The long American wartime buildup is linked to decisions postponed repeatedly between 1935 and 1941. Responsibility is placed on Congress and successive presidencies for delaying measures that would later be needed. Treaty commitments are challenged by asking how much security they actually provided. If a treaty is failing to secure the country, the argument questions the reason for continuing to abide by it. This is a criticism of earlier policy choices whose effects could no longer be quickly reversed in January 1942.
Notable Point · 14:00-14:35
Delayed American readiness and the security value of naval treaties
The critique of American readiness traces the difficulty of 1942 to postponed decisions and asks whether treaty restraint had delivered enough security.