Posted on 12/04/2011 4:44:05 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
This article comes from the archives of CougarGA7, so remember to address replies to him. This is our first and only post from the Chicago Daily Tribune. There is some text missing between pages 3 and 4.
The Chicago Daily Tribune was published by Col. Robert McCormick, a staunch opponent of Roosevelt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_R._McCormick
Thanks, Cougar!
Thanks cougar. this created quite a stir apparantly, and Roosevelt left it to others to deal with the fallout.
The timing of this inexplicable leak wouldn’t have had any impact on Hitler’s decision to declare war on the US 4 days later, would it?
A few days ago, you indicated that you didn’t know what I meant by ‘high command’. This story, starting out, “A confidential report prepared by the joint army and navy high command...” might shed some light.
were we discussing “high command” as it related to Hawaii or DC? I dont recall.
Outstanding guys. Thank you very much!
I think you could definitely make the argument that this revelation influenced Hitler’s decision to declare war on the 11th. I think that if Hitler had decided to pass on declaring war on the U.S. like Japan did on the USSR then Roosevelt would have been in quite a tough position.
Now clearly as abb pointed out, the Tribune if very anti-Roosevelt and jumped on the chance to break this incredible story. I believe had the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor not intervened this story may have grown into a full blown scandal for the President. Pearl Harbor made the whole point mute though and the story quickly died. I did a report back during my masters degree research in which I looked at who it might have been that leaked these war plans. We know that Senator Wheeler gave these plans to the Trib, but what is not know is where he got them from.
Wheeler claims that he got them from an army captain, but that’s where the trail goes cold. One hypothesis I presented is that it might be possible that F.D.R. himself allowed the plans to leak. With war with Japan appearing more and more a forgone conclusion this may have been a means for F.D.R. to draw Germany in as well by making public his intent to destroy the Nazi’s first even if Japan gets involved in the war. F.D.R. is Machiavellian enough to make a move like this and it would be an example of realpolitik that is reminiscent with other moves he did make throughout his presidency.
Now my conclusion is that this is not the most likely scenario as to the source of the leak, but it is an interesting one none the less.
You could be right. War with Japan became almost inevitable when they occupied French Indo-China. It was simply a question of when. And it would be a way to goad Hitler.
On the other hand the US was really hoping to postpone the war for as long as it could, because we were not ready. Which means had Japan not moved when it did, this story would have hurt FDR for several months with people who leaned isolationist. Which could adversely effect defense bills.
10 million men might not be enough
cool.
Opposition press is always fun.
Good stuff here.
http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Colonel.html?id=0tIW6XTGsOAC
The Colonel:
The Life and Legend of Robert R. McCormick, 1880-1955
Your last point is one of my main reasons I lean away from it being an intentional leak. If Japan had delayed attacking the United States until the spring, FDR would have been fighting the isolationists every step of the way. Judging from what we have seen with the rampant strikes, I’d be Lewis and his ilk would start causing problems as well. It would have been just too great a risk to take.
My personal feeling is it was leaked by someone who had sympathies towards the isolationists themselves. I bet you can’t guess who I’m thinking of though.
Some point to this leak as evidence that FDR knew of the Pearl Harbor attack beforehand. Not the only evidence, just one element.
The problem with that is that some of the plans referenced predate Japanese planning for the Pearl Harbor raid. Some of the Army planning dates back to the fall of France in June of 1940.
If you have been following these threads over the past few months you will see that the relations between Japan and the US, UK and The Netherlands have been swiftly deteriorating since the Japanese occupation of French Indo-China. This places Japanese controlled territory on three sides of the Philippines leaving South through the Dutch East Indies as the only “non-hostile” route from Hawaii to the PI.
Their position in French Indo-China is also a dagger pointed at Singapore and the DEI and is an openly hostile act towards all three Western powers in the region..
FDR does not “need” Pearl Harbor. the Japanese are clearly mobilizing for war, it is just of question of where and when.
Pearl Harbor was simply the opening act of a complex plan to seize a large portion of the Pacific basin.
I think DeaconBenjamin is saying (correct me if I’m wrong) that F.D.R. may have leaked the Rainbow 5 plan BECAUSE he knew Pearl Harbor was going to get attacked. This would be an example of Roosevelt realpolitik in which he knows that a shooting war is about to start so he wants to set the stage to entice Germany to come into the fray after the attack on Pearl.
The only problem with this is that it still would be better to allow your forces to defend against the attack so you would have as many of your assets still intact in the Pacific after the Pearl raid. This would have prompted a stronger message to Pearl about the imminence of an attack on the facility itself. As it was, the men at Pearl had sufficient information to make the right decision and did not, but they were operating under the assumption that the Japanese would attack first near its home waters (DEI, Singapore, Philippines).
It still all points to that while officials felt an attack on Pearl Harbor was possible, they felt an attack on the Philippines was probable and got tunnel vision as a result.
Notably, the investigation into the leak was pursued in a desultory fashion and went nowhere. The most logical suspect -- War Plans drafter Col. Albert C. Wedemeyer -- was seen as pro-German but escaped not only penalty but even serious inquiry.
A more plausible story is that Dwight Eisenhower, then head of War Plans, leaked the plans to discredit FDR. Ike was then planning to run for President himself. It took a few years, but his fiendish plan worked!
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