land forces cannot do anything except hold out in isolated beleaguered spots all over the map until bombs, bullets, disease, or starvation killed them off…”The Russians, under Stalin, gave notice that it would not renew its existing Neutral Pact with Japan and would enter the war on the Allied side. So another alternative could have been to await the Russian entry into the war as an American ally. According to the War Department’s Military Intelligence Division, the entry of Russia into the war as an American ally would have caused Japan to capitulate. In 1945, Eisenhower states, “…we three, Britain with her mighty fleet, America with the strongest air force, and Russia with the strongest land force on the continent…” could have brought an end to the war (Alp 353). Even without the Russians entering the war, and without the atomic bomb being used, Japan could have been defeated, according to Major General Curtis E. Lemay, “[t]he war would have been over in weeks without the Russians entering and without the atomic bomb”(Alp 334). Even if the atomic had to be used, the Japanese should have received some warning prior to it’s use, they should have been given the chance to see the power of the bomb before it was dropped on them.According to Ralph Bard, Under Secretary of the Navy, and member of the interim Committee, “…before the bomb is used against Japan, Japan should have some preliminary warning for say two to three days in advance of use”(Bard). The Japanese should have been given some warning; the atomic bomb took them by surprise. A demonstration of some sort should have been conducted to give the Japanese a chance to see the destructive power of the atomic bomb before it was used on their country. General Spaatz stated,“… if we were going to drop the atomic bomb, drop it on the outskirts – say in Tokyo Bay – so that the effects wo...
