by Jeff Shaara
Stimson looked at Knox. “We have never been prepared to fight wars both eastward and westward. Nor should we stretch our resources only to prepare for what might be, sometime down the road. Our priority right now is the Atlantic. It has to be. There is a war there. I am not aware of any activity by the Japanese which seriously threatens our security.”
Roosevelt looked at Hull, said, “I agree. Mr. Secretary, has the State Department been in communication with the ambassador from Iceland?”
Hull sat up straight in the chair. “Yes. They’re terrified. Their consul, Mr. Kuniholm, has expressed extreme displeasure that German U-boats regularly sail in close proximity to the Icelandic coast. Their government believes that it is only a matter of time before German troops land there, most likely to establish an airfield and naval base. There is little or nothing the Icelandic people could do to stop them. In addition, the British ambassador, Lord Halifax, continues to insist, as did his predecessor, that we station a number of warships at Singapore. The ambassador continues to offer the argument that such a show of force would stop the Japanese from any more aggressiveness toward Southeast Asia.”
Roosevelt said, “I like that fellow, Lord Halifax. Good egg. But he can’t possibly expect us to spread our fleet all over the world. We have plenty of concerns without that.”
Hull checked his notes. “One more point, Mr. President. We have received correspondence from our people in Berlin. It seems that the Germans were caught completely off guard by our passing the Lend-Lease Act. In fact the word used was ‘flabbergasted.’ Apparently there is a baffling mental process at work in the Reichstag, the belief that if the British are defeated, the United States will be so terrified of any more war, we’ll seal off our borders, and concede the rest of the world to whatever Hitler decides to do.”
Roosevelt shook his head. “I am not surprised. I am certainly not flabbergasted. But more than the German attitude, I am concerned right now with their military incursions. Hitler has most recently invaded and secured positions in both Yugoslavia and Greece. The British have suffered a substantial defeat in North Africa and have been driven back to their bases in Egypt. With all that is currently happening, I believe it is time for us to shift some more of the naval strength away from Hawaii, and into the Atlantic. Lord Halifax won’t object to that, I’m certain. And Churchill will give me a kiss on the cheek. The greatest danger we are facing right now comes from German submarines. They are distressingly effective at sinking our merchant ships, and even passenger ships have come under threat. Combating those U-boats has to be our priority. Does anyone disagree?”
Hull saw heads shaking, no one protesting.
“All right then, let’s put this Martin-Bellinger Report to bed. Everyone agrees they did a fine, thorough job. And, from what I can tell, everyone agrees that they are describing a threat to Hawaii that simply doesn’t exist. Or am I overstating that? I’d like to hear from my chief of staff. General Marshall, you have not yet offered us your opinion. I know that you have absolute confidence in General Short, and you believe Hawaii is in good hands.”
Marshall spoke slowly, choosing his words with precision. “We believe that the greatest threat to our interests in Hawaii would come from the indigenous population, those Hawaiian citizens of Japanese descent. They number approximately one third of the population. We are confident that those people would take orders from Japan if the time should come for outright conflict. Thus, sabotage of our installations on Oahu and elsewhere is clearly a possibility. To protect against that, General Short is taking every precaution. Beyond this threat, it is my view that the island of Oahu is nothing short of a fortress, impregnable against external aggression.
“In addition, to enhance that strength, we are preparing to relocate thirty-five B-17 long-range bombers, thirteen medium bombers, and one hundred fifty pursuit planes. The B-17s have an effective range far out into the open Pacific, and thus will offer a formidable weapon of defense against any potential enemy. I believe the greater threat to our security lies in the Atlantic.”
Hull was always impressed by Marshall’s perfect command of whatever information was requested. He could see that Roosevelt was swayed by Marshall as well, but knew that the president was a navy man, and would let no decision pass without some word from the navy secretary, Frank Knox. Roosevelt’s short nod was the only cue Knox required.
“Mr. President, I wish our fleet had the capacity to confront every danger we might face in every part of the world. But, as our resources are limited, and our staunchest ally under severe threat, I see no alternative. While I do not wish to denude the Pacific of our fleet, certainly we can selectively transfer a force that can turn the tide against the Germans.”
Roosevelt turned to Hull now. “Anything to add, Mr. Secretary? Any observations?”
Hull glanced at the others. “I am not qualified to offer opinions on military matters. As the world crisis is primarily confined to one side of the globe, it should be easier to deal with. My only fear is that, with all the rattling of swords coming from Japan, we cannot be certain we won’t find ourselves at war across two oceans and not one. It concerns me that we are so completely dismissive of the Japanese threat. The State Department is daily in receipt of some obnoxious chest-beating by many of their officials, including their foreign minister.
“While I do not disagree with putting our focus on the Atlantic, I am reminded of a tale of a man who was swimming away from a sinking boat, losing his pants in the process. When he reached the shore, and saw a crowd of people, he naturally pulled his shirt down to cover himself. But then the onlookers were pointing out that his behind was now exposed. So he pulled the shirt to cover that part of himself, and of course, he exposed the front. Perhaps my only fear, gentlemen, is that we will be exposed one way or the other.”
Roosevelt looked at him with a smile. “Well, until we have two hemispheres’ worth of trouble to contend with, we’ll just put our energies toward the one that’s urgent.”
THE CARLTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D.C.—MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1941
“What’s wrong?”
Hull shifted in the soft chair, tried to make himself comfortable. “My back. That’s all. Giving me some problems.”
“You’re fibbing.”
He waited for more, knew it was all Frances needed to say.
“Not really. My back is raising a riot when I stand up for any length of time. One more ailment. They seem to multiply daily. Fortunately, Mr. Roosevelt allows us to sit in his presence. It’s the advantage of working for a president and not an emperor.”
“So, is it your ‘old age’ again? How often do you complain about what cannot be changed?”
He knew the mischief in his wife’s voice, and he also knew she was right. He looked toward her, her smile, the sharp eyes, the look she had given him for thirty-three years. She moved over closer to him, a hand on his shoulder.
“You know that very nice man from Scotland—Mr. Graham, I believe? He had a package delivered here this morning. I was going to open it, but thought I’d wait for you. I’m quite certain it’s a bottle of something.”
Hull shook his head. “That’s just what we need here: more reasons to wake up with a headache. Well, I must be gracious. I’ll have my staff respond to him accordingly. You’re right, he is a good fellow. They are some very nervous people over there. They need us, desperately. Every morning, they stare across the English Channel, wondering if today is the day the Germans will come.”
“Do you think the Germans will come?”
He thought for a few seconds. “There is no predicting what Hitler will do. But if the Germans invade Britain, it will be a close thing. There will be no easy going, like the Germans had in Denmark. The number of casualties on both sides will remind us of the Great War, certainly. I’m not sure either Britain or Germany could recover from those kinds of losses. And, it will certainly force u
s to make a full military commitment to Britain, no matter what the isolationists in Congress say. It is a nasty business.”
She moved behind his chair, put both hands on his shoulders. “I do not know how any of you can absorb this, day after day. I fear terribly for the British. What does this world become if the British and their empire simply cease to be?”
“I have no answer to give you. It would be a world few of us would be comfortable with. And that is why it cannot happen.”
The shared anxieties were the price they both paid for his always confiding in her. It was no different now than it had been in every job and every elected office he had held. He had learned long ago that those who claimed to be your confidant rarely fulfilled the job with the kind of trust he required. Now, that trust was more critical than ever. There were so many secrets, so much intrigue, so many words that had the power to change the world.
He knew of so many in the president’s cabinet, in Congress, whose wives seemed content to perch on some shelf, waiting for the necessity of appearing at social functions, as though their only purpose was to smile at those who smiled at them. But Frances had always been very different. Certainly, she could handle the social functions: organizing events for him, assisting his staff at the State Department in all of those necessary matters, things he had no idea how to address himself. But when the events were over, when the dignitaries went home, there was no shelf for her to perch upon, awaiting the next social obligation. If there was an issue that gnawed at him, she would detect it. If he was troubled by something far removed from their home, she would know that as well.
She probed his shoulders with her hands. “Is that why your back hurts?”
He ignored the question, said, “Harder, please. I have always admired the strength of your fingers. I should have digits with that much iron. I can think of a few senators whose eyes I might poke.” He paused. “No, that’s crude. There is enough of that kind of talk around the world. And not just Europe.”
“So, is that why your back hurts?”
She worked his shoulders with steel efficiency, pushing him deliciously into the chair, then said, “I think I’ll stop now. Someone isn’t being honest.”
He sat straighter. “For possibly the meanest woman on this earth, you are an exceptionally fine wife.”
“I know. What happened today?”
“We received a report from Hawaii, from two of the top-notch aviation people out there. They prepared a document detailing a litany of problems involving our defensive preparations, our readiness, our inventory of aircraft, all of that. Of course, I would defer in judgment to those who know what the hell they’re talking about: Stimson, Knox, and Marshall. There aren’t three men in this country who know more about military matters. They dismissed the report as fantasy, insisting that there is no threat in the Pacific, that our only concern should be the Atlantic. They, or I should say we, have decided to shift some of our naval strength out of Hawaii, and move it to the Atlantic.”
She moved around in front of him, sat, looking at him. “Is that a problem? You said the British need us terribly.”
“They do. But the army chief of staff, General Marshall, and probably most of the War Department insist that there is no threat from Japan. It is as though everything the Japanese have done so far matters not at all: the move into Southeast Asia, the fighting with China, the bellicose nature of their threats toward us. We froze shipments of most raw materials to them. From our side we are punishing them for their indiscretions. But Ambassador Grew is right there, in Tokyo, and he knows the Japanese character. They will not just accept our punishment and go merrily on. Ambassador Nomura puts on a broad smile, and does his polite bowing, but his government is doing neither.” He stopped, realized he was running out of breath. He saw the concern on her face, held up a hand.
“I’m sorry. I am not a military expert. But I know something about diplomacy.” He paused. “Did I tell you about the message we received back in…God, I guess it was January or February, I don’t recall. It seemed to carry very little importance, and the military people laughed out loud when they heard it. The Peruvian ambassador in Japan contacted our people there, with information that in the event of trouble with us, Japan was planning to attack our base at Pearl Harbor. I thought it sounded rather absurd, and Grew agreed, though he did place some confidence in the reliability of the Peruvian source. We passed the message on to the Department of the Navy, of course, and their intelligence people dismissed it as an utterly ridiculous rumor. They criticized Grew pretty severely for swallowing such a story. I’ve dealt with rumors ever since I stepped into this position. To me, it sounded like one more.”
“Cordell, do you think the Japanese are intending to start a war?”
He shrugged. “They haven’t confided in me. They’re pushing their way south: Indo-China, the Dutch East Indies. They need natural resources, and that’s where they’ll find them. And they don’t need to punch us in the mouth to proceed as they wish. We’re not going to lift a finger to defend those places, as long as they leave us alone in the Philippines, in Hawaii, the Panama Canal. It just makes me a little uncomfortable that we’re moving ships out of Hawaii. But the military men don’t seem to care just how noisy the Japanese are becoming. That’s my job, I suppose, to listen to the noise, and try to figure out what it really means. They can’t react to noise. They have to wait for someone to punch us, and then, if we’re fortunate, we’re able to punch back a lot harder.”
“You sound as though you’re talking about a school yard.”
He sat forward, his hands on his knees. “It seems that way sometimes. A world full of unruly children. And if that’s true, here’s my fear: Children don’t always understand the consequences of what they do. Right now, that’s a terrifying thought.”
TEN
Biggs
USS ARIZONA, PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII—SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1941
He was exhausted, nursing blisters from what seemed like an eternity pushing a mop across the teakwood decks. As promised by Petty Officer Kincaid, Biggs had been called out of the sick bay yet again. Biggs had rarely used the more graphic four-letter words he had often heard erupting from his father. But now there was a new one, “swab,” that was fast becoming his newest profanity. The command to swab the decks brought joy to PO Kincaid, and misery to anyone unlucky enough to be handed the mop. With the ship at sea, and the other specialized crewmen going about their training, Kincaid had seemed eager to assign the tedious task to the newest man in his command. Biggs could sense that if he wasn’t the new man, Kincaid would give him the duty anyway.
When Biggs wasn’t pushing a wet mop, Kincaid had passed him along to a gunnery crew, ordering him to assist the gunner’s mates at the ammunition transfer stations. Officially it was training in another skill, since most seamen were assigned to all manner of jobs. In a tight situation, every man had to know how to perform several tasks. For Biggs, this meant hours of hoisting belts of fifty-caliber shells to the machine guns as they fired their rounds into open air.
As fascinated as he was by the fourteen-inch guns, Biggs had been grateful not to be assigned that particular duty. The men emerging from deep below the turrets were inevitably plastered with filthy sweat. The farther down the men worked, the dirtier they became, their primary job hoisting the heavy bags of powder up onto the lifts that carried them upward toward the breeches of the guns deep inside the turrets. From all Biggs could learn, firing a single round from a single gun was a perfectly timed and carefully executed operation. In those drills, despite the hierarchy of rank, every man who did his job was a key part of the system. From gunnery officers and range finders to turret and fire control officers, a significant screwup from any one of them could cost lives.
For those not actually a part of that team, the blasts from their fire drew every man’s attention, all eyes turned to the turrets. The shock of their thun
der, the recoil that rocked the ship was even greater on deck than it had been for Biggs in sick bay, and in the open, there was so much more than just noise. As the guns fired, the fourteen-inch projectiles were actually visible, streaking away in a great arc until they disappeared over the horizon. The question had occurred to him, as it had to nearly every new recruit: How in God’s name do you know if you hit something? But he kept that to himself, knew that even if the question seemed like a good one to him, Kincaid would think it was stupid, and no doubt some abuse would follow.
The training this week had included only gunnery practice for the antiaircraft guns and smaller deck guns. But Biggs still felt a sense of excitement over what the gunners were being trained to do. The exercises had gone on at sea for most of a week, the crew drilled in antiaircraft practice as well as in the entire range of critical duties they would have to perform in the event of an attack by torpedoes. The maneuvers needed to escape enemy submarines had seemed logical enough, but Biggs was surprised to learn that an even greater vulnerability was attack from the air, that enemy torpedo bombers could launch their “fish” at close range. The antiaircraft gunners, and all those assigned to the various gunnery stations, were schooled to focus special attention on low-flying enemy planes, so low to the water they might not be visible until they had time to launch their torpedoes. In basic training, Biggs and most of the others had experienced antiaircraft practice only by firing into the clouds above. But here, the experienced gunnery officers passed along a different kind of wisdom, that for a ship at sea, the enemy could come from anywhere.
With this week’s drills complete, the Arizona had sailed back into Pearl Harbor, the tugboats easing her into her place along the east shore of Ford Island. Biggs was relieved to learn that he would return to his duties in sick bay, and that, for a few days at least, someone else could suffer the misery of deck swabbing.
