Hello All :
I will be going through both Mr. Takao's postings and Mr. Gardner's posting in one single posting.
First, in response to Mr. Takao, he cites numerous actions by the Roosevelt Administration
that could be taken by the Executive Branch. He also cites numerous statements by members
of the Roosevelt Administration in private letters and diaries. Finally, he cites the Prime
Minister of Canada's belief. However, there is not one public utterance by any member
of the United States Senate, who would have to approve a treaty, and certainly no mention
of any speeches or writings by members of the Senate or House of Representatives in which
they endorse the United States going to war against Japan if the NEI were invaded.
And, as for Mr. Mackenzie King, perhaps he had learned something from his dead mother.
The man believed in Spiritualism, and held regular seances to speak to departed friends and
advisors.....
I note you admit that Germany granted the rights to the NEI to Japan in early 1942.
So, what would prevent them from simply granting these rights in early 1941 ? In return
for the Japanese turning Barbarrossa into a two front war for the Soviets ?
To quote you:
Yep, and Germany was never willing to pay Japan's asking price.
Here is the What If: What if they had been willing to pay Japan's asking price ?
To Mr. Gardner :
You make many interesting points, let me try to address them:
As for Vichy France, if the Germans defeat the USSR with Japanese help ( They don't need the
help of the Italians, but having them keep the Med Front quiet is useful enough to pay them some
sort of premium ) then Britain will be left alone. Probably Spain will enter the war on the side
of the Axis, and Hitler, with no interference from a much weakened Britain, can simply instruct
the Puppet Government in Vichy to work out the Administrative changes to transfer Libya and
Tunisia to France. No big deal. To the winners go the spoils....
If the Vichy Armistace collapses, well, Russia has been defeated, a few divisions to occupy the
rest of Vichy, and ALL of France is occupied...
As for the Singapore Conference, this was a conference of Military Types to arrange for the
coordination of defenses if they were all mutually at war. It has NOTHING to do with anything
that the Congress wants. It is much like the Iceland Conference with Churchill. A lot of talk,
and no real commitments in terms of Congressional actions.
I and others have consistently argued the exact opposite. If the DEI got invaded,
the US and Britain would go to war with Japan.
As for the United States going to war:
Germany occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia.
The United States did NOT go to war
Italy occupied Ethiopia
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany and Italy Intervene in Spain
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany invaded Poland
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany invaded Denmark and Norway
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany invaded Belgium, Holland, and France
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany sank an American Destroyer in the Atlantic
The United States did NOT go to war
Germany Attacks the USSR.
The United States did NOT go to war
Japan attacked the Soviet Union ( Nomonhan )
The United States did NOT go to war
Japan invaded China ( Rape of Nanking )
The United States did NOT go to war
Japan sank an American Warship ( Panay )
The United States did NOT go to war
Japan invaded French IndoChina
The United States did NOT go to war
Now, Mr. Gardner you would have us believe that, after this long record of over five years of non
intervention in foreign affairs, that when the Japanese, with the agreement and aquiescence of
the Dutch Government in the Hague, moves in to occupy the NEI, that the United States will
figuratively leap to it's feet, point it's finger at the ceiling, and shout,
" THIS MEANS WAR !!!! "
Now, the British would be upset. but as of the summer of 1941, they have not one single battleship
or carrier in the Pacific ( they are all hunting the Bismarck ! ) and what few forces they have
in Malaya will be barely enough to hold Singapore. ( Historically, they
WEREN'T enough ! )
The British and the Chinese, despite their best efforts, had been unable to get the United States into
the War. Is there any evidence anywhere that the Congress of the United States would have been
willing to declare war to save the NEI ? After the record I have delineated above, I think that the
evidence is in fact much against it.
You mentioned Amir Sjarifuddin - The man was a Marxist before the war. He became a paid agent of
Dutch Intelligence, receiving money to set up an resistance movement, which was, in fact something
of a bad joke. His organization quickly broke down, leaving Mr. Sjarifuddin in prison for most of the war,
and he was in fact killed by his fellow Indonesians in the fighting against the Dutch Government forces in 1948.
As for " How does Japan carry out a propaganda campaign in the U.S. ? The same way everyone else does:
You hire some newpaper and magazine editors and writers ( under the table payments, in cash ) and they
begin to get articles printed in the media favoring Japan's position. It's very simple, just ask the Chinese
how they do it nowadays.....
Finally, Mr. Garder. the point I was making with my reference to a work of fiction was that the main
thrust of that work was that everyone has a price. Those who say that they cannot be bought have
simply not yet been offered
a large enough bribe....
( A sad corollary, also included in the book, was the statement that there was nothing sadder than
a person who had decided to ' sell out ', and who had discovered that no one wanted to
buy him...... )
But, I am still interested, Mr. Gardner. In
all my researches, I have yet to be able to find any significant
numbers of Pro-War Senators or Congressmen prior to Dec. 7, 1941. Have you, in your research, found
any such group ? If so, I would be very interested.
Respectfully :
Paul R. Ward