Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

178 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
please destroy all code papers, etc. Th is is as yet to be a completely
secret arrangement.” 36
Th is new intercept became known as the “Winds Code”
message. Th e three phrases and their meaning were: HIGASHI
NO KAZE AME (East wind rain): Japan-U.S. relations in danger;
KITANO KAZE KUMORI (North wind cloudy): Japan-
U.S.S.R. relations in danger; and NISHI NO KAZE HARE
(West wind clear): Japan-British relations in danger.
When our people read this message, orders went out immediately
from both the Army and the Navy to their intercept stations
throughout the world, asking them to monitor Japanese shortwave
news broadcasts. Because weather was unpredictable and
atmospheric conditions often interfered with radio transmissions,
reception at our intercept stations was erratic. Th erefore, the call
went out to all our monitoring stations from Rear Admiral Leigh
Noyes of Naval Communications 37 and from General Sherman
Miles of the Army’s Intelligence Division urging the code clerks
to listen for the phrases. 38 Th ree-by-fi ve cards with the three
phrases were prepared and distributed: 39
HIGASHI NO KAZE AME (East wind rain—war with
the U. S.)
KITANO KAZE KUMORI (North wind cloudy—war with
the U.S.S.R.)
NICHI NO KAZE HARE (West wind clear—war with
Great Britain.)
36 Ibid., part 12, p. 154.
37 Ibid., part 9, pp. 4126–28.
38 Ibid., part 10, pp. 4520–22, testimony of colonel Bratton.
39 Ibid., part 8, pp. 3915–18, testimony of Lieutenant Commander Kramer.