DECLASSHHED AuthorityMIgD 26 June 24 1942 I as 1 43 L a unit-am amt-w a a mum aw u i Rm mY ULAUDE SMIUEL JOHNSTON memories J This memorandum brings up to date investigative work completed since the submission of the memorandum dated June 32 1942 Interview With Lieutenant Commander Robert E Dixon Sguadron Leader USS Lieutenant Commander Dixon returned aboard the USS BARHEQT to San Diego California and_had quarters aft of the Commodore's suite He advised that he was in the Commodore's suite almost once each day and remembered being_there one night When Commander Seligman Lieutenant Commander Winthrop Terry Lieutenant Commander Edwarde O Donnell Lieutenant Commander Coleman and Stanleerohnston were present At that time an Ensign brought in a dispatch folder either before or while Lieutenant Commander Dixon was present and he recalls the dispatch folder being on the table in front of Commander Seligman Lieutenant Commander Dixon stated that Cbmmander Seligman may have read the secret message aloud at this time although he does not recall exactly He stated however that he became familiar with the contents of the secret message at that time He recalls seeing a pencil notation containing the names of the ships in the Japanese IEC Task Force and believes that this memorandum was broken up into Striking Force Suppert Force and Occupation Force 'Lieutenant Commander Bixon said he may have seen Commander Seligman write the memorandum because he remembers it on the table in front of Commander Seligman Lieutenant Commander Dixon said that at any rate he felt sure that Commander Seligman wrote the memorandum Lieutenant Commander Dixon believes that the Ensign was present all the time the dispatch folder was on the table According to Lieutenant Commander Dixon -the groan entered into a discussion of the message and a question arose as to whether a certain Japanese ship -possibly the KIRISHIHA was a battleship or a cruiser and consequently the Japanese silhouette book of the USS BARNETT was sent for Lieutenant Commander Coleman obtained the silhouette book and the discussion proceeded as to the size of the guns on the Japanese ship Lieutenant Commander Dixon stated that he was in the room between fifteen and thirty minutes and that Stanley Johnston was net sitting at the table but was walking about the room Lieutenant Commander Dixon did not see Commander Seligman show the dispatch to Jehnston and does not recall Authoritm bl ll - - that Commander Seligman read the dispatch aloud Lieutenant Commander_Dixon advised that he himself had the gist of the dispatch from the discussion and from the pencil memorandum that he saw He recalls no other papers on the table except the pencil memorandum and the dispatch folder and does not know how many others of those present read the memorandum nor what became of it Lieutenant Commander Dixon advised that on quite a few occasions when various officers were reading secret dispatches he had seen them fold up the dispatch folder when Stanley Johnston came into their presence He could cite no specific examples of this but said that it was practically impossible to keep all secret material from a man in Johnston's position and it was his opinion that any good newspaperman could get almost any information he desired if he were placed in a position similar to Johnston's Additional Interview With Lieutenant Commander Edward J O'DonnellI Gunnery Officer LEXINGTON On June 25 1942 Lieutenant Commander O'Donnell stated that after having discussed this case with some of the other officers of the USS LEXINGTON he had recalled being present in the Commodore s suite on one evening when there were present Commander Seligman Lieutenant Commander Dixon Lieutenant Commander Eldredge Lieutenant Commander ferry and Stanley Johnston Ee recalls Lieutenant Commander Dixon showing to him a piece of navy scrap paper on which the names of approximately twelve ships were listed He thought these names were divided into three groups including Striking Force Support Force and Cccupation Force Lieutenant Commander O'Donnell said that he was present for approximately fifteen to thirty minutes and there was a discussion in the suite at that time with reference to the size of the Japanese force and the possible size of American forces that might be marshaled to meet it Lieutenant Commander O'Donnell stated that he is sure that Stanley Johnston was in the room at the same time because he recalled Johnston saying to him with reference to the impending Midway battle that it would be some fight He was quite sure Johnston did not join in the discussion regarding the strength of the Japanese force Lieutenant Commander O'Donnell advised that the dispatch folder was not present while he was in the room and that he did not see the notes in Stanley Johnston's possession and a does not know what became of the notes or who wrote them _He recalled the presence of a book of Japanese ships during the discussion but believed the book was an edition of Jane s Fighting Ships smith DECLASSHHED 2% 6 '32 a 3 - Additional Interview-With Commander Mortimer Seligman Executive Officer USS LEXIXGTON Commander Seligma n advised on Jone 23 1942 that he does not deny that he may have made rough notes concerning the secret message but he does not remember ever making any such notes He stated that he has made rough notes in the past of various messages but that he has definitely not made copies of any secret messages He advised that he_had been informedi by other officers that they saw a pencil memorandum containing names of Japanese ships one evening in the Commodore's suite on the USS BARNETT Commander Seligman stated that he is willing to accept the word of those officers to the effect that there was a memorandum present and added that in view of the fact he was the senior officer present he is willing to take the full responsibility for not having taken proper precautions to keep Stanley Johnston from obtaining in some manner the context of the secret message 5 Commander Seligman is presently in the Naval Hospital in San 5 Diego California and is'expecting to undergo two operations His phySician has advised that his condition is such as a result of his injuries aboard the USS LEXIXGTOH that he doubts whether Commander Seligman's memory of events aboard the USS LEXINGTON and the USS BARNETT would be znost dependable at present Interview With Lieutenant Commander J A Price Former medical OfficerI Lieutenant Commander Price stated that he could not recall having conversed with Commander Terry or Commander Seligman at any time during the voyage and he did not enter their quarters during that period Lieutenant Commander Price recalled that a newspaper correspondent was on the ship but he never met him He never overheard any conversations relative to the Midway attack during the voyage and was not in Commander Seligman's quarters on May 31 1942 Accrediting of Johnston As A Chicago Tribune Correspondent Colonel Ernest Dupuy Bureau of Public Relations War Department Washington D 0 has advised that Stanley Johnston was not at any time a war correspondent accredited by the War Department and is not now accredited by the War Department                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu