#5 Many older citizens of the Northern Marianas continue to insist that Earhart = a white female pilot was taken to SAIPAN where she either died in prison of natural causes, or as some claim was executed by Japanese authorities during WW2. The Japanese knew Amer planes + subs, etc. were watching TRUK and other major bases in Japanese-held Micronesia, or in the altern hired ordinary civilians + mercantilists to spy = describe their visits to the areas where Japan's bases were located. Unlike Truk, etc. where foreign diplos routinely demanded visitations in order to ensure Japanese compliance wid League of Nation mandates, international arms or naval treatises, and visual affirmation of Japanese treatment of local natives, etal. Japan allowed no caucasian or international foreigners or diplomats to visit Saipan save by sudden emergency or tightly-controlled/watched, airfield-only short transits -iff Japan's intention was truly to withhold their rescue = capture of Earhart, it made sense for them to send her to Saipan than keep her at Truk or other islands where risk of discovery was higher. Worse coming to worse, wid the Saipan option Japan could always blame American authorities-units based on Guam for anything detrimental to do wid Earhart. Hawaii, including Midway + Wake islands, + Philipines were too far away to blame America in case of discovery. |