Description:

GOVERNOR POINDEXTER EXPLAINS HIS POST-PEARL HARBOR MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION
JOSEPH B. POINDEXTER (1869-1951) Eighth Territorial Governor of Hawaii, serving from 1934 to 1942. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he placed the territory under martial law and allowed the formation of a military government. Historically important typed D.S., 5pp. 4to, [n.p.], April 26, 1946, a statement explaining the decision to declare martial law in Hawaii in the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. Poindexter counters the conception that the idea for the declaration originated with him, and instead contends that pressure from the military commanders in the territory convinced him of its necessity. In small part: "... Shortly after noon on December 7, 1941, Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, called at the Governor''s office ... Gen. Short stated that his call was for the purpose of requesting that I declare martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the Territory ... In view of the losses we had suffered, he was somewhat doubtful if he could prevent a landing if the Japs should attempt so to do. He was deeply concerned about the action of possible saboteurs in the event the Japs should return ... He was particularly concerned about the large Japanese population here, especially the aliens among them. Neither he nor I nor any other man knew what the reaction of the Japanese population would be in the event it appeared the invasion might be successful ... It was known that there were Japanese spies among us and that there were many here who believed in the Japanese cause. General Short felt that security demanded immediate action. It would be foolhardy to permit them to continue at large when they could do incalculable harm by fire, sniping, destruction of property and in other ways aid the enemy. Internment at once of the known ''bad'' ones was the only safe course and thus put the ''fear of God'' in the hearts of those who would like to assist the enemy. To do this martial law was necessary and to hold them the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was required. It was a necessary war measure. (More necessary, I believe, than the law afterwards enacted by the Congress under which thousands of aliens and citizens, men women, and children, were interned on the mainland and held during the war, and to whom the courts denied any relief on the sole ground that they were of the blood of the enemy.) During the conference I put this question to General Short: ''As Commanding General, charged with the defense of these islands, do you consider it absolutely essential to the defense of these islands that martial law be declared and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus be suspended?'' He answered emphatically, ''I do.'' I then told him that I was reluctant to do as he requested, that I was a civilian unversed in military matters but he was a soldier charged with the duty of safeguarding Hawaii from the enemy, and that I must yield to his judgment as to what measures should be taken in discharging this duty..." Poindexter adds his initials "JBP" in black ink at the foot of each page, and on the final page also adds the date "4/26/46". The content of this statement is substantially similar to some of the testimony given before the Roberts Commission, which investigated the attack from December of 1941 to January of 1942. However, differences between the wording of the statement presented here and that testimony, coupled with the 1946 date and the presence of one or two ink emendations, indicates to us that this is a draft version of testimony submitted before the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack, which operated from September of 1945 to June of 1946. Poindexter did not testify before this committee in person, but is listed as a witness, and as such would have been required to submit written testimony. The statement bears strong folds and several paper clip marks on the first and final pages, else very good. Sold with four other articles related to Poindexter, including: a T.L.S. from FBI Special Agent in Charge J.P. MACFARLAND, 1p. 4to., Cleveland, June 29, 1935, to Governor Poindexter, inviting him to meet with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and tour the Identification Division and Technical Laboratory, with original transmittal envelope; an unsigned typed letter from Secretary of the Territory of Hawaii CHARLES HITE, transmitting a resolution from the Board of Supervisors of Honolulu to Poindexter and Delegate Samuel Wilder King, requesting that they raise the issue of reapportioning the legislature of Hawaii to reflect the results of the 1940 census with Congress; the printed text, 1p. 4to., of a radio broadcast given by Poindexter on May 20, 1941, discussing a mock air raid a test blackout to be held that evening; and a circa 1934 4 3/4" x 3 3/4" sepia photograph of Poindexter with actresses LORETTA YOUNG and BETTE DAVIS.

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September 13, 2017 11:00 AM EDT
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