00:00-00:22: Music.
00:22-00:46 AP Bulletin: Interruption
announcing the sinking of a U.S. army transport
carrying lumber, 1300 miles west from San
Francisco. (NBC broke this news at 3:24 p.m.
on H.V. Kaltenborn's news program). An update
will be given during the intermission of the
New York Philharmonic at approximately 3:35.
00:46-01:29 Music.
01:29-01:52: The file has clearly
been edited at this juncture. The music halts
abruptly, then continues at a different point
in the concert. What's been done is that someone
has inserted a clip from the 1964 CBS broadcast Farewell To Studio Nine, which includes
the 1948 recreation of the initial CBS announcement
(see The
World Today page for more details).
Again, please note that the real CBS announcement
came at 2:31 p.m. and constituted only the
second half of what is portrayed here.
01:52-2:28 Transition To Intermission: The New York Philharmonic finishes their
rendition of The Symphony Number One in F
minor by contemporary Russian composer Shostakovic.
The announcer then says that Japan has attacked
Pearl Harbor Hawaii, and Manila in the Philippines
by air, and that the attack is developing.
Deans Taylor's usual commentary (during intermission)
will be replaced by a further report on the
Far Eastern situation. The announcer says
that they will pause for 15 seconds (for station
identification).
02:28-02:44 Local Station ID: Local
announcer identifies WCCO, studios Minneapolis-St.
Paul, and the current temperature.
02:44-07:03 John Daly from New York: The
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Manila
by air. The first announcement was made by
Press Secretary Steve Early at approximately
2:25. Daly says he read the text of this historic
announcement a little after 2:30. [Daly again
mispronounces Oahu as "Oh-ha-u"].
A few minutes after the first announcement,
Steve Early dictated the message about Manila.
Daly then gives a "last minute"
Associated Press bulletin that a naval engagement
is in progress near Hawaii with at least one
enemy aircraft carrier. Daly says that after
making the announcement, Early went to the
White House to be with the president. The
two Japanese envoys were at the state department.
Bob Trout reported from London. Ford Wilkins
was put on the air during the 2:30 news program
but was cut off while talking about air raid
shelters, possibly due to censorship. Daly
summarizes the brief contact that was made
with KGMB in Honolulu. Half an hour ago the
attack was said to be continuing. Daly summarizes
the rest of what was reported earlier in The
World Today, including that the Honolulu
call that firemen and police should report
for duty might indicate that the Japanese
citizen on the island might be engaging in
revolutionary activity.
Daly announces the first Associated Press
dispatch from Honolulu: At least two Japanese
bombers appeared over Pearl Harbor at about
7:35 a.m. local time today and dropped bombs.
These are two of what were earlier reported
as being 50-100 planes. Unverified reports
said that an unidentified warship appeared
off the coast of Pearl Harbor and stared firing
on that post. Reports are that the attack
scored two hits, one on the army post at Hickam
Field, the other hit an oil tank on Pearl
Harbor. American antiaircraft guns were in
action, and the skies are filled with American
battle aircraft. Daly repeats the AP bulletin
about the lumber transport that was torpedoed
and sunk. They just heard by telephone that
Albert Warner is Washington has news of a
State Department announcement. Daly then sends
coverage to Washington.
07:03-11:51 Albert Warner from Washington: Secretary of State Hull has just released
a statement: "On November 26 the Secretary
of State handed to the Japanese representatives
a document which stated the principles governing
the policies of the Government of the United
States toward the situation in the Far East
and setting out suggestions for a comprehensive
peaceful settlement covering the entire Pacific
area.
At 1 p.m. December 7 the Japanese Ambassador
asked for an appointment for the Japanese
representatives to see the Secretary of State.
The appointment was made for 1:45 p.m. The
Japanese representatives arrived at the office
of the Secretary of State at 2:05 p.m. They
were received by the Secretary at 2:20 p.m.
The Japanese Ambassador handed to the Secretary
of State what was understood to be a reply
to the document handed to him the Secretary
of State on November 26.
Secretary Hull carefully read the statement
presented by the Japanese representatives
and immediately turned to the Japanese Ambassador
and with the greatest indignation said:
"I must say that in all my conversations
with you [the Japanese Ambassador] during
the last nine months I have never uttered
one word of untruth. This is borne out absolutely
by the record. In all my 50 years of public
service I have never seen a document that
was more crowded with infamous falsehoods
and
distortions - infamous falsehoods and distortions
on a scale so huge that I never imagined until
today that any Government on this planet was
capable of uttering them." [Read text of Japanese letter to US]
Secretary of War Stimson has just issued an
order for all military personnel throughout
the country to report for duty in uniform
on Monday. Another army transport, 700 miles
from San Francisco, has sent distress calls.
Albert Warner then gives early responses from
members of congress. Warner then speculates
on what military steps have been taken at
this time. It's expected that the president
will address congress and ask for a declaration
of war. Likely there will be a united opinion
in congress. Warner returns coverage to New
York.
11:51-16:51 John Daly from New York: Daly
discusses Ford Wilkins's earlier broadcast
from Manila and the attack on Manila. Daly
asks Major Eliot if he sees any grand strategy
from the Japanese. Eliot repeats his opinion,
stated earlier, that the attack on Hawaii
might be a cover for a larger invasion of
The Philippines. Eliot discusses the submarine
attacks on American shipping in the Pacific.
It's clear that the Japanese made their decision
to attack at least two weeks ago. Speculation
about England declaring war on Japan. Daly
reads another bulletin about military reporting
for duty. When the president received the
news he gave the order for the military to
execute all previously agreed upon actions
in the advent of an attack. The president
is in conference with the Secretaries of the
Navy and War, and steps are being taken to
advise the congressional leaders. Attaches
at the Japanese embassy have begun burning
secret documents in the embassy yard.
"CBS will continue to interrupt regular
programming to update as necessary. William
L. Shirer will be on the air at 5:45 over
most of these stations." Transfer to
local station ID.
16:51-17:22 WCCO Minneapolis: Announcement
that the United Press will be operating on
a 24 hour basis. The local station then returns
coverage to the New York Philharmonic concert.