MacArthur argued for a direct invasion of Japan at the earliest possible date. Pecking away at the coast of China, he said, would only waste time, lives, and treasure. The Japanese could not be defeated by blockade and bombing alone, he said—and he pointed to the example of their German allies, who had refused to surrender even after their cities had been reduced to rubble. “The strongest military element of Japan is the Army which must be defeated before our success is assured. This can only be done by the use of large ground forces. . . . Just as is the case with Germany, we must defeat
...more
