JAG88
Banned
Unless the Army leaders are different they'd have the same thing to say as OTL. Marshal understood War Plan Orange & the conclusions of the Plan Dog Memo. He supervised the Armies part in writing the Rainbow plan. Marshal understood the Phillipines would be indenfensible against a Japanese attack in 1941 or early 1942.
Sure, but they now have troops committed to the theater against the people that brought you the Nanking rape, and politicians are, well, politicians as the admiral who got sacked for resisting the fleet basing at PH found out.
This is what I remembered to have read on the issue:
"When General MacArthur assumed command of U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, there was no program in the War Department for any immediate large-scale reinforcement of the Islands. As a matter of fact, the War Department specifically told MacArthur that he could have "no additional forces, except approximately 400 reserve officers to assist in training the Philippine Army. . ."[1] Within a few days, there was a complete reversal of policy in the War Department. The first sign of this change came on 31 July when General Marshall approved a proposal by the War Plans Division to reinforce the Islands' defense "in view of the possibility of an attack."[2] The next day MacArthur was informed that he would receive substantial reinforcements and Marshall told his immediate staff, "It was the policy of the United States to defend the Philippines." This statement so impressed the Chief of the War Plans Division that he entered it in his office diary.[3]"
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-PI/USA-P-PI-3.html
The army was committing more forces and thought they could be made defensible as Macarhur claimed, Marshall foremost.