5th Column.

This is coolbert:

Here is an interesting tidbit of info I picked up while re-reading the book, "Day of Deceit" by Robert Stinnett .

It seems that more than five years before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American Naval Intelligence was keeping a close eye on Japanese nationals residing in Hawaii.

"part of a clandestine naval intelligence team ordered by President Roosevelt to meet and survey every Japanese vessel docking at Honolulu. As early as August 10, 1936"

Keeping a close eye on suspected subversives with the intention of incarcerating these persons in the event of war with Japan.

Incarceration with the intent to prevent a Fifth column of Japanese nationals from becoming a security nightmare.

President Roosevelt was fully aware of this "program" of identifying and photographing potential subversives, giving his full approval and acknowledgement.

"Every Japanese citizen or non citizen on the Island of Oahu who meets these Japanese ships or who has any connection with their officers and men should be secretly bur definitely identified and his or her name placed on a special list of those who would be the first to be placed in a concentration camp in the event of trouble."

The first to be placed [but not the last??!!] - - any connection - - his or her - - event of trouble [WAR]!!

Way before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt did have the idea in his head that certain persons would have to be locked up in case of war!!

Roosevelt and Churchill both were cognizant of the danger from Fifth columnists and the danger posed by such subversives. The Spanish Civil War in particular highlighted the fact that "Fifth columns" of an ideological bent were a force that had to dealt with in case of war with the fascist powers.

It has often been suggested that the imprisonment in detention centers of Japanese-Americans and Japanese nationals during World War Two [WW2] was the result of "stampeding". Roosevelt was "pressured " by Governors from west coast states to incarcerate the unfortunates because of "baseless" fear. Rather, Roosevelt was WAY AHEAD of the learning curve on this one!

[about 100,000 persons of Japanese descent were locked up during WW2. 50 % were citizens, the remainder Japanese nationals, NOT citizens!!]

Read here further about the Sixth Column. From a WW2 era sci-fi book by the noted author Robert Heinlein. This was a new one on me. Deals with the so-called "ethnic bomb". A weapon that effects only certain racial or national groupings, leaving the remainder unscathed. It was NOT until the early 1970's, thirty years later, that this concept was first made public from governmental sources, and then only talked about in a theoretical manner [and then in hushed tones too].

coolbert.