THE LOST STORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP68-00046R000200050049-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2014
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: March 24, 1958
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

A.A.... ..
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/03/19: CIA-RDP68-00046R000200050049-0
? . ? , X A. 34,:irrti-fit*711.7Zi-,?
''..-,,,-fr ilE v'MOSI?Sr:10117V
_2-_,...-, : ?- v.--,4...,..q.,..v.q..;?.1' 9v,47?,,,,(-,,iy
COL illifut'SYBratton -ibrie'.of the;feW
. irien Whly-playeearcre`ditable:role;th'the,
Of the ret WTal haewhi6111'was,vAited '
.' .
:y - -, '-f- .?,7?' . ''. -?%...:',:A" :?'? :4 r 4 .., ? .:,-1? t?-1
everite4hat :',:dqvglopedinto, theiRearl
tiarboiiiir?4iatiglije'rir49,41,-.:aitdast,
v, ,,,
week.-m-,air arrnY910tpltal in .HonOlulu.
I.-:, ? . ; ? !,, 4,y.4 ; ? -
His 64th,:oeCurred, within a' f pW Miles
With 'a., catattrOplii3--4hicW he vainly
sought to avert. i. 1. ''', ,,. - :: ' 1 . :.
i
.1 Col.kattdriWa.;hief, Of Jar .eastern
Intelligence fin the ',War,i7clei)iitingni in
r1941'. Ife.,Plake'd:a''Part qn breaking .the
jaPanese ? Codeinililiefeafter: hariclied
Me te,of the, lnter,CePted ,n4Stiget . which.
were :tread in Watbingferc 'without the
knAledge.pf the Japanese.,.,:t
.,
Col Bretton realized fromhit,reacling
of. these'cledodect,conuirinlicationt, Which
were "known' ''`In..1',.Washitigteri . official
:Circlet under the ,name of 1Magic,7 ' that
-War was imminent early;inliecember Of
1.941.,,Tint'watti:;kiiowlertge- Which .mist
of the other olfiCials .ii{ potitiont of bigh. r.-lie - sought to locate Gen. Marshall;
vilitary .'pr...sivitt iesPonsibilitY, -'9eVer thg army- 'thief of Off?I'llii'sliail had
:cared, . then .oi later/to :idinit.' The. ,off i- disappeared on .a.; jietiebackride.-:Brat:
cial thesis of the 'Bootevelt-idininittra- ton ;cooled.: his fieelt!fer .SoMe?.,thireef arid
,ririlitargilki:Wat., that the a half boas.' Fina A
llY he s- able to lay
tion and As-
. inforfnation'bef ore. hia,sup&i`or, two
Japanese attack' at : Pe arIA.lerbor came i ifotirs..; .iijefofit-28.,:f.jai;ans...-,35,oniii-rs -ft.,
i . . r ' ;.tii., .,f A -,;,,,; -.. ? ?,.. . , ..G . ?
without any ,warning-whatsc n
teve".
. . .i, - -- . scericlecil...on Pearl .Hatlioi. 7Marthall, di-
' Yet;:three!daYS:before the:attack, Col ,
Bratton-had.fp..iiisliari_12s:the.,elebrated, rected-la. message toPearl Harbor and
--
other ; ? outlying/ \bakeS; 'hilt' tent' ' it ' byi ' 7 East, Wind .. Baini,'42 message This ,Wat, commerciaLtqegraph,'.and radio; luithont ^
broadcast ,?aji- i.Oka...JaiianCSe',We'ather instnietions that it, was yrgent. -, ;The
report '. by ;-PreVious,,.;ana4einerie with "warning '.:.,-was:',,e'VeritualIy'. read s'eiien.
'diplomatic StatiorisOrublit pie World. Itl.. heuri..after: the!attack.'ii"; 4.4 .y.,"...
was the co de Wariiirii of the &riing. war. ? .Althri cOrrimended ! ;by , , a. , liciard -Of-
.. ,. . ? ? . .
.'. CoL,Brattdri- could +Interest no 'one m general offi,cers which myestigated.Pearl
' ;fills minneritout'Ailieff. 'When' he. went [fr.larb-ori' .ateon ??? neker'. was...iiproirioteci.
l.. ? . . I , .. o ? 0 1 i ? ...
p Geri. Germir,lcbief ',of ' war plans; fsug- Rio; retired ow disability, iii 1952, ,-,Coll
getting thatikOgiCantoverseas bases 15610tii..,1t.'Aaadper,'`'cliief ',c.of the Military
'alerted, .ilie . Was briiilied"; off' with the :bran'eli.;of:EflieTarniYI.,sigrial. Corps; "wliO,
:word that. they 'Were-already' adequately 'worked YwitliCol:- ',Britton-. in ? handling
informed.- When h? 'went to the .seCre=jherinteicipted,Japaxisemeiiiii.s;and r
ta6i :Of ? ,the , general: Staff,'-..91,.:,, Walter veoncifrrediii Brattores' interPretaticiOf
- Bedell Smith, later a lieutenant general their Meaning, also shared in theicem-,
an .hief..afcsthffiAd',ZGent,.7.tisenhiiwar;1 trnenIation. of the army board: He, ?too,
I Smith disipissCkhini: wfiWth&staterrient_ died- .'in.: . 1,954, 'never ' having : .been
i,that ,he t" did, net: wantifjp idit'cus,s the promoted. :,..,,. ?? 1 _.i".' :.'",;.1!"*.c '7",_
"atter?further2! ..,0*..-4,':, _70...., :7?-, , . ., -MatlY4Oftthe'.'priricipal,?attors. in the
tIn the last :Kiwis before,. the great and trnic:, drama at- l'e ail: Harbor
On Pearl-,HarbOr4COi; B'fatton, had fur, heik.beeltrerri.O;Ved . by death: The "in-
l'ther ...ieat'ori. to 'kno.?ti tfikiiiQ ,Nirai; now l'yestlgatiozt" :of the ' attack ,?iincler Demo
1 liOnt'i oi"Pei?baria only minutes away 'Be- a &atm control in 1945!46 was a. political
1 had decoded JaPari'tr,final-,nOte,. :break,: oovgrup:, ,Members, of the Republican
big `off relations with.the Vnited States, mmonty protested the'tobstructions: put
andJi.e. had the" companion : message in their way arieernPhatliedthe delib-
direoting? the ?Japanetet attibat,sadort!An ,'.erate ornistionOn,,the.:StOyy:1,
Wasliingtiinitb4reSent, that" note ;at r:1 ' ' :-Whery: -in 1953; the Eisenhower .adniiil,
p. rn:,.Wasillngtonliniek.,PeC.? 7.!'i ),,..,`1, A.. ';,..-tistiitidn., :came, intO voffiCe,WitlirTtePuti.
0:-*** )c .
.--. ,c,ileyt:ffolif;)ii4orY,A4t llican'Ontiol:ol both "Of CorigteSsil
'severarice;by ..tapa.ni9f,irefationg::inviri- ,:.it.;.,liadfithe..f.'OPportunitY,...to.l'i.'e.'oja a 0 ' the
ablk cOineided. with ".i'a AiiipiiseAttiek'in.qUirY and '.ettablitli.-lhe..*illItririth.
and `declal'atiCieOP:Avai"*.-i":It 'fikarit to ' 'Many .of 'the'.'.key...WitneSSeS'Were 'then
. .., , - .; ,?-?,. -11,-.,,i-t ,:,7 4;'' ? , ?
me,? he ilater- testified, `..`that .. Japan1,alive. But this, Jlepoplican_.; administra,
'PlOrie'd .to attaci. the United States .at , ton. did not choose Wad' What per-!
some point at'Or,,,riear, 1 O'cloCk' that -pitted . the story',..' . to'^. I die- with .--the'
!Llay.'-'' .. 7 ':- ? ' j: 5:1:2:1;?* ? ,ZL '1_: i: le#.1._ r'. .' ' . .4'_ . Y.C4: .1' 'Z . 4' ' ' ' A?k
IkDeclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/03/19 : CIA-RDP68-00046R000200050049-0