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-8-
This failure resulted not from indolence or indifference
or willful disobodience of orders but from a vital error of judgment,
viz: the failure to comprehend the necessities of tho situation
in the light of the warnings and information which he had received.
He states that to put into effect a different degree of alortness
than he actually did would have interfered with the training
program which he was carrying out in various activities, and
would have involved the danger of alarming the population,
against which he had beon cautioned. In weighing such con-
siderations he entirely lost sight of the fact that the defense
of his command and station against Japan was his paramount duty.
The underlying cause of this error of judgment was
"NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
SERVICE"
General Short's confidence that Japan would not then attack
Pearl Harbor. In fairness to him it must be borne in mind that
this belief was shared in by almost everyone concerned including
his superior officers in the War Department in Washington. He was
undoubtedly influenced in such a belief by the then prevailing
psychology which completely underestimated the Japanese military
capabilities and particularly the advance which they had made in
the use of aircraft. General Short also know that the Naval
comwand at Hawaii, which he regarded as being better informed
than he because of their facilitics and the widespread nature of
their operations, was confident that an air attack on Pearl
Harbor was most unlikely. The information which was being rc-
Preservation Copy
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- 290017595
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Context sent to Scholar
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"ocrText": "-8-\nThis failure resulted not from indolence or indifference\nor willful disobodience of orders but from a vital error of judgment,\nviz: the failure to comprehend the necessities of tho situation\nin the light of the warnings and information which he had received.\nHe states that to put into effect a different degree of alortness\nthan he actually did would have interfered with the training\nprogram which he was carrying out in various activities, and\nwould have involved the danger of alarming the population,\nagainst which he had beon cautioned. In weighing such con-\nsiderations he entirely lost sight of the fact that the defense\nof his command and station against Japan was his paramount duty.\nThe underlying cause of this error of judgment was\n\"NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nGeneral Short's confidence that Japan would not then attack\nPearl Harbor. In fairness to him it must be borne in mind that\nthis belief was shared in by almost everyone concerned including\nhis superior officers in the War Department in Washington. He was\nundoubtedly influenced in such a belief by the then prevailing\npsychology which completely underestimated the Japanese military\ncapabilities and particularly the advance which they had made in\nthe use of aircraft. General Short also know that the Naval\ncomwand at Hawaii, which he regarded as being better informed\nthan he because of their facilitics and the widespread nature of\ntheir operations, was confident that an air attack on Pearl\nHarbor was most unlikely. The information which was being rc-\nPreservation Copy"
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