Hisatsune Sakomizu
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Hisatsune Sakomizu (Japanese: 迫水 久常 (Sakomizu Hisatsune? 5 August 1902 - 25 July 1977) was the chief secretary to the Cabinet of Japan during World War II. Sakomizu was ordered by newly appointed Prime Minister Admiral Kantaro Suzuki to investigate and analyze the economic condition of Japan, and to give a written confidential report to Suzuki.
Sakomizu found that Japan‘s resources were rapidly decreasing, and that Japan would be unable to continue fighting the war for more than a few months. Both the air raids and the conquered Japanese territories captured by the United States of America had caused a “great disruption of land and sea communication and essential war production.”[1] In addition, coal and oil supplies were found to be in rapid decline, as well as health and support for the war effort.
Sakomizu felt that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both tragic and unnecessary crimes, and that Japan would have had to surrender within a few months had the United States continue conventional bombings and naval blockades. His report provided valuable documentation to Japanese officials who supported a peace plan between the United States and Japan.
[edit] References
- ^ Japan's Struggle to End the War. Retrieved on 2007-04-17.
