[Tallguy]

MacArthur knew more than Kimmel & Short, but he also saw the directives from Washington:

"IF HOSTILITIES CANNOT REPEAT CANNOT BE AVOIDED THE UNITED STATES DESIRES THAT JAPAN COMMIT THE FIRST OVERT ACT."

Allowing the Japanese to make the first overt act in the Pacific is not the same thing as allowing your air force at Clark Field to get schwacked on the ground in the opening moments in the defense of the Philippines when you know Pearl has been hit. You're moving too easily from the general to the specific in this case.

[BroJoeK]

"Allowing the Japanese to make the first overt act in the Pacific is not the same thing as allowing your air force at Clark Field to get schwacked on the ground in the opening moments in the defense of the Philippines when you know Pearl has been hit.

"You're moving too easily from the general to the specific in this case."

Far be it from me to defend MacArthur against the truth. If you have a better explanation than mine -- Mac was just following explicit orders to let the Japanese strike the first blow -- then I'd be interested to learn of it. ;-)