The Navy Department has clamped a tight lid of secrecy over the battle in the Coral Sea (see map) last week. Correspondents in Hawaii and Australia have had to work hard to piece together an accurate picture of what happened. The Navy"s reluctance to talk shows that it considers the engagement yet another defeat.
One U.S. fleet carrier, the Lexington Lexington, was sunk. Another, the Yorktown Yorktown, was severely damaged, and is limping toward Hawaii for repair. American casualties in the battle were heavy: 543 dead and a number of wounded the Navy still refuses to admit.
In addition to the carriers, the U.S. lost a destroyer, a fleet oiler, and 66 planes. j.a.panese aircraft hit American ships with 58% of the bombs and torpedoes they dropped. Prewar predictions of bombing accuracy were as low as 3%.
Navy sources claim to have sunk a j.a.panese light carrier, and to have damaged a fleet carrier-possibly two. They a.s.sert that 77 j.a.panese airplanes were downed, and say j.a.panese casualties "had to have been" heavier than ours. Given how much the Navy exaggerates what it has done in the Atlantic, these Pacific figures also need to be taken with an ocean of salt.
May 15, 1942-St. Louis Post-Dispatch WALLACE SAYS FDR LIED.
President Expected War, VP Insists Vice President Henry Wallace broke ranks with Roosevelt again in a speech in Little Rock, Arkansas. "Roosevelt looked for us to get sucked into this war," Wallace said. "He was getting ready for it at the same time as he was telling America we could stay out.
"I see that now," the Vice President added. "If I"d seen it then, I never would have agreed to be his running mate. The USA deserves better. How many women-and men-are grieving today because the President of the United States flat-out lied? And how much more grief do we have to look forward to?"
Stormy applause greeted Wallace"s remarks. Arkansas is a longtime Democratic stronghold, but FDR"s popularity is plummeting there, as it is across the country. After Wallace finished speaking, shouts of "Impeach Roosevelt!" rang out from the crowd. They were also cheered.
Asked whether he thought Roosevelt should be impeached, Wallace said, "I can"t comment. If I say no, people will think I agree with his policies, and I don"t. But if I say yes, they will think I am angling for the White House myself. The people you need to talk to are the Speaker of the House and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee."
A reporter also asked Wallace if he would seek peace if he did become President. "A negotiated settlement has to be better than the series of catastrophes we"ve suffered," he replied. "Why should our boys die to uphold the British Empire and Communist Russia?"
May 16, 1942-Washington Post IMPEACHMENT "RIDICULOUS," FDR SAYS Beleaguered Franklin Roosevelt called talk of impeachment "ridiculous" in a written statement released this morning. "I am doing the best job of running this country I can," the statement said. "That is what the American people elected me to do, and I aim to do it. We can win this war-and we will, unless the in-grates who stand up and cheer whenever anything goes wrong have their way."
Roosevelt"s statement also lambasted his breakaway Vice President, Henry Wallace. "He is doing more for the other side than a division of panzer troops," it said.
Wallace replied, "I am trying to tell America the truth. Isn"t it about time somebody did? We deserve it."
House Speaker Sam Rayburn declined comment. A source close to the Speaker said he is "waiting to see what happens next."
May 26, 1942-Honolulu Star-Bulletin YORKTOWN TORPEDOED, SUNK TORPEDOED, SUNK.
Loss of Life Feared Heavy A day before she was to put in at Pearl Harbor for emergency repairs, the carrier Yorktown Yorktown was sunk by a j.a.panese sub southwest of Oahu. The ship sank quickly in shark-infested waters. Only about 120 survivors have been rescued. was sunk by a j.a.panese sub southwest of Oahu. The ship sank quickly in shark-infested waters. Only about 120 survivors have been rescued.
The Yorktown Yorktown"s complement is about 1,900 men. She also carried air crew from the Lexington Lexington, which went down almost three weeks ago in the Coral Sea. Nearly as many men died with her as did at Pearl Harbor, in other words.
The plan was to quickly fix up the Yorktown Yorktown and send her to defend Midway Island along with the and send her to defend Midway Island along with the Hornet Hornet and the and the Saratoga Saratoga. Midway is believed to be the target of an advancing fleet considerably stronger than the forces available to hold the island. Now the two surviving carriers-one damaged itself-and their support vessels will have to go it alone.
If the j.a.panese occupy Midway, Honolulu and Pearl Harbor will come within reach of their deadly long-range bombers.
May 28, 1942-Honolulu Advertiser editorial editorial STAR-BULLETIN SHUT DOWN SHUT DOWN.
Censors" Reign of Error Because bullying Navy and War Department censors unconst.i.tutionally closed down our rival newspaper yesterday, it is up to us to carry on in the Star-Bulletin Star-Bulletin"s footsteps. We aim to tell the truth to the people of Honolulu and to the people of America. If the maniacs with the blue pencils try to silence us, we will go underground to carry on the fight for justice and the First Amendment.
From where we sit, the fat cats in the Roosevelt administration who think they ought to have a monopoly on the facts are worse enemies of freedom than Tojo and Hitler put together. In dragging us into this pointless war in the first place, they pulled the wool over the country"s eyes. They thought they had the right to do that, because they were doing it for our own good. They knew better than we did, you see.
Only they didn"t. One disastrous failure after another has proved that. Up till now, the USA has never lost a war. Unless we can wheel FDR out of the White House soon, that record won"t last more than another few weeks.
May 29, 1942-Cleveland Plain Dealer DEMONSTRATORS CLASH DOWNTOWN.
Pro- and Antiwar Factions, Police Battle in Streets Thousands of protesters squared off yesterday in downtown Cleveland. Police were supposed to keep the pa.s.sionately opposed sides separate. Instead, they joined the pro-FDR forces in pummeling the peaceful demonstrators who condemn the war and, in increasing numbers, call for Roosevelt"s impeachment and removal from office.
Antiwar demonstrators far outnumbered the President"s supporters. Those who still blindly back Roosevelt, however, came prepared for violence. They were armed with clubs, rocks, and bottles, and were ready to use them.
"War! War! FDR! Now the President"s gone too far!" chanted the peaceful antiwar forces. Another chant soon swelled and grew: "Impeach Roosevelt!"
FDR"s supporters attacked the antiwar picketers then. Vicious cops were also seen beating protesters with billy clubs and kicking them on the ground (see photo above this story). Some protesters withdrew from the demonstration. Others fought back, refusing to be intimidated by Roosevelt"s thuggish followers or by the out-of-control police.
"This can only help our cause," said a man bleeding from a scalp laceration and carrying a NO MORE YEARS! sign. "When the country sees how brutal that man in the White House really is, it will know what to do. I"m sure of it."
May 31, 1942-Honolulu Advertiser HORNET, SARATOGA SAIL FOR MIDWAY SAIL FOR MIDWAY.
America"s two surviving fleet carriers in the Pacific left Pearl Harbor yesterday. Sources say they are bound for strategic Midway Island, about 1,000 miles to the northwest.
With the carriers sailed the usual accompaniment of cruisers and destroyers. The ships made a brave show. But how much can they hope to accomplish against the disciplined nationalism of j.a.pan and the determined bravery of her soldiers and pilots and sailors?
This strike force seems to be Roosevelt"s last desperate effort to salvage something from the war he blundered into. The odds look grim. j.a.pan may be low on sc.r.a.p metal and oil thanks to FDR, but she is long on guts and stubbornness. If the Navy fails here, as it has failed so often, the outlook for Hawaii and for the west coast of the mainland looks bleak indeed.
June 1, 1942-Official proclamation HONOLULU ADVERTISER NO LONGER TO BE PUBLISHED NO LONGER TO BE PUBLISHED.
WHEREAS, it is provided by Section 67 of the Organic Act of the Territory of Hawaii, approved April 30, 1900, that the Governor of that territory may call upon the commander of the military forces of the United States in that territory to prevent invasion; and WHEREAS, it is further provided by the said section that the Governor may, in case of invasion or imminent danger thereof, suspend the privilege of habeas corpus and place the territory under martial law; and WHEREAS, the Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu Advertiser has egregiously violated the terms of censorship imposed on the territory following December 7, 1941; has egregiously violated the terms of censorship imposed on the territory following December 7, 1941; NOW, THEREFORE, I order the said Honolulu Advertiser Honolulu Advertiser to suspend publication indefinitely and its staff to face military tribunals to judge and punish their disloyalty. to suspend publication indefinitely and its staff to face military tribunals to judge and punish their disloyalty.
DONE at Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, this 1st day of June, 1942.
(SEAL OF THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII)-Lt. Col. Neal D. Franklin Army Provost Marshal
June 7, 1942-San Francisco Chronicle DISASTER AT MIDWAY!.
Carriers Sunk-Island Invaded The Imperial j.a.panese Navy dealt the U.S. Pacific Fleet a devastating blow off Midway Island three days ago. Though Navy officials are maintaining a tight-lipped silence, reliable sources say both the Saratoga Saratoga and the and the Hornet Hornet were sunk by j.a.panese dive bombers. Several support vessels were also sunk or damaged. were sunk by j.a.panese dive bombers. Several support vessels were also sunk or damaged.
j.a.panese troops have landed on Midway. The Yamato Yamato, the mightiest battleship in the world, is bombarding the island with what are reported to be 18-inch guns. j.a.panese planes rule the skies. Resistance is said to be fading.
When the j.a.panese succeed in occupying Midway, Hawaii will be vulnerable to their bombers. So will convoys coming from the mainland to supply Hawaii-and so will convoys leaving Hawaii for Australia and New Zealand.
j.a.panese submarines sailing out of Midway will have an easier time reaching the West Coast. They could even threaten the Panama Ca.n.a.l.
This war has seemed to be an uphill fight from the beginning. For all practical purposes, it is unwinnable now. The only person in the country who fails to realize that, unfortunately, lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.
June 8, 1942-Baltimore News-Post ROOSEVELT TEARS INTO PRESS.
Blames Leaks for U.S. Defeats Trying to sh.o.r.e up flagging public support for his war, FDR lashed out at American newspapers in a speech before midshipmen at the Naval Academy in Annapolis yesterday. "How can we fight with any hope of success when they trumpet our doings to the foe?" he complained.
The midshipmen applauded warmly. Whether Roosevelt could have found such a friendly reception from civilians is a different question.
"Reporters seem proud when they find a new secret and print it," he said, shaking his fist from his wheelchair. "If printing that secret means our brave sailors and soldiers die, they don"t care. They have their scoop."
According to FDR, the staggering loss at Midway can be laid at the feet of newsmen. Our own military incompetence and j.a.panese skill and courage apparently had nothing to do with it. However loudly the young, naive midshipmen may cheer, the rest of the nation is drawing other conclusions.
June 9, 1942-Washington Post editorial editorial RESPONSIBILITY.
Nothing is ever Franklin D. Roosevelt"s fault. If you don"t believe us, just ask him. German U-boats are sinking ships up and down the Atlantic coast? It"s all the newspapers" fault. The Navy and the Army have suffered a string of humiliating defeats in the Pacific? The papers are to blame there, too.
Throwing rocks at the press may make FDR feel better, but that is all it does. What he really blames the newspapers for is pointing out his mistakes. Now the whole country can take a good look at them. Roosevelt does not care for that at all.
With him, image is everything; substance, nothing. Have you ever noticed how seldom he is allowed to be photographed in his wheelchair? If people aren"t reminded of it, they won"t think about it. That is how his mind works.
But when it comes to the acid test of war, image is not enough. You need real victories on the battlefield, and the United States has not been able to win any. Why not? No matter what Roosevelt and his stooges say, it is not because the press has blabbed our precious secrets.
The fact of the matter is, whether we read codes from Germany and j.a.pan hardly matters. Even when we have good intelligence, we don"t know what to do with it. Example? The j.a.panese tried out their Zero fighter in China in 1940. General Claire Chennault, who led the volunteer Flying Tigers, warned Washington what it was like. It came as a complete surprise to the Navy anyhow.
Most of our intelligence, though, was incredibly bad. We were sure France could give Germany a good fight. We were just as sure our Navy could whip j.a.pan"s with ease. We fatally underestimated German technology and resourcefulness, to say nothing of j.a.panese drive and elan. j.a.pan and Germany are fighting for their homelands. What are we we fighting for? Anything at all? fighting for? Anything at all?
FDR is too sunk in pride to get out of the war he stumbled into while the country still has any chestnuts worth pulling from the fire. He will not-he seems unable to-admit that the many mistakes we have made are his and his henchmen"s.
And since he will not, we must put someone in the White House who will. Impeachment may be an extreme step, but the United States is in extreme danger. With this war gone so calamitously wrong, we need peace as soon as we can get it, and at almost any price.
June 11, 1942-Boston Globe WALLACE PLEDGES PEACE, IF . . .
Vice President Henry Wallace said American foreign policy needs to change course. "I"m not the President. I can"t make policy," he said last night at a Longsh.o.r.emen"s Union banquet. "Right now, the President doesn"t even want to listen to me. But I can see it"s time for a change. Only peace will put our beloved country back on track."
Wallace did not speak of the growing sentiment for impeachment. After all, he stands to take over the White House after Roosevelt is ousted. But he left no doubt that he would do everything in his power to pull American troops back to this country. He also condemned the huge deficits our ma.s.sive military adventure is causing us to run.
With his commonsense approach, he seemed much more Presidential than the man still clinging to power in Washington.
June 16, 1942-Washington Post RAYBURN, SUMNERS CONFER.
Articles of Impeachment Likely House Speaker Sam Rayburn and Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatton Sumners met today to discuss procedures for impeaching President Roosevelt. Both Texas Democrats were tight-lipped as they emerged from their conference.
Sumners offered no comment of any kind. Rayburn said only, "I am sorry to be in this position. The good of the country may demand something I would otherwise much rather not do."
Only one President has ever been impeached: Andrew John-son in 1868. The Senate failed by one vote to convict him.
Sumners has experience with impeachment. He was the House manager in the proceedings against Judges George English and Halsted Ritter. English resigned; Ritter was convicted and removed from office.
Sumners has also clashed with FDR before. He was the chief opponent of Roosevelt"s 1937 scheme to pack the Supreme Court.
Roosevelt"s time in office must be seen as limited now. And that is a consummation devoutly to be wished. With a new leader, one we can respect, will surely come what Abraham Lincoln called "a new birth of freedom." It cannot come soon enough.
THE CATCHER IN THE RHINE.
More pastiche here, this time of, well, guess what. I owe this piece to my middle daughter, Rachel, who was much younger when I wrote it. Her older sister, Alison, had to read J. D. Salinger"s book in a high school English cla.s.s. Rachel didn"t hear the t.i.tle right. "The catcher in the Rhine?" she said. Well, as soon as I heard that, I knew I could do evil things with it. Which I did, and sold them to Esther Friesner for one of her Chicks in Chainmail Chicks in Chainmail books. And, in case you"re wondering, yes, Rachel did get her share of the check for the story. books. And, in case you"re wondering, yes, Rachel did get her share of the check for the story.
I don"t know how I got here. Wait. That"s not quite right. What I mean to say is, I know how I got to Europe and everything, for Chrissake. They sent me over here to find myself or something after that trouble I had. I"m sure you know about that. I"m certain you know about it. Practically ev everybody knows about it. Some of the biggest phonies in the world think they know more about it than I do. They really think so. It"s like they read it in English cla.s.s or something.
So like I say, I know how I got to Europe. I don"t know about this finding myself business, though. I swear to G.o.d, if you can"t find yourself, you"ve gotta be some kind of psycho. I mean, you"re right there there, for crying out loud. If you weren"t right there, where the h.e.l.l would you be?
And sending somebody to Europe to find himself has got to be the stupidest thing in the world. You have to be a lousy moron to come up with something like that, you really do. You can"t find any anything in Europe. Honest to G.o.d, it"s the truth. You really can"t. All the streets go every which way, and they change names every other block, or sometimes in the middle of the block.
Besides, the people don"t speak English. Try to have an intellectual conversation with somebody who doesn"t know what the h.e.l.l you"re talking about. Go ahead and try. It"s a G.o.ddam waste of time, that"s what it is.
Anyway, I went through France, and some of that was pretty neat, it really was, and all of it was historical as h.e.l.l-not that I was ever any good at history. What I mean is, every single stinking bit of it happened a long time ago-some of it happened a G.o.ddam long time ago-so how am I supposed to get all excited when some phony moron of a teacher stands there and goes on and on about it? It"s not easy, I tell you.
After I was done with old France, I went over to Germany because it"s next door, you know-and I took this boat trip up the Rhine. I don"t know what the h.e.l.l "Rhine" means in German, but it looks like it oughta mean "sewer." The whole river smells like somebody laid a big old fart, too. It really does. I won"t ever complain about the Hudson when I get home, and you can walk across the Hudson, practically.
When I get home. If If I get home. The boat stopped at this place called Isenstein. It"s a real dump, I tell you, but back of it there"s a kind of a crag thing with a castle on top. I wasn"t gonna get off the boat-I"d paid the fare all the way up to Dusseldorf, wherever that is-but the river just smelled so bad I couldn"t stand it any more, so I left. Maybe they"d let me back on the next one. And if they didn"t, who cares? I had piles of money and traveler"s checks and stuff. I get home. The boat stopped at this place called Isenstein. It"s a real dump, I tell you, but back of it there"s a kind of a crag thing with a castle on top. I wasn"t gonna get off the boat-I"d paid the fare all the way up to Dusseldorf, wherever that is-but the river just smelled so bad I couldn"t stand it any more, so I left. Maybe they"d let me back on the next one. And if they didn"t, who cares? I had piles of money and traveler"s checks and stuff.
Well, let me tell you, the streets in old Isenstein didn"t smell so good, either. That was partly because it was still right next next to the Rhine, and it was partly because the people there had the most disgusting personal habits in the world. I saw this one guy standing in the street taking a leak against the side of a crumby old dirty brick building, and it wasn"t even like he was drunk or anything. He was just to the Rhine, and it was partly because the people there had the most disgusting personal habits in the world. I saw this one guy standing in the street taking a leak against the side of a crumby old dirty brick building, and it wasn"t even like he was drunk or anything. He was just doing doing it. And then he went on his way happy as you please. I wouldn"t"ve believed it if I hadn"t seen it with my own eyes, and that"s the truth. it. And then he went on his way happy as you please. I wouldn"t"ve believed it if I hadn"t seen it with my own eyes, and that"s the truth.
They had a church there, so I went inside and looked around. I always tried to look at those cultural things, because who knew when I was ever coming back again? Coming back to Europe, I mean-I wouldn"t"ve come back to Isenstein if you paid paid me, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. But the church was pretty dirty and crumby, too. By the time I got done looking at it, I was feeling pretty G.o.ddam depressed. I really was. So I got the h.e.l.l out of there. me, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. But the church was pretty dirty and crumby, too. By the time I got done looking at it, I was feeling pretty G.o.ddam depressed. I really was. So I got the h.e.l.l out of there.
I was feeling pretty G.o.ddam hungry hungry, too. I was feeling hungry as a sonuvab.i.t.c.h, if you want to know the truth. I didn"t exactly want to eat in Isenstein-it really was a filthy place. You have no idea how filthy it was. But I was there there. Where else was I gonna eat, is what I want to know.
Getting something to eat when you don"t speak the language is a royal pain in the a.s.s. If you"re not careful, they"re liable to give you horse manure on a bun. I"m not kidding. I"m really not. When I was in France, I got a plateful of snails snails, for crying out loud. Real snails, like you step on in a garden somewhere and they go crunch under your shoe. With b.u.t.ter. If you think I ate "em, you"re crazy. I sent "em back pretty toot sweet. That means G.o.ddam fast in French. But whatever they gave me instead didn"t look much better, so I got the h.e.l.l out of that that place toot sweet myself. place toot sweet myself.
Over across the street from the church in old Isenstein was this joint where you could get beer and food. n.o.body in Germany cares if you"re twenty-one. They don"t give a d.a.m.n, swear to G.o.d they don"t. They"d give beer to a nine nine-year-old, they really would. If he asked for it, I mean.
So I got a beer, and the guy sitting next to me at the bar was eating a sandwich that didn"t look too lousy-it had some kind of sausage and pickles in it-so I pointed to that and told the bartender, "Give me one of those, too." Maybe it was really chopped-up pigs" ears or something, but I didn"t know know it was, so it was all right if I didn"t think about it too much. The guy behind the bar figured out what I meant and started making one for me. it was, so it was all right if I didn"t think about it too much. The guy behind the bar figured out what I meant and started making one for me.
I"d just taken a big old bite-it wasn"t terrific but I could stand it, pigs" ears or not-when the fellow sitting next to me on the other other side spoke up and said to me in English, "You are an American, yes?" side spoke up and said to me in English, "You are an American, yes?"
If you want to know the truth, it made me kind of angry. Here I was starv starving to death, and this guy wanted to strike up a conversation. I didn"t want to talk. I wanted to eat, even if it didn"t taste so good. So with my mouth full, rude as anything, I said "Yeah," and then I took another bite, even bigger than the first one.
He didn"t get mad. I"d hoped he would, I really had, but no such luck. He was a very smooth, very polite guy. He was a little flitty-looking, as a matter of fact-not too, but a little. Enough to make you wonder, anyhow. He said, "We do not often Americans in Isenstein have." He talked that way on account of he was foreign, I guess. I took another bite out of this sandwich-it probably was was pigs" ears, it sure tasted like what you"d think pigs" ears"d taste like-and he asked me, "What is your name?" pigs" ears, it sure tasted like what you"d think pigs" ears"d taste like-and he asked me, "What is your name?"