Who was Colonel Sidney Mashbir?
Wishing to be in the proximity of the man I had studied for fourteen years, I stood over the tombstone of Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir, at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. It was the acquisition of his personal papers that first introduced me to this amazing patriotic hero.
Sidney Mashbir (1891 – 1973) grew up in Tucson, Arizona. At the age of thirteen, he joined the Arizona Guard as a bugle boy, during the time of the U.S. Cavalry. His military career continued through two world wars!
- Mashbir’s early clandestine missions included stabilizing the U.S. / Mexico border during the Mexican Revolution and Civil War – In 1914, Mashbir personally escorted the legendary bandit/revolutionary Pancho Villa to a peace conference with General John J. Pershing. When relations with Villa turned sour after he attacked the U.S. city of Columbus, New Mexico, Mashbir assisted General Pershing in chasing Villa.
- During the years leading up to and during World War I, Mashbir headed the U.S. Army’s Eastern Division of homeland security, eliminating enemy spy networks in the U.S.
- During the 1920s and 1930s, Mashbir formed a close friendship and alliance with many of Japan’s more progressive leaders – Together, they delayed and attempted to prevent war between their nations. One of Colonel Mashbir’s closest and most influential Japanese allies was Prince Iyesato Tokugawa aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato (1863-1940), who for thirty years served as the President of Japan’s upper house of congress. Prince Tokugawa was heir to the last all powerful Shogun of feudal Japan which ruled that nation for 265 years. His ancestor, Ieyasu, was the initial founder of that Shogun dynasty which began in the early 1600’s. The unification of Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate is depicted in the popular novel Shogun by James Clavell…However, when that dynasty came to an close, Prince Tokugawa instead devoted his life to diplomatically bridging ancient Japan to the modern world.
- Prince Tokugawa held the significant role as personal mentor to Crown Prince Hirohito. Colonel Mashbir described Prince Tokugawa as the true power behind the Imperial Throne and that Tokugawa was so politically powerful, that if he had not passed in 1940, Japan would not have joined the Axis Powers in WWII.
- Another of Mashbir’s significant Japanese supporters was Baron Eiichi Shibusawa (1840–1931 ) (aka Shibusawa Eiichi) was an international businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian. He is known as the “Father of Japan’s modern economy”. Prince Tokugawa and Baron Shibusawa were lifelong friends and compatriots who creatively strove to maintain amity between Japan and the West, and respectful relations within Asia. These great men pooled their energies, creativity, and connections to guide Japan to prosper domestically, while also promoting good international relations.
Prince Iyesato Tokugawa Baron Eiichi Shibusawa
April, 1937, Tokyo: This group photo was taken at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, following a Pan Pacific Club luncheon hosted by Prince Iyesato Tokugawa to honor Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s return visit to Japan. Prince Tokugawa is seated adjacent to his American friend and ally, Colonel Mashbir. Accompanying them are several of Prince Tokugawa’s other Japanese and American advisers. At that time, there was a rising militant movement in Japan. Mashbir was on a dangerous undercover mission. During Mashbir’s 1937 visit, Prince Tokugawa shared top secret Japanese military intelligence information with Mashbir to bring back to the U.S. that might have preserved peace between their nations, but their efforts were undermined. The novel The Emperor and the Spy highlights this untold story.
- Despite their best efforts WWII could not be stopped….Colonel Mashbir was then recruited by General Douglas MacArthur to command a top-secret intelligence organization ATIS (Allied Translator and Interpreter Section) that dramatically shaped the successful battle strategy in the Pacific, shortening the war.
As WWII was coming to a close, Colonel Mashbir orchestrated the Japanese Surrender Signing Ceremony which officially brought the conflict to an end, avoiding a major destructive conflict on mainland Japan, had the conflict continued.
General Douglas MacArthur gave Mashbir the distinct honor of being the first American (non-prisoner of war) to again set foot in Japan as part of the peace keeping Occupation forces. To encourage a smooth transition for Japan to again become a strong ally with the U.S., 11 Top Secret private meetings were arranged between General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito, where Colonel Mashbir served as the main translator and liaison. As personal adviser to both General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito, Mashbir shaped the rapport the U.S. would have with the Emperor and Japan during its Reconstruction period, and far beyond . . .
The below inscribed photo was gifted to Colonel Mashbir by General Douglas MacArthur – The General’s inscription reveals how highly he regarded Mashbir’s contributions.
To Mashbir:
With admiration and cordial regard from his old comrade-in-arms.
Douglas MacArthur
Tokyo – 1945
As a pioneer of modern intelligence, in 1942, Mashbir was one of the two men who prepared the first draft implementing directives for the creation of the future Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
In 1988, fifteen years after Colonel Mashbir’s death, he was inducted into the Army’s Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame for his major contributions to our nation’s security. Below is the honorary certificate that was given to his family.
Despite this above great recognition, Colonel Mashbir has as is to be expected of talented spies, largely remained in the shadows of history, until now.
The Emperor and the Spy presents the fascinating and colorful life of this heroic individual. The novel strongly depicts actual events, but has been novelized to recognize its potential as an epic cinematic experience. It is thrill packed with action and suspense, humor, romance, and lots of historical surprises.
Available in PRINT, EBOOK, and as an AUDIOBOOK
The Emperor and the Spy was followed by:
THE ART OF PEACE, the illustrated biography of Prince Tokugawa, Heir to the Last Shogun of Japan
After WWII ended, for various geopolitical reasons there was an urgent diplomatic agenda put in place to leave behind the details of the period leading to that tragic conflict. And instead, the goal was to expediently reestablish Japan and the U.S. as friends and political allies. This resulted in much of the significant, peaceful, Japanese diplomatic engagement during the prior decades to that war being lost, forgotten, or perhaps even destroyed – For instance, the below photo comes from might well be the last remaining crumbling copy of a 1934 Japanese magazine. It presents Prince Tokugawa receiving an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Southern California. The president of the university Dr. Rufus B. von Kleinsmid hands the certificate to Prince Tokugawa. (Left to right in photo: Prince Iyesato Tokugawa; Iyemasa Tokugawa; George I. Cochran; Dr. Rufus B. von Kleinsmid.)
This presentation took place during a special luncheon given March 19, 1934 in Los Angeles, hosted by George I. Cochran, the president of the school’s Board of Trustees. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa was accompanied by his son Iyemasa, the newly appointed Japanese Minister to Canada.
The Los Angeles Times stated that this honorary degree was given to Prince Tokugawa “in recognition of distinguished service in international statesmanship,” and for his “support of many philanthropic and educational movements.”
In accepting the honor, Tokugawa respectfully responded, “He wished to receive it in the name of the Japanese people as a whole rather than as a personal distinction.” The Los Angeles Times also stated that a banquet dinner was to be hosted by the Japan-America Society of Los Angeles to honor Prince Tokugawa’s visit. The Governor of California and the former Mayor of Los Angeles planned to attend.
Surprisingly, despite this great recognition given to Prince Tokugawa, the University of Southern California currently has no record of this event having taken place. What is interesting is that during the following year, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Southern California, on October 1, 1935. Prince Tokugawa and President FDR knew each other well. During Tokugawa’s 1934 visit to the U.S. the two men met and discussed ways in which they could maintain amity between their nations. Prince Tokugawa even invited FDR to visit Japan with hopes that a face to face meeting with Japanese leaders including the Japanese Royal Family, might help cement U.S. / Japan friendship and lead to a better understanding of international events in that region.
October 1, 1935: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is being given the Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree on the steps of USC’s administration building during a short stop on his motorcade through the city. This was F.D.R.’s first visit to Los Angeles as president. After the stop, he traveled to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to give a speech. Source of photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive. Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA
To honor Prince Tokugawa and his Japanese and non-Japanese allies who faced many perils in their continuous efforts for peace, the biography The Art of Peace was written. It is in a sense, a sequel to novel The Emperor and the Spy.
The Art of Peace utilizes hundreds of fascinating illustrations, many rare and one-of-a-kind, offering an intriguing new perspective on U.S. Japan relations and world history.
THE ART OF PEACE (Expanded Edition) is available as a digital EBook thru AMAZON
Expanded Edition
The Art of Peace has been republished with the title: THE ART OF DIPLOMACY.
This new title more fully represents the inspiring life and many accomplishments of Prince Tokugawa and his allies.
THE ART OF DIPLOMACY is available in PRINT and Kindle EBook thru AMAZON.
Note: THE ART OF DIPLOMACY is relatively identical to THE ART OF PEACE “Expanded Edition” which has an additional 100 pages of historical notes to assist researchers.
A portion of book sales will go to these charities:
- American Veterans’ organizations in honor of Colonel Mashbir.
- Social service groups Colonel Mashbir was once active in, such as Rotary International.
- Also, the Japanese Red Cross, to show respect for the Japanese leaders Colonel Mashbir allied with in the pursuit of peace.