Tiger, Tiger,BurningBright 257Whencombinedwiththefuryandhatredofthekindthatanimated
Americanpublicopinionin1945,politicalleadersunderstoodthatthey
didnothavetheflexibilitytoapproveconditionalsurrendersorcompro-
misesolutionstothewar,eveninthefaceoftheappallingcostsofan
invasionoftheJapanesehomeislandsatatimeofgrowingapprehension
aboutSovietintentions.WhentheJointChiefsofStaffdiscussedthe
prospectofaninvasionofKyushu,thesouthernmostofthemajorJapa-
nesehomeislands,Adm.WilliamLeahyprojectedthat268,000Ameri-
canswouldbekilledorwoundedoutofaninvasionforceof766,000.27
TheinvasionofthechiefislandofHonshu,tentativelyplannedforthe
springof1946,wouldhavebeensignificantlymorecostly.
WhileprojectedcasualtyfiguresliketheseledanumberofAmerican
officialstoargueformodificationoftheunconditionalsurrenderformula,
SecretaryofStateJamesF.ByrnestoldTrumanthathewouldbe"cruci-
fied"ifheretreatedfromthisformula,a formulathathadgottena stand-
ingovationwhenTrumanreportedonittoCongressinhisfirstaddress
aspresident.Truman,wisely,agreed.^28 Untestedasa nationalleader,he
lackedthe statureto challengeRoosevelt's wildlypopularand often
restateddemandforunconditionalsurrender.Notonlydidlimitedwar,
inKoreaandVietnamrespectively,eventuallycostPresidentsTruman
andJohnsontheirjobs,butJimmyCarter'sinabilitytoresolvetheIra-
nianhostagecrisiswitha clear-cutvictorydestroyedanyhopehehadof
winningthe 1980 election.AndtheseniorGeorge Bush'srefusal to
insistonanunconditionalsurrenderinIraqmayhavecosthimthe 1992
presidentialelection.ForAmericanpresidents,insum,MacArthurhas
beenprovedright:"Thereisnosubstituteforvictory."
Tobesure,oncetheenemyhasmadeanunconditionalsurrender,the
honorcodedemandsthatitbetreatedmagnanimously.GrantfedLee's
menfromUnionsupplies.Sherman'sinitialagreementwithGen.Joseph
Johnston'sConfederatearmywassogenerousthatitwas overruledin
Washington.AmericanoccupationtroopsinbothGermanyandJapan
veryquicklylosttheirrancoragainstthedefeatedfoes;notalwaysdis-
interestedly,inEuropeGIswerepassingoutchocolatebars,cigarettes,
andnylonstockingsevenbeforethegunsfell silent.Thebitterracial
antagonismthatcoloredthePacificwarrapidlyfadedafterit.Defeated
countriesunderforeignoccupationarealwayschaoticplaces.andbattle-
hardenedyoungmenthousandsofmilesfromtheirhomesandfamilies
areseldomthetamestofhouseguests,butinneitherJapannorGermany
didAmericanoccupiersbehaveliketheSovietoccupationforcesineast-