not be justified in the present circumstances. We believe that the United States ought not to resort to the use of atomic bombs in the present phase of the war, at least not unless the terms which will be imposed upon Japan after the war are publicly announced and subsequently Japan is given an opportunity to surrender. (Dannen pg. 2 ) Unfortunately, this view was not shared by the decision makers, aconfined group of men; only about a dozen, high government officials, military advisers, and Scientist who were appointed by President Truman to help advise in the awesome decision of whether and where the bomb would be dropped. (Fogelman pg.2 ) The recommendations of this committee and above all the advice of Secretary of War Stimson, confirmed President Trumans own conviction that use of an atomic bomb against Japan would be necessary to bring the war to a speedy end. However, it seemed as if the speedy end Truman was so desperately seeking was around the corner. With Americas very strong air raids, and a strong chokehold on Japanese importing systems, Japan was already frantically looking for a way to surrender. Americas strong air raids were due to Area Bombing, an air raid tactic that the U.S. Airforce adopted from the Germans in their war against England, sought not to hit specific targets, but struck rather at whole cities, killing thousands of citizens. They aimed to de-house enemy industrial workers, disrupt the enemy war effort, crush enemy morale, and ultimately send the enemy into submission. With this ruthless tactic in place the Americans had already killed well over half a million Japanese civilians by Area Bombing efforts, perhaps nearly a million. This was before atomic weapons were even ready for use. (Long pg.4 ) While Japan was being bombarded from the sky, a naval blockade was strangling Japans ability to import oil and other vital materials and its ability to produce war materials. Admiral Will...
