SDHF Newsletter No.117 The Greater East Asian War 8

The Greater East Asian War: How Japan Changed The World
By Kase Hideaki
(Published by KK Bestseller in Japanese, 2015)
Chapter 8 – The United States and the Atomic Bombings of Japan

April 8, 2016

This link is to Chapter 8.
Herbert Hoover, Roosevelt’s predecessor as president, strongly denounced the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in his memoir, Freedom Betrayed:

Nearly two weeks before [the atomic bombings], the positive proposal of Japan was made to Russia of which Truman, Byrnes and Stimson had full information from intercepted telegrams. (p. 560)
Truman’s immoral order to drop the atomic bomb on the Japanese …Not only had Japan been repeatedly suing for peace but it was the act of unparalleled brutality in all American history. It will forever weigh heavily on the American conscience. (p.882)

However, majority of American people believe that Japan was saved thanks to the atomic bombing. In August 1990, Mr. Kase made a speech at the final reunion of the veterans of the United States Army Air Forces’ 509th Composite Group held in the town of Wendover. The 509 Composite Group was formed as the atomic bombing team, which was trained in the secret base in this town. He spoke to about 500 attendee that Japan would have surrendered even without the atomic bombings and thus there was never any need to drop the bombs. He concluded the speech by saying that, while the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were atrocious acts contrary to both international law and basic humanity, they took place in the madness of war, and for that reason, Japanese people have already forgiven it and bear no resentment against the United States.
During his speech, people rose from their seats one by one and finally only forty or so people remained. However, Brigadier General Tibbets was among those who stayed behind. After Mr. Kse had left the stage and Tibbets had exited into the hallway, more than thirty people line up to shake his hand. They thanked him personally and told him things like, “That was a good speech” and “I truly understand the Japanese viewpoint.”
Mr. Kase was once invited to a luncheon party held by Mrs. Iphigene Sulzberger, owner of The New York Times Company. There he met Mr. John McCloy, who had been Assistant Secretary of War during the final year of World War II. Since he knew that McCloy was a participant in the conference where the decision to drop the atomic bomb had been made, he asked him, “If Japan was in possession of even a single atomic bomb at that time, and had the capacity to drop it anywhere in America, would the United States still have subjected Japan to a nuclear attack?” Mr. James Reston of New York Times, who happened to be there immediately interjected, “Why would you ask something so obvious? You should know the answer without having to ask.” McCloy said, “Naturally, you too know the answer. If Japan also had had an atomic bomb, then making a nuclear attack on Japan would have been unthinkable.”

URL: https://www.sdh-fact.com/book-article/671/
PDF: https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater8.pdf
Author profile: https://www.sdh-fact.com/auther/kase-hideaki/

*For your reference; Chapter 1. Up to the Day Japan Surrendered
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/The-Greater1.pdf
　　　　　　　　　　Chapter 2. The Trap Laid by the United States
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater2.pdf
Chapter 3. The Greater East Asia Conference and the Dream of Racial Equality
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater3.pdf
Chapter 4. The Noble Spirit Which Inspired the People of Asia
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater4.pdf
Chapter 5. Freedom From Racial Discrimination
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater5.pdf
　　　　　　　　　　Chapter 6. Japanese Army’s “Spirit-First Policy”
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater6.pdf
Chapter 7. Why Do We Praise The Kamikaze?
https://www.sdh-fact.com/CL/Greater7.pdf
　
Questions are welcome.

MOTEKI Hiromichi, Acting Chairman
for KASE Hideaki, Chairman
Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact