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

816 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
Stark called Marshall back and told him “there might be some
peculiar signifi cance in the Japanese Ambassador calling on Mr.
Hull at 1:00 p.m.” and asked him to include instructions to his
Army people “to inform their naval opposites.” 284
Pearl Harbor Attack—
Not a Complete Surprise to FDR
Further evidence that the attack did not take the administration
by complete surprise is revealed in FDR’s letter, dictated
December 5, to Wendell Willkie, defeated 1940 Republican presidential
candidate. In that letter, FDR had suggested that Willkie
visit Australia and New Zealand as special representative of the
president.
It would, of course, be of real value to cement our relations
with New Zealand and Australia and would be useful not only
now but in the future. Th ere is always the Japanese matter to
consider. Th e situation is defi nitely serious and there might
be an armed clash at any moment if the Japanese continued
their forward progress against the Philippines, Dutch Indies or
Malays or Burma. Perhaps the next four or fi ve days will decide
the matter.
After the attack, before mailing, the president had added in
longhand: “Th is was dictated Friday morning—long before this
vile attack started. F.D.R.” 285
Committee Adjourned
Th e committee, created by a Senate Resolution of September
6, 1945, had held its fi rst open hearings on November 15, 1945.
By the time Commander Schulz appeared on February 15, 1946,
284Ibid., part 5, p. 2133; Stark opening statement.
285Ibid., part 17, p. 2457, Exhibit 111; part 6, p. 2495.