Author of The Emperor and the Spy
Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir (1891-1973) wore many hats during his long career: as a spy, a diplomat, a Japanese linguist, military strategist, and as a scientist/inventor. Hoping to avoid World War Two altogether, during the 1920s and 1930s, he was befriended by and allied with top Japanese leaders such as Prince Iyesato Tokugawa and Baron Eiichi Shibusawa, in the pursuit of good relations between the U.S. and Japan.
Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (1863-1940 – aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato) devoted his life to promoting international goodwill. Regrettably, he saw the clouds of war growing in Europe, as well as the militants in his own country pushing Japan towards conflict with China. He resisted these aggressions, but in the meanwhile, he wished to protect as many innocent lives as he could. As president of the Japanese Red Cross Society, Prince Tokugawa presided over the 1934 International Red Cross Conference in Tokyo (aka XVth International Conference of the Red Cross), where he urged the delegates to “Serve for Humanity.” It was at this gathering, where there was the first known example in history for the international creation of demilitarized Safe Zones, where civilians could find shelter, as outside warring armies fought one another.