Roberts Commissions facts for kids

The Roberts Commission was the name given to two important groups of people chosen by the US President. Both groups were led by a Supreme Court Justice named Owen Josephus Roberts. One commission looked into the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. The other helped protect valuable art and historical items during and after the war.

The First Roberts Commission: Investigating Pearl Harbor

The first Roberts Commission was created in December 1941. This was right after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. Its main job was to investigate and report the facts about the attack.

What the Commission Found

This commission was led by US Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts. It found that the commanders at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel and General Walter Short, had not done their duty properly. They were blamed for the lack of readiness during the attack. The commission shared its findings with the US Congress on January 28, 1942.

The Report and Japanese Americans

Some people claimed that the report also suggested Japanese diplomats and people of Japanese heritage were spying. This idea was then used to justify the incarceration of Japanese Americans. However, the report itself did not specifically mention Japanese Americans as spies. It only vaguely referred to "Japanese consular agents and other... persons" sending information to Japan.

Even though the report did not blame Japanese Americans, some media and politicians used it. They used it to create negative feelings against Japanese Americans. This led to many innocent Japanese Americans being forced into special camps during the war.

The Second Roberts Commission: Protecting Art and History

The second Roberts Commission was also appointed by the President. It was again led by Justice Owen Roberts. This commission had a different but very important job. It was created to help the US Army protect valuable cultural items in Europe. These were areas that the Allied forces had taken control of during World War II.

Saving Cultural Treasures

The commission's official name was the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas. It worked to find and keep track of property that the Nazis had taken. This commission worked closely with a US Military program called Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA). Together, they worked to rescue and save important art and historical items. This commission was active from 1943 to 1946.