'Imperial Cruise'

" This is you're. You know one occupy more than occupation and the -- now one of the research and read. And and then publish more books as your third book called the imperial cruise. -- go back for just a minute talk about the how you put together a book I was amazed when you -- how much work and how many books you read in order put together the the history. Well."

" I gave my dad did raise the flag on Iwo jima and -- just set out making phone calls reading books talking to guys who served with him. In after publishing two books about World War II the second was fly boys. I wondered about the source of this huge war out there in the Pacific that consumes so many millions of lives. And I and you know we're given Pearl Harbor as an explanation. But thinking that they're small before the fire I just set out to find the original spark in what I found shocked me with this book. So you go back to mum to a Teddy Roosevelt. You go back to 1905. Yes -- that's where this starts in 1905 president Theodore Roosevelt dispatched the largest delegation to Asia in US history. He put -- ship load of congressmen senators and administration officials. Who steamed from San Francisco to Hawaii Japan Philippines China Korea and and that to them that took two and a half months. 100 years later to the month I followed in the wake of this imperial cruise. And I went out to the all of these countries to stand where they stood. Read their speeches figure out what they were doing this is the largest delegation to Asia in the US district cut. Something must have been going on here and what I found was shocking hidden history there's a lot going but but we didn't know."

" Teddy Roosevelt was the president but the guy he sent. To be in charge of this is one is equivalent to our secretary of defense today."

" defense equity at that time he was secretary of war William Howard Taft he was really the assistant president Theodore Roosevelt he was the heir apparent. And I found that in the summer of 1905. On this imperial cruise. President Theodore Roosevelt green. Lit lit the fuse and the events that we would later call Pearl Harbor World War II in the Pacific. The events that would sweep my -- from the snowy hills of northern Wisconsin. Out there to a little volcanic kill on an island called Iwo jima."

" But but Q so you're saying all of this and like you -- them you wanted to find out where was the Genesis of this whole thing -- World War II really come from. In 1905 -- what was our country and we -- it was recovering from. Civil war it was it was it with the west would still unsettled -- it was the it was very different country at that time."

" Very different country you were here Euro centric country. We're in east coast country the west was as you say still being saddled. But Roosevelt had an idea that in America's future it would be the Pacific we went from. Boston to San Francisco you know and his is like I mean in his lifetime he saw the west one. And then he thought well the next step for Americas Asia but you know congress is now listening to me they're not gonna give me funds for troops. So he made a secret treaty with the Japanese on this imperial crews in the summer of 1905. That allowed Japan to advance and Asia Korea's right next door to Japan in the island nation. For Japan to expand they had to take Korea they desperately wanted Korea. In July of 1905. Roosevelt agreed a secret treaty. To give Korea to Japan in other words he said okay -- and he said -- why. Because he felt that did the Japanese said. Worth separate them Mr. President were a separate island country off the coast of -- just as we're geographically different. We're also culturally different look at those Chinese there weren't pig tails and rolled. Where where brooks Brothers and we go to Harvard Mr. President we're assimilating American values and we're gonna represent America and Asia. And Roosevelt thought he had a door stop here in the Japanese army a place holder for American interest. You know and but it didn't work out that way the Japanese didn't stop now let's look at pearl."

" Over with the Japanese have a history of the Manchurian. Admissions -- they've got around. Asia historically. Tried to conquer other countries for resource is because there's such a small island nation."

" Yes sir and but not before 1905. The first step in Japanese expansionism. Was Korea and it was Roosevelt who Greenland it. Immediately after the secret treaty by the way he won a Nobel Peace Prize for his actions this summer and it was bringing the Russians in the Japanese together to talk peace. What the Russians never knew and what the Nobel Peace Prize committee never knew in as a revealed in this book. Is that Roosevelt was acting at this point as an agent of the Japanese he wrote in his own hand. Keep it secret them and the Japanese asked me to do this -- didn't tell the Russians and and ended Nobel Peace Prize committee. I never knew. You know the the problem with a Franklin Delano Roosevelt had now it with Pearl Harbor. What was Pearl Harbor it was not the invasion of the United States the Japanese were not invading America they were disabling American power so that they could continue to expand in Asia. They wanted to go into southern Asia at this point there are already in China. Well just a minute. Let's go back here on this cord you know go back on this -- where did all this start it started in July 1905. On this imperial cruise. Roosevelt said go boys you go take Korea. And I know you'll stop wouldn't -- I want you to. But they did not I was shocked to find that the problem of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was later dealing with in World War II. The problem that that. Catapulted my dad out to the island of Iwo jima -- lot of guys out there. Was green lighted in the summer of 1905 on this imperial cruise I'm."

" It James -- you know that's my that's my point is you don't go out there and just write a book you you go out and you do. A tremendous amount of research to figure out what really happened and then you're good storyteller. You put it all together and that form how did you find. The secret agreement by the way of was congress even aware of any of the."

" No it was unconstitutional. To have it for an American president to have an agreement with the foreign country without senate approval. Roosevelt wrote he said I don't think the Senate a very good body for these things and I'm gonna I'm I'm gonna do it myself. So he was Theodore Roosevelt feeling his his -- he took these steps because he thought it was good for the future of America. The Japanese would represent American entrust they would just take Korea they nibble at a little of Asia they won't go too far -- they'll listen to us. They didn't stop in the collision was later. Pearl Harbor it's as if Roosevelt started a partnership. And one of the partners later said you know I can do this without you in that don't need you I don't need you anymore."