From: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 18:55:02 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: WWII & Japan
Message-ID: <199610310255.UAA02084@einstein>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> >
> > Armenia never entered the war (whether they were sympathetic or not is
> > another matter),  Japan (although i believe never formally 'declared war')
> > pushed USA's button i guess, something to do with an incident at Pearl
> > Harbor <g>.

Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura and Special Ambassador Saburo Kurusu
were to present Secretary of State Cordell Hull a Declaration of War at 1pm
Washington time on Dec. 7th. To achieve technical compliance with
international rules it was intended to be delivered approx. 30 minutes prior
to the actual attack. There were decoding difficulties however and it was
delivered after the attack. Neither of the Ambassadors is thought to have
had any knowledge of the actual attack and therefore did not understand the
criticality of delivery. Japan intended to go to war with the United States,
Great Britian, and Holland over their policies concerning the Japanese
presence in China and Manchuria.


(1)  East Wind Rain: A pictorial history  of the Pearl Harbor attack
     Stan Cohen
     ISBN 0-933126-15-8

(2>  The Pacific War Atlas 1941 - 1945
     David Smurthwaite
     ISBN 0-8160-3286-6

                                                     Jim Choate