Regarding the Pearl Harbor Disaster",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "imageCount": 23,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "290017595",
    "label": "Press Release, Statement of the Secretary of War Regarding the Pearl Harbor Disaster",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "290017595",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Press Release, Statement of the Secretary of War Regarding the Pearl Harbor Disaster",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-001.tif",
    "imageCount": 23,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290017595",
    "naId": 290017595,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
    "seq": 7,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750350/750350-03-007.tif",
    "mediaId": "c384ce423884cec5",
    "ocrText": "-7-\nI do not find that there was any information in the\npossession of the War Department and which was not made available\nto General Short which would have modified the essence of the above\ninformation which was sent to him or which would have affected or\nincreased the duties of vigilance and alertness thus alroady imposed\nupon him. The available information might have given him a clearer\npicture of the increasing tenseness of the situation and as later\npointed out I believe that the War Department would have carried\nout its duties more adequately if General Short had been given more\ncomplete information, but I find that he was amply warned for the\nperformance of his paramount duty of being alert against a surprise\nair attack by Japan.\nI find that he failed in the light of the information\nwhich he had received adequately to alert his command to the\ndegree of preparedness which the situation demanded; and that\nthis failure contributed measurably to the extent of the disaster,\nalthough much damage probably would have resulted from the attack\nin any event. I find that he failed to use fully the means at\nhand for reconnaissance, especially the radar air warning service,\nwhich was of prime necessity; that he failed to ascertain from the\nNavy the extent of its reconnaissance or to collaborate with it\nto the end that more adequate reconnaissance should be secured.\nI find that he failed to have his antiaircraft defenses sufficiently\nmanned or supplied with ready arrunition as the situation demended.\nPreservation. Copy"
}