Many people believe that if a conspiracy concerning the issue of Pearl Harbor did exist, the United States was the only nation that knew about the forewarnings. On the other hand, numerous conspiracy theories have been formulated. Some people believed that France and Britain were aware of an attack but did not warn the United States, in hopes of its entrance into the war on the side of the Allies. Others argued that Germany had accepted transmissions indicating a Japanese plan of attack on the United States but sent no forewarning. Nonetheless, the most well known speculation is that Roosevelt was aware of an on-coming attack, but did not transmit any warning to the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Thus, he would be able to incite the Japanese into the position of firing the first shot. In this manner, public sentiment would be in favor of the United States, and a pro-war feeling would be aroused. Many controversial theories exist searching for the truth regarding the Pearl Harbor tragedy. The only notion that makes logical sense is that the United States government was conscious of an attack on Pearl Harbor but kept such acknowledged evidence confidential.
Roosevelt’s popular war quote was, “I won’t send your boys to war unless we are attacked”. Hypocritically, Roosevelt provoked Japan to commit an overt act of war and indirectly stimulated United States involvement. The radio intercept stations had worked efficiently for years. Japan was kept under tight surveillance. This nation’s actions were always made apparent to Washington. An intercepted transmission from the Japanese fleet to its headquarters in Tokyo was decoded to indicate the exact date of a Japanese attack. Technologically advanced naval trackers even discovered the position of this Japanese fleet. Roosevelt was presented all of this information.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur McCollum also partook in an attempt to provoke the Japanese to initiate a war atrocity on the United States. McCollum advantageously devised an eight-part plan to instigate an attack on the United States.
In addition, Naval Intelligence discovered a Japanese spy reporting to the Japanese government the whereabouts of the Pacific Fleet. Instead of arresting this suspect, Roosevelt permitted him to continue his covert operation. He indirectly set the United States up for an unpredictable attack. Roosevelt even observed written Japanese plans of attack intercepted from the spy. It seemed highly unlikely that these decrypted messages were unexposed considering well over 90 percent of all Japanese radio transmissions were intercepted by one or more of the stations.
By order of the president, vital intelligence information suggestive of a Japanese bombing attack at Pearl Harbor was kept from Lieutenant General Walter Short and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel. Thus, Kimmel and Short had no forewarning of any belligerent Japanese aggression and could not fully prepare the fleet for a counter attack. Kimmel, a tactful and skilled admiral, was entirely dedicated to the preparation for a surprise attack. He sent the Pacific Fleet on a search mission for the Japanese force. However, Washington wanted the Pacific Fleet in one solid location in order to make the Pacific Fleet vulnerable to a Japanese strike. The message Kimmel received was to stand aside and let Japan commit the first overt act. In this case, Roosevelt was provoking his war and refusing to allow Kimmel or Short to compensate some American losses. Intelligence officers in Washington were deliberately prohibited from transmitting specific information to Short and Kimmel. In this case, the White House opposed a prepared Pacific Fleet. The attack was blamed on the naval incompetence of Short and Kimmel. Even though Kimmel was relieved of his position, he believed that the navy department had used him as a scapegoat to avoid acknowledging public responsibility for its own errors. The government manipulated, and in turn did use some Americans in order to prevent their hindrance of a Japanese provocation. Pearl Harbor is a prime example of government treating human beings like guinea pigs.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “Sooner or later the Japanese will commit an overt act against the United States and the nation will be willing to enter the war.” His intentions seemed to hold much clairvoyance. Radio-intercepted messages, cracking of Japanese codes, McCollum’s eight action plan, and the tracking of Japanese ships all indicate the certainty that Roosevelt knew of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Since there was a strong isolation movement after World War I, admittance into a second world war was strongly opposed. Roosevelt’s only option was to provoke an attack.
