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The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 465
LeMay: The war would have been over in two weeks without the Russians
entering and without the atomic bomb.
The Press: You mean that, Sir? Without the Russians and the atomic
bomb?
LeMay: Yes,…
LeMay: The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at
all.
1498
Ten month after General LeMay spoke at his press conference, a report from the United
States Strategic Bombing Command confirmed what he had stated. The report issued on July 1,
1946 stated: “Japan would have surrendered even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if
no invasion had been planned or contemplated.”
1499
The Strategic Bombing Command was “[t]he
most authoritative Air Force unit during World War II.” It was responsible for selecting bombing
“targets on the basis of need” and then analyzing the results so that the information could be
applied to future missions.
1500
The report further states:
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs did not defeat Japan, nor by
the testimony of the enemy leaders who ended the war did they persuade Japan to
accept unconditional surrender. The Emperor, the lord privy seal, the prime
minister, the foreign minister, and the navy minister had decided as early as May
1945 that the war should be ended even if it meant acceptance of defeat on allied
terms.... It is the Survey's opinion that certainly prior to December 1, 1945 and in
all probability prior to November 1, 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if
the atomic bombs had not been dropped and even if no invasion had been planned
or contemplated.
1501
The original draft of the bombing survey stated that the Japanese had made a decision to
surrender “at least as early as June 26.” This was edited out of the report to protect the War
Department from Congressional scrutiny.
1502
Rear Admiral Lewis L. Strauss was also of the opinion that “the war was nearly over”
and the atomic bomb was not necessary. He proposed to Secretary Forrestal that rather than
using the atomic bomb against Japan, it should be demonstrated and the Japanese given the
chance to surrender.
1503
This was also the opinion of many of the scientists who were involved with the
development of the atomic bomb. Many had become involved in the Manhattan Project out of
fear that Hitler was working on an atomic bomb. When it became apparent that this was not the
case, apprehension began to be a factor with many of the scientists. At the Chicago facility
Farrington Daniels conducted a survey of 150 scientists of how they thought the atomic bomb
should be used in the war. Only 15% thought it should be left to the military to decide. The vast
majority, 83%, favored some form of demonstration and 2% thought it should be kept secret.
On July 17, 1945, Leo Szilard composed a petition to the president asking that the atomic
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