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: WYMAN AND CONSTRUCTION DELAYS IN HAWAII
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
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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
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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.
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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
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(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
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inefficiency of Hawaiian Constructors. (R. 2407-2409).
*Woolley*
Page maintained by Larry W. Jewell, lwjewell@omni.cc.purdue.edu. Created: 12/12/96 Updated: 12/12/96