Page 242 [The edition of the Report at Purdue University has the following note in place of Chapter V: CHAPTER V OF THIS REPORT, AS WELL AS THE CONCLUSIONS BASED THEREON WHICH RELATE TO COLONEL WYMAN, HAVE BEEN OMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR DATED AUGUST 29, 1945. Then, at the end of Chapter VII is the full text of Chapter V, which was bound with the balance of the report at some time after the reports reached Purdue.] CHAPTER V A. PRE-PEARL HARBOR ASSOCIATIONS OF WYMAN AND ROHL: SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION. 1. RELATIONSHIP OF WYMAN AND ROHL IN LOS ANGELES: 2. HAWAIIAN ACTIONS OF WYMAN AND ROHL: Wyman's actions in Hawaii with other contractors; the initiation of the secret defense construction in Hawaii in November, 1940; Wyman's selection of contractors for the task; the difficulty of Rohl's alien status; Wyman's efforts to get the naturalization of Rohl; the yacht VEGA. 3. ROHL'S ASSOCIATIONS: Rohl's origin and German affiliations; Rohl's association with Werner Plack; Rohl's perjury; Wyman's association with Rohl and Rohl's citizenship considered. 4. SUBSEQUENT RELATIONS - WYMAN AND ROHL: The Rohl-Wyman association and the reason for selection of the Hawaiian Constructors. 5. DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION: Wyman's inefficient administration and management; typical delays listed. 6. DIRECTIVE OF NOVEMBER 24, 1941: Relationship between contractors and the Corps of Engineers disregarded by Wyman; Rohl's continued relationship with Wyman; Rohl's conduct in the Islands and removal. 7. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS: Lack of supervision by the District Engineer and the Chief of Engineers; inspections made by the Inspector General on the complaint of civilians in Congress; inspections made by direction of Secretary of War. B. OVERT ACTS 1. FALSE OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY WYMAN AS TO HIS KNOWLEDGE OF ROHL'S ALIEN STATUS: 2. REFUSAL TO ACCEPT LOW BIDDER ON HAWAIIAN CONTRACTS. WYMAN PREFERRED HIS FRIENDS: 3. IRREGULAR PURCHASE OF MACHINERY BY WYMAN FROM THE HAWAIIAN CONSTRUCTORS AND HIS ASSOCIATES: C. SUMMARY Page 243 A. PRE-PEARL HARBOR ASSOCIATIONS OF WYMAN AND ROHL: SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION. 1. RELATIONSHIP OF WYMAN AND ROHL IN LOS ANGELES: The investigation represented by the following summary and by the more detailed report attached hereto on Colonel Wyman (Appendix) is the result of the direction of the Acting Secretary of War, the Honorable Robert P. Patterson, to investigate the conduct of Colonel Theodore Wyman, Jr. as District Engineer in the Hawaiian Department as his activities and those of his contractor associates prior to his advent in the Hawaiian Islands, because some of them were initiated prior to the departure of Colonel Wyman for the Islands; we found it was necessary to consider the acts for a time after December 7, 1941, as many of them were the fruits of the things done and mistakes made that were initiated before December 7 and the full effect and importance of which would not be appreciated unless the subsequent events after December 7, 1941, were recorded. In making this summary report we have divided it into two parts: the first part is a running story of Colonel Wyman's activities on the mainland with Hans Wilhelm Rohl and the associated contractors involved in this matter, and the results upon the Pearl Harbor operations by reason of such associations; the second part is an explanation of typical acts of Colonel Theodore Wyman, Jr. which represent many other matters of similar nature which can be found in his conduct. In no sense has this board attempted to draw any complete specifications or charges, but we have confined ourselves to findings of fact. page 244 The record shows that Wyman, as a Captain going to duty as a District Engineer at Los Angeles, was an able and steady officer, devoted to his professional duties and to the government's interest, with a forceful disposition. While at Los Angeles he fell into the company of Hans Wilhelm Rohl, German alien, who was in a contracting firm that became the successful bidder on a contract to build a breakwater at Los Angeles. This contract was under the administration and jurisdiction of Wyman (R. 3359, 3378) Rohl's methods of doing business and his personal life were at that time apparently the antithesis of Wyman's. Rohl was a man-about-town in Los Angeles and had become increasingly prominent in the night life and social activities of Los Angeles and Hollywood. His personal habits in connection with extreme drinking and with "party girls" of the community, his extravagant methods of living and his disregard of the domestic and social proprieties of a responsible person increased as the years went by, but they were already well developed at the time of his initial associations with Wyman, who was introduced by him into new and more extravagant methods of living. Rohl evidently introduced Wyman, or at least influenced him to join in extravagant and disgraceful parties as Rohl's house guest in Los Angeles hotels, and in heavy drinking over considerable periods. Trips on Rohl's yacht were expensive and lavish. [1] Footnotes: [1] Colonel Hunt in his Inspector General's Report found: "These yacht trips, as described by Colonel Wyman, were for the greater part essentially business trips, primarily to inspect the quarries above referred to. Actually, there existed no necessity for conducting the business of inspecting quarrying activities on Catalina Island in this manner, since there were available to the District Engineer adequate Government-owned vessels. These trips must therefore be classed as pleasure trips at Mr. Rohl's expense, official business being an incidental consideration. ... It is therefore apparent that Colonel Wyman was Page 245 This association involved pleasure trips on Rohl's yacht, membership in a large number of clubs and a scale of riotous living, drunkenness and both private and public misconduct by Wyman and Rohl together. Thus was born an intimate association, characterized by improper conduct, and it continued over a considerable period into and through the Pearl Harbor events. Rohl, at that earlier time, had distinguished himself by his lack of domestic propriety; he was the father of four illegitimate children by what he called a common-law wife, later discarded. (R. 2223, 2441, 4113). In 1938, Wyman also divorced his wife of 30 years standing and shortly thereafter acquired another wife. This Rohl association continued actively up until Wyman was ordered to Honolulu as the Hawaiian District Engineer [1] It also Footnotes: (continued from preceding page) on close and intimate social relations with Mr. Rohl during the period when, as the Government's representative, he administered extensive work for which Mr. Rohl was the contractor. "The yacht trips and house parties given by Mr. Rohl and attended by Colonel Wyman were expensive and lavish. Intoxicating liquors were habitually served, with no limitation except the guest's capacity to imbibe. Colonel Wyman, claiming an ability to hold his liquor, imbibed freely. It is not in evidence, however, that his acceptance of Mr. Rohl's entertainment was in any sense necessary to that desirable degree of acquaintance between the Corps of Engineers and the construction industry which may be considered necessary to their mutual interests. These contacts were essentially, if not entirely, social and personal affairs, which by their frequency and character tended strongly to bring discredit upon the Corps of Engineers and to give to just such allegations as the ones now in question." [1] Colonel Hunt in his Inspector General's report found: "A very careful study of all facts and circumstances brought to light in the course of this investigation leads to the following conclusions: "During the years 1936-1939, Colonel Wyman, as District Engineer, Los Angeles, maintained a close personal friendship, as distinguished from a business friendship, with Mr. Hans Wilhelm Rohl, which was inappropriate on the part of a United States Army officer administering costly works on which the said Mr. Rohl was engaged as contractor. This relationship extended so far beyond the need for ordinary cordial business relation as to give rise to such presumption of impropriety as Page 246 continued in Hawaii. [2] 2. HAWAIIAN ACTIONS OF WYMAN AND ROHL. Wyman reported to Hawaii in July 1940 (r. 3371). In the Islands there were not only a large number of able and competent resident contractors but also one of the leading contracting firms in the United States, which had opened up an office in Honolulu and which had been building millions of dollars worth of construction for the Army and Navy. This was an organization of great wealth, high integrity and unquestioned ability and a successful government contractor for a long period of years. They were just concluding some of their contracts when Wyman arrived. (R. 2399-2400) When the contract began to develop for the defenses of Hawaii in November, 1940, apparently the general outline of the project was well known and fully considered by Wyman and the Footnotes: (continued from preceding page) formed, in part, the basis of this investigation. In maintaining that relationship, Colonel Wyman was not sufficiently mindful of that unquestionable reputation for integrity and impartiality which it was the duty of a man in his position to cultivate at all times. "The flattery of Colonel Wyman personally and professionally, which was bestowed upon him by his wealthy associate, Mr. Rohl, evoked in Colonel Wyman so complete a confidence in the former as to lead him to an unwise acceptance of Mr. Rohl's judgment and advice during their subsequent association in Hawaii. He thereby relinquished to some extent that independence of judgment required of an officer in charge of the Government's interest, as indicated in his too ready acceptance of Mr. Rohl's recommendations relating to equipment purchases and appraisals." (R. 749-750) [2] Colonel Hunt also reported: "d. Various witnesses testified to having seen Colonel Wyman with Mr. Rohl at various semi-public functions, when both men indulged freely in intoxicating beverages. So far as could be ascertained most of these instances were prior to the attack of 7 December. No witness was found who could testify to drunkenness on Colonel Wyman's part." (R. 2114) Page 247 Hawaiian Department. They knew generally what they wanted to do, although the details of the plans probably had not been fully worked out by the time of the actual execution of the contract hereinafter mentioned as having been entered into by the Corps of Engineers with the Hawaiian Constructors. Generally, it was desired to have built as a part of the Hawaiian defense the following: a war reserve storage system for gasoline, aircraft warning service, and improved or new airfields. There were in all about 148 major projects. [1] (R. 3423, 3570-3572) When it came time to place the contract and negotiate, the Corps of Engineers decided upon a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract. Wyman stated that only certain Los Angeles contractors were interested in this work. This is contrary to the evidence. The McKee Company, then doing millions of dollars of work in Footnotes: [1] Colonel Hunt in his Inspector General's Report found: "As to whether his relationship influenced Colonel Wyman to find a place for the Rohl-Connolly Company in the Hawaiian Constructors, contractor for work ultimately totaling about $100,000,000 in Hawaii and the South Pacific, there is no conclusive evidence. Colonel Wyman became District Engineer in Hawaii in June 1940. In November of that year, funds became available for road, railroad, fortifications, and allied work to the estimated cost of about $1,097,673. Details of this work were not available. Colonel Wyman testified that he proposed to perform the work by hired labor, since a proper basis for contracting the work was lacking. Due to a marked propensity on the part of Colonel Wyman to conduct business orally to the exclusion of written records where possible, other references to which will be made in this report, no positive proof of this claim was developed. It was determined by inquiry among contractors in Honolulu that at about the time mentioned by Colonel Wyman, they had been requested to indicate what equipment they had available for rental. Neither Mr. Phillip C. Chew, Chief Clerk of Colonel Wyman's officer nor other members thereof could confirm the statement that Colonel Wyman proposed doing the work by hired labor, nor could anything be found in the files which would confirm it. However, there is no reason to doubt that such was Colonel Wyman's original intention. The idea of performing work by contract appears to have reached Colonel Wyman through the office of the South Pacific Engineer Division and the then Division Engineer at San Francisco, California, Brigadier General (then Colonel) Warren T. Hannum, CE. On 6 November 1940, General Hannum in a letter to the District Engineer, Honolulu, suggested a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee form of contract Page 248 the islands, and an number of island contractors with full equipment and a fine record of performance were anxious and willing to bid on the job. (R. 2416-2418) Wyman's reason for selecting his friends is without foundation and the net result condemns his choice. Wyman now proceeded to secure contractors for this task in this manner. By virtue of using a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee type of contract he was able to award the work to contractors comprising his old fiends and immediately excluded all others from consideration, both in the Hawaiian Islands and the United States. [1] (r. 3632, 3722) He turned to his old Los Angeles alien friend Rohl, who was president of the firm of Rohl- Connolly (and half owner), and their associate companies, the Callahan Company and the Gunther & Shirley Company (R. 2240, 2295, 2319). These companies much later, when they found them- Footnotes: (continued from preceding page) due to the probable difficulties of conducting the work on a fixed price basis while large Navy works in Hawaii were being performed on the fee basis. (Exhibit C) There followed some telephone conversations between Colonel Wyman and General Hannum, records of which were not kept, and about the middle of December 1940, negotiations were started in the San Francisco office, which ultimately resulted in the signing of Contract "-414-Eng-602. That contract originally contemplating a job totaling $1,097,673 and a fixed fee of $52,220, value of work to be performed thereunder approached $100,000,000 and the fee approximated $1,000,000." [1] Rohl-Connolly Company, the W.E. Callahan Company and the Gunther & Shirley Company who became co-adventurers as the Hawaiian Constructors. Colonel Hunt's report reads: "Colonel Wyman testified that he had tried to interest local contractors in taking on the work originally proposed, and that they showed no interest. That statement was not confirmed by inquiry among those contractors, seven of whom were questioned in the matter, all of them denying having been given a chance to take on any part of the work. These contractors were then seeking new work, and the bringing in of an outside contractor without giving them a chance to participate, created a considerable natural resentment on their part." Page 249 selves in difficulty in performing the work, took into partnership certain of the local Hawaiian contractors in a subordinate position. (R. 3727, 3750-51). These several contractors formed what was known as the Hawaiian Constructors. The chairman of the executive committee and the principal executive steering the organization of Hawaiian Constructors at the outset and the signer of the contract was Mr. Paul Grafe (r. 2299-2301, 2345). Grafe was Vice-president of the Callahan Company. There was a federal statute that prevented an alien from having any interest in or the management of a secret national defense contract. [1] This brought about the disclosure to Wyman that Rohl was a German alien, that he was born in Lubeck, Germany, in 1886, that he had entered the United States as an alien, that he had never acquired citizenship, although he had applied for it, but had not consummated the transaction. This story is elsewhere Footnote: [1] The statue reads: NATIONAL DEFENSE "CHAPTER 440 -3D SESSION "(PUBLIC - NO. 671 - 76TH CONGRESS) "(H.R. 9822) "An Act to expedite national defense, and for other purposes. "Sec. 11, (a) No aliens employed by a contractor in the performance of secret, confidential or restricted Government contracts shall be permitted to have access to the plans or specifications, or the work under such contracts, or to participate in the contract trials, unless the written consent of the head of the Government department concerned has first been obtained, and any person who willfully violates or through negligence permits the violation of the provision of this subsection shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (b) Any alien who obtains employment on secret, confidential, or restricted Government contracts by willful misrepresentation of his alien status, or who makes such willful misrepresentation while seeking such employment, shall be fined not more than $10,00 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (c) For the purpose of this section, the term 'person' shall be construed to include an individual, partnership, association, corporation, or other business enterprise. "Approved, June 28, 1940." (R. 4109-4110) Page 250 related. [1] When the contract was about to be placed in Washington, Wyman went to Washington and lived in the same hotel and same hotel room with one of the prospective contractors, Mr. Connolly of the Rohl-Connolly company and he was later joined by Mr. Grafe of the Callahan Company (R. 2197, 2294-95, 3398-99, 3542). There was no dealing at this time at arms' length by Wyman, the government agent, and his friends. These contractors who appeared to be already predetermined were to get this cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract. At that time the contract was estimated to be worth a million dollars but which later was extended to an approximate gross business of a hundred and thirty million dollars. The alien status of Rohl put the parties in a difficult situation. [2] Rohl was then eliminated as president of the Rohl-Connolly Company by a paper change without change of substance or interest (R. 2160-61). Later action was taken by the Acting Chief of Engineers to write a letter to the Department of Justice, Immigration Bureau, on Wyman's urging General Kingman, requesting that Rohl's application for citizenship be expedited. Then following efforts with government agencies, stimulated by Wyman, concluded by a hearing before Federal Judge O'Connor in Los Angeles, resulting in Rohl's acquiring citizenship. The complete story of Rohl's alien status and the efforts to get Footnotes: [1] See p 262 of this report. [2] Colonel Hunt reported: "His own testimony and that of other witnesses in this respect indicates that Colonel Wyman maintained a totally unnecessary, and in the circumstances, an undesirable social familiarity with the active head of an organization whose prime business it was to profit from work under his supervision. If there is reasonable doubt that this relationship was with a man whose non- citizenship at the commencement of the contract was know to him, there is no doubt whatever that it was with a man who at the time of this relationship in Hawaii, had been proven to Colonel Wyman to have concealed the fact of his alien status. The least that can be said of that relationship is that it displayed a callousness on Colonel Wyman's part, not only toward the character of his associate, but toward the possible consequence of its public display." Page 251 him naturalized appears elsewhere. On 22 January 1941 Wyman wrote a vigorous letter to assist this citizenship matter, indicating that Rohl was absolutely essential to the successful operation of the contract by Hawaiian Constructors. (R. 3529- 3531, 4187-4188) With Wyman's help Rohl was naturalized and proceeded to Hawaii, so that he could participate actively in the contract. Wyman, during his tour in the Hawaiian Islands is shown by this record to have been continuing his acquired habits of drinking. [1] Wyman and Rohl lived in adjoining rooms in the Pleasanton Hotel, which had been taken over by the contractors at government expense (r. 1297-98, 3644- 46). They negotiated a charter of Rohl's yacht, the VEGA, which was in the name of Mrs. Rohl. (R. 2203) It came to the Islands with a cargo of liquor in a government convoy, which was delivered to Rohl. (R. 2266-67, 3403). The vessel was never used for its intended purpose as a survey ship (R. 1311). The record shows that there were many delays, confusions, inefficiency in administration, and lack of correct administrative relationship between the contractors and the government agent. The District Engineer failed to secure results in the prompt construction of the defense projects under this contract. [2] Grave administrative inefficiencies had arisen in the District Engineer's office (R. 2118, 3570-3571). The drinking [3] by Rohl during duty hours in the day as Footnotes: [1] R. 748, 777, 1173-1174, 1283-1285, 2114, 2408-2409. [2] R. 512, 513, 1261-62, 1331, 1334, 1334, 1342, 2063, 2336, 2503-05, 2530, 3018, 3431-32, 3439-43, 3699, 3703, 3770-71, 3838-39, 3886, 3902, 3905. [3] Major Maurlott, in the G-2 Department of the Hawaiian Department and G-2 at the time he testified said:- "Major Clausen: Major Maurlott, I show you a memorandum entitled "Memorandum for the files" dated July 22, 1942, to the Page 252 well as night after December 7 was so frequent, excessive, and such a detriment to the business of both the government and the contractors that, upon the request of Wyman's successor, General Lyman, Rohl was requested to leave the Islands and cease further connection with the Hawaiian Constructors (R. 2534-35, 2544). This request was concurred in by Rohl's two associates on the executive committee of which Rohl was chairman (R. 2546). 3. ROHL'S ASSOCIATIONS. There is testimony in the record of substantial character that the impression that Rohl made a large sum of money on his first large contract, the Los Angeles breakwater, was not well founded, yet his expenditures have been habitually for many years those of a wealthy man (R. 2445, 2449). Rohl made at least one visit to Germany (R. 3996). There is some evidence in the record to show the following about one, Werner Plack and his associations with Rohl. Plack was an employee of the German Consulate in Los Angeles, working under Doctor Gyssling, the German Consul. (R. 2387, 2429, 2442) Rohl and Plack appeared publicly together in prominent night spots in Los Angeles and were apparently on intimate and friendly terms, as identified by a number of witnesses (R. 1167-1168, 2387-2388, 2390). In 1940 Plack left the United Footnotes: (continued from preceding page) effect that Hans Wilhelm Rohl was such a drunkard that he was even incompetent to be a subversive influence. Did you make this? "Major Maurlott: Yes, I wrote that." (R. 3925) COPY OF MEMORANDUM) 7/22/42. "Memo for files: "Decision made to bring this case to a close without the formality of a C1-R1 report. Subject is claimed by Colonel Mollison to be a confirmed drunkard, and, inferentially, to be incompetent as a subversive influence for that reason. Irresponsibility rather than subversion appears to characterize the irregularities in his activities, as brought to the attention of this office. "Case closed. "/a/ T. M. Maurlott "Capt. M.I." Page 253 States under suspicion of being a German agent. The FBI made an exhaustive examination of his baggage before permitting him to depart with Fritz Weidemann, the Consul General at San Francisco, who left for Germany via Japan, taking Plack with him (R. 2519-2520). Weidemann stayed in the Far East as Chief of the Far Eastern Espionage and Sabotage Unit for Germany, while Werner Plack went on the Berlin and was placed by the German government in a position of high responsibility in the German Foreign Office (R. 2389). Flannery, Columbia Radio news commentator, who was then the Columbia correspondent in Berlin, and author of the book "Assignment to Berlin", testified in this record that he was personally well acquainted with Plack in Germany, having dealt with him repeatedly in the German Foreign Office from the period of early January 1941 to 29 September 1941 because Plack censored Flannery's writings. While dealing with Werner Plack he found that he was high in the Nazi councils in connection with radio and other propaganda to the United States, in which he was regarded by the German government as a specialist. Flannery said he did brilliant work, in that he put on the broadcasts of Wodehouse, who was popular in the United States as a writer, the broadcast of Count von Luckner, who was likewise popular, and had arranged for other similar personalities to improve the quality of German broadcasts so that Nazi propaganda would be listened to (R. 2521). Evidently the entertainment that Werner Plack offered to friends in the Los Angeles areas while posing as a wine salesman, during which period he associated with Rohl, was for propaganda purposes for the Nazis. (R. 2552) Rohl flatly denied under oath before this board that he Page 254 even knew Werner Plack (R. 2252-2253). The following witnesses in this record testified as to his open association with Werner Plack in Los Angeles over a considerable period: Willard Bruce Pine (R. 2387-88, 2390), R.E. Combs (R. 2429,2442), and Fulton Lewis, Jr., (R. 1167-1168). The conditions surrounding Rohl, his long record of contact with pro- Nazi and German organization and associations, his repeated violations of the Federal laws as to his entry into this country, his long neglect to become a citizen, his open association with the German agent Plack, were widely known (R. 2430-2434). It was Wyman who was responsible for bringing this man and his organization into Hawaii for work on defense contracts. (R. 2430-2434). Rohl's testimony before this board contained conflicting statements either with thoroughly proven facts and documents or with his own previous testimony. The records were open for investigation and have been for years (r. 2430). Rohl swore falsely on his income tax statements that he was a United States citizen. (R. 2380, 2441). He made a false statement when he was placed on his own ship's manifest at Honolulu as an American citizen born in Iola, Kansas (R. 2380-2441). Wyman as a commissioned officer of the United States Army openly and indiscreetly associated with Rohl and this association continued over a period of several years. 4. SUBSEQUENT RELATIONS - WYMAN AND ROHL. Wyman had gone to the Pacific islands to become District Engineer at Hawaii in July 1904 (R. 3371). A great defense contract program in Hawaii was being initiated. Wyman had only one consideration in placing these contracts: to get his friend Rohl as the con- Page -tractor. To do that he exerted great efforts not only to have the contract placed with the group of affiliated companies of which Rohl's company was one but he also exerted himself to the utmost to permit Rohl in person to participate in the contract openly by getting him his citizenship. His written communications, his telephone calls and the pressure he brought to bear in Washington testify to his urgent desire for the accomplishment of this object. His first excuse was that these were *only* competent contractors, and secondly that only Rohl was the essential men who could get results, because the representatives of the contractors on the ground, both the Hawaiian contractors and the mainland contractors, were not expediting the work (R. 768,3481,3527). The record shows that Rohl did go to Hawaii, and that his contribution consisted primarily in adding to the disorganization, confusion and delays which were already inherent in utilizing the loose association of miscellaneous contractors from the mainland and the Hawaiian Islands under the co-adventurer's agreements which terminated in the formation of the Hawaiian Constructors (R. 2179-81). This loose confederation of contractors, dominated by Rohl, who became the chairman of the executive committee of the group, was poorly organized and was the attempt to conduct an enormous operation through committee management, which was fallacious in principle and unsatisfactory in action (R. 1182-84, 2527- 28, 2544, 3771-72) Here Rohl resumed his drunken conduct. The record is *replete with testimony of his drinking. [1] General Emmon's demand* Footnotes: [1] R. 767, 1433-34, 2114, 2526, 2544, 2555, 2574, 2575, 3288, 3296, 3299, 3648, 3925. Page 256 for the relief of Colonel Wyman, and General Lyman's demand for Wyman's relief got results from the Chief of Engineers. (R. 1302, 1307-08). It also resulted in the sending of Rohl back to the mainland at the request of Colonel Lyman. (R. 2555). 5. DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION. It is difficult at this late date, within the limited time that this board has had, to make a thorough examination into all of the ramifications of delays in construction due to Wyman's administration as District Engineer. Suffice it to say, the testimony shows [1] that the organization of Colonel Wyman was bad in its administration, that it was mismanaged, that the engineering work was slow, defective and erratic, and the instructions to the contractors were repeatedly changed, resulting in delays at a time when it required the best type of supervisory organization to meet the difficulties of priorities, the machinery and the personnel. Wyman's conduct in discarding responsible contractors, such as the McKee Company, and others, of whom there were several available in the Hawaiian Islands, and on the mainland, and insisting on limiting the contracts to his friends and intimate associates, can bear but one meaning, namely, that he was not conducting himself as an impartial agent of the United States Government of as a representative and officer of the Corps of Engineers. [2] Typical delays resulting from this association, aside from the greatly increased expense to the government, were as follows: Footnotes: [1] R. 2092-2129 and reports of Colonel Luther B. Row, Inspector General, Hawaiian Department: R. 2094-99 and reports of Colonel Hunt, Inspector General's Office, Washington, D.C., who made a special investigation: R. 747-752. Also R. 2458, 2465, 2478, 2486-87, 2494, 2502, 2530, 3602, 3625-3626, 3635, 3670, 3671. [2] R. 762-63, 764, 2403, 2416-2420, 3627-3629, 3722, 3725, 3751, 3754. Page 257 (a) Only about 25 out of every 90 employees brought to Hawaii by the Hawaiian Constructors, were good or experienced workers (R. 3670-3671); (b) "a great deal of waste and unnecessary expenditure of time and funds" (R. 2123); (c) frequent changes in supervisory personnel (R. 3590); (d) very slow in getting organized, finally taking four to six weeks to get started after the Under Secretary of War approved the contract negotiated 20 December 1940 (r. 3602); (e) inefficiency, poor organization, and lax planning (R. 3625-3626); (f) the fact that Rohl, their key man, was frequently drunk during working hours and "not particularly inclined to push the work" (R. 3635); (g) a strike by workers against supervision by Japanese employees (R. 2490); (h) bickering and appealing of disputes with the contracting officer, the aloofness of Colonel Wyman from the personnel; (R. 2498-2502); (I) failure to use material as soon as is arrived (R. 2511); (j) lack of promptness in handling the payroll (R. 2511); and, (k) poor morale of employees (R. 2530). 6. DIRECTIVE OF NOVEMBER 24, 1941. General Robbins sent a directive on the above date to the District Engineer, Colonel Wyman, laying down one of the most fundamental of all directives of an Engineer office, that is, the relationship between the Corps of Engineers and the contractors. This document was clear and precise that the contractor's responsibility must not be undertaken by the Corps of Engineers. This directive was honored only in the breach by Colonel Wyman. His organization increasingly assumed, through its inspectors and others, duties of management which were those of the contractor. It even undertook to pay the employees and to Page 258 feed many of them, which were the duties of the contractor (R. 2465- 2466, 2551). In other words, Wyman intervened to the extent of relieving contractors of some of their duties thereby adding to the confusion of his office and to an already difficult situation, which resulted in further delays, changes and gross waste. These things occurred both before and after Pearl Harbor. The testimony show that in taking over the paying of employees from the contractor after Pearl Harbor, in continuing this same policy, that weeks would go by without paying the employees, resulting in a poor state of mind and low morale. This condition was aggravated by the fact that the food was bad or sufficient, except where the Army had charge of the messes (R. 2095, 2465-2466, 2529-2530, 2536-2538, 2554). All of these things lead us to the belief that instead of having a professional Army organization on behalf of the Corps of Engineers that would exert its professional skill in engineering and administration to see that the contractors did their duty promptly, the entire organization of Wyman was disorganized, the relationship with the contractors were confused and improper, and that a large number of delays occurred. (R. 1268, 3425). This cost-plus-a-fixed-fee arrangement resulted in a profit to the Hawaiian constructors of about $1,060,000 (R. 3732-33). Rohl's presence in the Islands, according to the testimony of all the impartial witnesses, was a detriment in several ways: In the first place, he rendered little assistance in getting the job done on behalf of the contractors, and his own associates on the executive committee on the contractors Page 259 welcomed his being sent back to the mainland by General Lyman (R. 2525- 28, 2533, 2564). His periodic drunken condition interfered with his making decisions or full attending to business. (R. 2544, 2555). Wyman's contention that Rohl could aid the contract finds no substance in fact in this record, but there are many witnesses to the contrary. [1] Rohl's presence on the Island brought Wyman back into his old association. The record also shows that large extra profits were made by the contractors in unloading worthless machinery upon the government. [2] In these transactions we find little evidence of concern by Colonel Wyman for the interests of the United States. (R. 778, 1343, 2477, 2576). 7. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS. This board feels impelled to direct attention to the lack of supervision and the correction of these conditions which were impeding some of the most important projects for the defense of the United States. There is no showing that General Hannum, the Division Engineer, conducted any investigation or had any organization to do so, to see that Colonel Wyman, while under his jurisdiction, was doing his work and conducting himself honorably and correctly as an Army officer and as a citizen charged with government responsibilities. We find substantially no supervision, a weak control and a lack of inspection, which would have revealed at an early date the conditions and should have resulted in their remedy. Footnotes: [1] R. 767, 2476, 2526-2527, 2544, 2574-2575, 3635. [2] R. 751, 757-759, 2140-2143, 2147, 2153, 2154. Page 260 Colonel Wyman was given an unrestricted and free hand without adequate control, inspection or check. These conclusions are supported in the findings of Colonel Hunt in his elaborate report on behalf of the Inspector General's Department. This came about due to the complaints from civilians directed to Congress and the action of Congressmen in calling this to the attention of the War Department. The Secretary of War in a letter in February or March of 1941 to the Hawaiian Department directed inspections of construction activities. Under the direction of Colonel Row there was a continuous series of investigations made throughout 1941 as to Colonel Wyman's conduct and the actions of the contractors. (R. 2100-2101). It is pertinent to observe that there were several investigations of the activities of Colonel Wyman, including one by Colonel Hunt and two by Colonel Row. Each of these severely criticized him. Letters were written by Colonel Lyman to the Chief of Engineers asking for Wyman's relief from duty and a letter was received by G-2 from the American legation in Canada as a result of a complaint by the Canadians at to Wyman's conduct. Yet in no one instance do we find evidence of disciplinary action in his case on the part of the Chief of Engineers or the War Department. We find as a fact that there were delays in the Hawaiian Department construction as follows: (a) Delays due to red tape in approval of plans and specification and choice of location for underground gasoline storage and radar stations (R. 3429-32, 3429-43, 3449-3454, 3459-60). (b) Delays due to lack of adequate priorities (R. 3426-8, 3439-43, 3459- 3460, 3566-67). (c) Delays due to lack of experienced clerical personnel Page 261 (R. 3415-17). (d) Delays due to shortage of materials and transportation facilities (R. 3417) (e) Delays due to necessary importing of labor from the United States (R. 3500) (f) Delays due to changes in plans (R. 3515-17) (g) Delays due to the inaccessibility of General Short, when Colonel Wyman found it necessary to consult him, and had to consult the Chief of Staff and Colonel Lyman (with whom he "clashed")(R. 3425), (h) Other unavoidable delays, which always occur on any job of such magnitude (R. 3425). (I) Delays due to poor organization and administration of the office of the District Engineer, and (j) Delays due to poor supervision by the contractors, headed by Rohl. General Short states as follows: (a) The plan for radar stations at high altitudes necessarily resulted in delays, as cable had to be procured to draw material up Mt. Kaala (R. 297-298). (b) "The priority proposition was very complicated"; priorities could not be readily obtained in Hawaii (R. 328), and (c) Local suppliers ran out of material and could not replace their stock (R. 328). The contractors state as follows: *Rohl* testified that the delays were due to lack of material and men, beyond the control of the Hawaiian Constructors (R. 2280). *Robert McKee* testified many delays occurred, due to Page 262 inefficiency of Hawaiian Constructors. (R. 2407-2409). *Woolley*