Did Roosevelt Know?

I know the topic has come up numerous times but I would like to know your opinions. I've recently read a book on the matter and it makes sense. The United States Nuetral Policy didn't allow it to intervene with foreign matters so allowing the Japanese to bomb us would enable us to join in the fight. Was it a coinicidence that most of our cruisers and carriers were out of Pearl Harbor?

 

It does make a lot of sense. I don't think it was a coincidence that all of our carriers were out. He knew.

 

<font color=#9932cd>On a side note I have just read an article in WWII magazine (FEB 01') that goes into detail on whether or not J Edgar Hoover was aware of the potential bombing of Pearl Harbor. The magazine emphasizes that a double agent working for Britain named Dusko Popov tried to warn Hoover of the upcoming events. He called attention to the fact that the same attack used by the British on the Italians at Taranto would be used again by the Japanese. Hoover disregarded Popovs warning and the rest is history. </font>

 

That sounds about right. Newbie, hunh?

 

I believe that FDR did know about the attack ahead of time as I also feel that Churchill did too. Churchill had a spy of his own working in our State Department, plus his own intelligence at work in the Pacific. Im almost 100% sure that they allowed the attack to happen so we would be brought into the war, and its wellknown that Churchill definately wanted US Troops out there fighting so as to lessen the pressures on him and England somewhat.

 

Yeah. I remember reading about the spy in our government and it is without a doubt that old Winston wanted some real backup. I mean, I know the French at least stood up to the Germans, but the Blitz rolled over them.

 

Would not the evidence of French inactivity during the German invasion of Poland support the notion that they did not want involvement in another major conflict?
My opinion is that a "dirty little secret" of the British is that they fomented so vehemently for war against nazi Germany not necessarily to crusade against an emerging tyranny, but to squelch an emerging (or should I say RE-emerging) rival to British imperial power on the European continent.
As to FDR's alleged knowledge of the "Day of Infamy", why not put the battleships out to sea as well, or instead? The prevailing school of thought as to naval power was that of the battleship proponents until AFTER such incidents as Pearl Harbor and Midway, when the striking power of carrier-based aircraft was realised.
I believe that it is possible that elements of the FDR administration may have been informed of Japanese intent, but that the idea seemed so farfetched that either FDR was never made aware of the reports, or ignored them as so improbable that the attack would never occur.
Recall that "Western" opinion of Japan at that time was that they were a backward, technologically inept society...




------------------
Novus Ordo Seclorum

 

Just so nobody misunderstands this answer:

WE DID NOT KNOW THAT PEARL HARBOR WOULD BE ATTACKED.

It is that simple. FDR had enough evidence to believe that forces in southeast Asia would be in danger and war warnings were sent out. Pearl Harbor received those warnings.

FDR did not know Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked. Why? The strategic consequences would be devestating. The loss of the battleship fleet (remember, the main naval concepts for the USA were to use battleships to be supported by aircraft carriers) would cripple the US. The carriers were not America's pride and joy, the battleships were. The loss of the facilities and aircraft would also be unacceptable as well. Had the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor a second time Pearl Harbor would have ceased to have been a useful port. If the Japanese destroyed the drydock facilities and the POL (petro, oil, and lubricant) facilities the Pacific fleet would have to operate out of San Deigo. An idea that is totally out of the question.
Did the US know about the attack in southeast asia? Yes. Did they know about the Pearl Harbor attack? Only a fool would believe that.

------------------
Carthage must be destroyed!

 

Nikki is doing a great job in informing us to things we had not known--keep up the good work Nikki, I look forward to more of your posts..

[This message has been edited by C.Evans (edited 12 March 2001).]

 

FDR had to know that he was being drawn into the war but we will never know.

 

Saw a document on Popov, and must say a very "interesting" person. He tells of the meeting with Hoover and must say according to Popov J Edgar was very hostile all the time towards him. Not surprised but then again I bet J Edgar was dealing with such people all the time so what´s the catch to get any results by being that unfriendly....

The Life and Career of J. Edgar Hoover - Crime Library on truTV.com

The British double agent Dusko Popov, who reputedly inspired Ian Fleming's creation of James Bond, was approached by the Germans to become their spy. Popov did so, but reported everything he did to the British.

When the Germans sent Popov to set up a large spy ring in the U.S., he was asked to gather some very provocative information for the Japanese. The Japanese request, called the "Japanese questionnaire," involved a lot of extremely specific information about Hawaii and Pearl Harbor. British Intelligence and Popov came to the conclusion in August of 1941 that the Japanese were preparing an invasion of the United States at Pearl Harbor.

The FBI was very unfriendly to Popov. Hoover disliked double agents, especially wealthy playboys like Popov who showed up at Hoover's favorite New York City nightclub, the Stork Club. Hoover added the "Japanese questionnaire" to other evidence he had that the Japanese were very interested in Hawaii, but he did nothing with the information from Popov or other sources.

Gentry claims that it is possible that with the thousands of reports that the Bureau received, it was difficult to determine which ones were legitimate. "Still, it is difficult to explain that Hoover...didn't warn the president that two German agents had been ordered to study the defenses of Pearl Harbor for the Japanese, and that the last had been told it was 'of the highest priority,' indicating that a time factor was involved."

 

Did Roosevelt have prior knowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

THE ANSWER IS NO.

He did know about the Japanese intention to attack the Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, and the NEI, but everybody knew about that, it was no big secret. Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands also knew about the Japanese invasion convoys sailing days before hostilities breaking out.

As for Hoover ignoring Popov's warning, Hoover disliked Popov because of his behavior, interest in women, and the fact he was an acknowledged double agent; Hoover felt he was capable of double crossing either side.

The fact that the Japanese were interested in gather information about Hawaii and Pearl Harbor meant little; they were actively gathering information about literally any area in which the USN was active, not just Pearl Harbor.

The issue of the carriers being absent from Pearl Harbor has been dealt with many times; the facts do not support any conspiracy theory. The Enterprise was scheduled to return to Pearl on Saturday afternoon; only bad weather which slowed her escorts kept her from being at Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning. Saratoga was at San Diego picking up an air group after an overhaul scheduled many months before. Lexington was headed for Midway carrying reinforcement aircraft for that island. It had been ordered to do so by Kimmel's staff.

 

One of the clearest indications that FDR did not know is that there was no alert issued to PH. The Japanese attack by itself was enough to get us into the war. If we had bloodied their nose really good in the attack the reaction in the US would have likely been almost as strong but FDR would have had a much easier time with the Germany first policy.

 

Roosevelt was alot of things but he was no fool. The USA put up with alot from the Japanese attacking China and conquering most of the far east, (and we even watched Hitler Steamroll through Europe) because he knew Americans were not eager to get into another world war and it would take alot to make the US enter the war. But Roosevelt surely realized that cutting off American oil imports to Japan was a decisive move. The Japanese had to either attack the USA or stop their far east expansion. The rest is history (or another conspiracy theory).

 

Roosevelt was alot of things but he was no fool. The USA put up with alot from the Japanese attacking China and conquering most of the far east, (and we even watched Hitler Steamroll through Europe) because he knew Americans were not eager to get into another world war and it would take alot to make the US enter the war. But Roosevelt surely realized that cutting off American oil imports to Japan was a decisive move. The Japanese had to either attack the USA or stop their far east expansion. The rest is history (or another conspiracy theory).

 

I have heard it claimed that Roosevelt never intended to impose a total oil embargo on the Japanese. His intention was only to make it more difficult for Japan to import petroleum products in order to highlight their dependence on the US for oil. Indeed, the directive did provide for oil import licenses to be issued, but hardline members of Roosevelt's cabinet refused to grant those licenses, contrary to Roosevelt's intentions.

Be that as it may, I find it hard to believe that Roosevelt was unaware of what was going on in his own cabinet. Surely, he knew that such licenses
were not being issued, and that Japan was faced with a choice of backing down or escalating the war. In my opinion, Roosevelt simply miscalculated the suicidal determination of Japan to establish control over Asia. The proper time for an oil embargo was in early 1937, before Japan had had time to build stockpiles and plan for a war with the US.

Roosevelt knew war with Japan was coming, but he hoped it could be delayed until the spring of 1942.