A-bombs used appropriately

Regarding Rich Magney (Aug. 29) on the atom bombs dropped on Japan: In late July 1945, the Potsdam Declaration signed by the United States, Great Britain and China was sent to Japan. It stated the Japanese would not be enslaved nor Japan destroyed. The strengthening of democratic tendencies among the Japanese people was to be implemented by the Japanese government. It called for the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces. The alternative for Japan was prompt and utter destruction.

Japanese leaders had the authority deciding to surrender or keep fighting when offered the declaration. They ignored the declaration. The atom bombs were then used, as they should have been. Even after the second atom bomb was dropped, the six were divided three for and three against accepting the offer. The emperor was asked to break the deadlock. He said accept it.

The emperor would not have been asked to intervene if the atom bombs had not been used and the war would have gone on, with an invasion that would have killed several million Japanese and a couple hundred thousand or more Americans, regardless of what Gen. Douglas MacArthur or Gen. Dwight Eisenhower said.

The Japanese army killed thousands of Chinese daily at the time, and use of the two atom bombs stopped the slaughter. Twelve million Chinese died as a result of the Japanese Army invasion during World War II.

Gary Adams

Post Falls