Executive Order 9066

As secretary of war, Stimson (1867-1950) was the key addressee of Order 9066 and one of those most responsible for carrying it out. Stimson served in the administrations of five presidents between 1911 and 1945, in such varied positions as secretary of state, special commissioner to Nicaragua, and governor general of the Philippines. As secretary of state under President Herbert Hoover, Stimson conceived what is known as the “Stimson Doctrine,” aimed at limiting Japanese imperialism in Manchuria.

Although a lifelong Republican, Stimson was appointed secretary of war by Roosevelt in a bid for bipartisan support. During World War II, Stimson was known as an “outspoken interventionist” (Britannica), advocating for the expansion of the military and using force to achieve Allied victory. Stimson headed the Manhattan Project, aimed at developing the first nuclear weapons; it was Stimson who, toward the end of the war, recommended to President Truman to drop atomic bombs on strategically important Japanese cities in order to win the war with fewer American casualties.

Assistant secretary of war under Henry Stimson, McCloy (1895-1989) served as a key advisor to President Roosevelt during the war and was one of those who oversaw the internment of Japanese Americans. Toward the end of the war, McCloy was one of a small inner circle of officials who knew about the plan to bomb the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although he argued that the cities should be warned prior to the attack, his proposal was overruled.

McCloy has been described as possibly “the 20th century’s most powerful American” because, during a long career, he held a number of high positions “behind the scenes” in such varied fields as finance, law, intelligence, charity, biological research, pharmaceuticals, and international relations, as well as government and politics (Browne, Alex. “12 Facts About John J. McCloy: The 20th Century’s Most Powerful American?” History Hit, 15 Aug. 2018).

After serving as an artillery officer in World War I, McCloy became successful as a Wall Street lawyer and then moved into politics. In the political field, he served as an advisor to every US president from FDR to Ronald Reagan, was responsible for the administration of post-World War II Germany, and served on the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President Kennedy. McCloy continued to defend the Japanese American internment as legitimate and even humane well into the 1980s, even after the US government had repudiated it (See: Important Quotes).

As head of the Western Defense Command, General John DeWitt (1880-1962) played a major role in implementing Order 9066. It was his task to divide the West Coast into the “military areas” envisioned by the order and to issue proclamations establishing a curfew for Japanese Americans—a prelude to evacuation. The military zones DeWitt established through two different proclamations included Military Area No. 1, consisting of the western halves of California, Oregon, Washington, and part of Arizona, and Military Area No. 2, consisting of the remaining areas of those four states.

DeWitt was at pains to ensure the protection of a region that was thought to be a prime target for Japan in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. However, his statements and actions largely “helped stoke the already widespread public panic” (Yenne, Bill. “Fear Itself: The General Who Panicked the West Coast.” HistoryNet, 11 July 2017). DeWitt’s memos to military and government officials bear witness to his belief that Japanese Americans were inherently disloyal, and he stood steadfastly behind the directives of Order 9066. Although DeWitt initially held enormous power over the lives and activities of people on the West Coast, he gradually lost credibility, as no Japanese American sabotage ever materialized, and public opinion inclined toward releasing the internees.