ONE WORLD: ONE WAR

(December 8, 1941—May 31, 1942)

JAPAN'S ATTACK on the United States by-passed our first line of national
defence—diplomacy—and launched a military offensive without the
usual preliminary declaration of hostilities. In consequence, the
staff of the American Embassy at Tokyo and all our other officials
in the Japanese sphere of influence found themselves isolated from a
series of events that shook the world and brought the United States
into a global, total war. The Philippines, Wake, and Guam ; Hong
Kong, Malaya, and Singapore ; the Netherlands Indies and Burma,
all fell to Japan during the winter and early spring of 1941-42. By
the end of May, when arrangements were filially made for the United
States and Japan to exchange their diplomats, the Japanese had not
only reached the limits of their expansion for the year ; they had
suffered in the Coral Sea their first defeat and had experienced one
bombing of Tokyo. America was passing through its darkest months
since the Civil War, yet already the tide of battle had begun to show
signs of turning.

WAR

December 8,1941

At 7 a.m. I was awakened by a telephone call from Kase, who
asked me to come to see the Minister as soon as possible. He said
that he had been trying to telephone to me ever since 5 a.m. but
could not get through. I hurriedly dressed and got to the official
residence at about 7,30. Kase was cordial; Togo grim and formal.
He made a brief statement which is contained in my report to the
Department and then handed to me a memorandum of thirteen
pages, dated December 8, which he said had been communicated by
Admiral Nomura to the Secretary to-day, breaking off the conversa-
tions. The final paragraph read :

The Japanese Government regrets to have to notify hereby
the American Government that, in view of the attitude of the
American Government, it cannot but consider that it is impossible
to reach an agreement through further negotiations.

Togo said that he had seen the Emperor (at 3 a.m., I understand),
and that the memorandum constituted the Emperor's reply to the
President's message. He then made a little speech thanking me for
my co-operation during the conversations and came downstairs to
see me off at the door. Not a word was said about Pearl Harbour,

Oa returning to the Embassy I shaved and breakfasted and then

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