With all the charges by Democrats about Bush, encapsulated in the New York Post headline: "BUSH KNEW" (about 9/11), perhaps the time has come to revisit the question of what FDR knew about Pearl Harbor -- a question that has already led to nine official and congressional investigations and the exoneration of Kimmel and Short. We know that the Japanese broke radio silence, and that we broke their naval codes, intercepted over 16,000 naval messages, observed the departure from Japan and tracked the Yamamoto fleet to within 200 miles of Hawaii, and moved our newest ships including two aircraft carriers out of the harbor before the attack. In addition, General George Marshall failed to brief Kimmel and Short on what he knew. When the remaining top secret documents are declassified and released, we may learn more.
Toland is supported in his conclusion by Robert Stinnett in his excellent and well documented book "Day of Deceit" which discussed the newly discovered 1940 memo by Lt. Cmdr. Arthur McCollum to FDR that set forth eight actions, if taken by the US, would entice Japan to attack the US. All proposals were implemented by the Roosevelt administration. In retrospect, one could persuasively claim that FDR's "end justified the means" in that more lives were saved by an earlier US entry into the war than were lost at Pearl Harbor. Comments?
I always had the sensation reading his books that he had pulled back a heavy veil and we readers were standing in the same room with Roosevelt and Montgomery, Hitler and Hirohito, watching over their shoulders as they planned attacks and battle strategies. One of the great narrative writers of history of the last century, to be sure.