Falsifying history

CPO Sharkey at Sgt. Stryker's Daily Briefing believes he is delving into "real" historical research by devoting an amazing amount of energy attempting to cast the decision to intern Japanese-Americans as not the product of a half-century of undiluted (and historically irrefutable) racism (a thesis he calls "outrageous"), but rather a series of intelligence intercepts made at the time called the "Magic" cables, which were 1941 Japanese diplomatic cables deciphered by American cryptanalysts.

The good sergeant should avail himself of at least a copy of Personal Justice Denied: The Report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, which in fact does address the "Magic" cables quite thoroughly (pp. 471-475):

In fact, review of the "Magic" cables does not alter the Commission's position. Rather, it confirms the views expressed by the Commission. Personal Justice Denied devoted several pages to analyzing the American intelligence views of Japan's espionage, sabotage, and fifth column capabilities on the West Coast in late 1941 and 1942. Several relevant points were made in that discussion. First, the intelligence sources reviewed assumed that Japan had a modest number of intelligence agents and perhaps potential saboteurs on the West Coast in 1942. Second, people familiar with the intelligence activities of Japan believed that the Japanese intelligence network employed many who were not ethnic Japanese. Third, the intelligence experts believed that any threat of sabotage, espionage or fifth-column activity was limited and controllable and did not justify mass exclusion of the ethnic Japanese from the West Coast. Nothing in the 'Magic' cables contradicts these basic points.

What the "Magic" cables show is an effort by Japan to develop an intelligence capability in the United States made up of both non-ethnic Japanese and ethnic Japanese. In fact, in sending instructions about who should be used in such an effort, the cables emphasize groups other than the Issei and Nisei [because they would be less likely to raise suspicions] ...

Among the more than 4,000 "Magic" cables in 1941, only a very small number reflect the collection of intelligence which was not clearly public information or data obtainable by legal observation ...

Next, there is no indication in the "Magic" cables of a sabotage or fifth column organization. The likelihood of sabotage and fifth column aid in case of an attack were, of course, major arguments advanced in support of the exclusion. ...

One reason that the documents were not located and reviewed is that there is no clear evidence that they played any part in the decision to issue Executive Order 9066 or to pursue the policy of exclusion and detention of the West Coast Japanese. ...

[The report then cites the congressional testimony of internment architect John McCloy, who indicated no known intelligence or evidence about sabotage or espionage actually played a role in the decision: "Whether it was espionage or not, I can't say. But this wasn't such a motivating factor with us ... There were suspicions and rumors but that's as far as I can go."]

In sum, the "Magic" cables confirm the basic analysis presented by the Commission.

It should also be abundantly clear that Sharkey's contention that "It was the decrypts of Japanese diplomatic traffic that convinced FDR, his cabinet, and ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court that drastic action had to be taken" is patently false. As the commission says, there is simply no convincing evidence the cables played any role in the decision at all.