Stan. S. Katz

Author of The Emperor and the Spy

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This Blog and website are a time-capsule honoring the memory of Colonel Sidney Mashbir (1891-1983) and his Japanese allies who strove to maintain good relations between the U.S. and Japan. One of Colonel Mashbir’s most influential Japanese allies was Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (1863-1940). Their alliance is one of the engaging themes in the historical novel The Emperor and the Spy. Many readers of the novel wanted to know more about these great men and the period they lived, leading to an illustrated biography The Art of Peace. According to Colonel Mashbir, Prince Tokugawa was the true hidden power behind the Imperial Throne and that he was so politically influential, it was only after his death in 1940, that Japan was pressured into joining the Axis Powers in WWII. Continue Reading...

As President of the Japanese Red Cross Society, Prince Tokugawa took a leading role in the creation of Safe Zones that ultimately helped save the lives of tens of thousands of Jewish European refugees fleeing the Holocaust and over one-half million Chinese civilians during the years leading up to, and during, World War Two.

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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. Continue Reading...

Introduction to The Art of Peace: an illustrated biography about Prince Iyesato Tokugawa

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For centuries, the Tokugawa Shoguns ruled over a relatively isolated feudal society. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa would have become the next shogun, but when that dynasty ended, he adeptly & creatively guided an emerging Japan onto a modern, interconnected, world stage.

Description of the photo on the book’s cover: Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato) receives an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Southern California. The president of the university Dr. Rufus B. von Kleinsmid hands the degree 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 19th, 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 Minister to Canada. Continue Reading...

INDEX from the ‘expanded edition’ of THE ART OF PEACE

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The Art of Peace presents the life of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (1863-1940), an amazing international statesmen and humanitarian. The biography is available in two EBook versions: the more streamlined ‘general reader’ edition and the ‘expanded’ edition. [Note: the ‘expanded’ edition presents additional historical notes and an Index.]

This blog presents the INDEX to the ‘expanded edition’ of THE ART OF PEACE. It is made available to assist historians/educators/students doing research about this intriguing and understudied period of history. It also serves the general public pursuing genealogical research about their family members who were socially or politically active during that period. Continue Reading...

Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s Autobiography, “I Was an American Spy” Now Available on Amazon

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It’s a pleasure to announce the publication of the 65th Anniversary Edition of Colonel Sidney Mashbir’s exciting 1953 autobiography:

I Was an American Spy

Besides being a fascinating story, Colonel Mashbir’s autobiography is almost a textbook in the art of espionage and counter-espionage.

Colonel Mashbir (1891-1973) led an adventurous life – At the age of thirteen, he started his military career as a bugle boy in the Arizona Guard, in the still untamed Arizona Territory. During 1914-1916, he served under General Funston and General Pershing, and went on daring missions across the U.S./Mexican border during the Mexican Revolution, attempting to maintain peace between those nations. He personally escorted the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa to a peace parley with General Pershing in 1914. Continue Reading...