The “Plan Dog” memorandum, issued on November 12, 1940, confronted the problem of an expected war with Germany and Italy in Europe and then Japan in the Pacific. Written by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, the memo suggested a defensive war against Japan, after first defeating Germany and Italy.

Admiral Harold R. “Betty” Stark (1880-1972) was FDR’s Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) from August 1939-March 1942. Stark first met FDR in 1914 when, as the commander of a destroyer, he refused to allow Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt command the ship. Roosevelt respected Stark as a result, appointing him CNO in 1939. His primary influence was on preparation and planning for war, drafting and defending a naval appropriations bill before Congress. The resulting Two Ocean Navy Act built the ships that would win the war. Stark recommended a strategic planning shift that saw Germany rather than Japan as the main threat to American security. At Stark’s urging, British and American military began staff discussions in early 1941 that led to the creation of the combined chiefs of staff. His record, though, was marred by the Pearl Harbor attack that occurred during his term as CNO, and he resigned that position in March 1942. He continued to serve in the Navy until his retirement in April 1946.