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to them later. “What is the great American navy? Where is it?” I found myself thinking, as I think others did, that only a week ago we were discussing the wisdom of going to the relief of the British navy at Singapore. I found myself saying, “I hope to God the British navy is intact and can protect us.” One realized all at once that it wasn't Ernie King's ocean, that it was highly desirable that there be some other civilized fleet somewhere around.

At any rate, all kinds of questions were asked along this line. The President tried to quiet us. I think he knew that we would be thinking about the vulnerability of our own shores. If the Japanese navy could strike Hawaii without notice, without warning, without observation, and was very quick, why could not some of the ships have been detached and made a quick speed dash to some part of the Pacific Coast. What part? Who knew!

That question was raised. I remember that the President and one of the naval officers present indicated that our snore defences, if alerted, were adequate, that there was no chance of the Japanese approaching Pacific shores without observation: Whereas it was not idiotic to assume that a few fast ships might have been detached and might make some kind of an effort to attack the Pacific Coast, or some part of it, the Pacific Coast was thoroughly patrolled, throoughly alerted and no such attack could be made successfully.