ABSTRACT
So far as the prosecution of the war against Germany was concerned, Matsuoka could not have done us a better turn. But by his Axis pact he had also done something which must necessarily and progressively prejudice all future efforts to settle American and Japanese controversies by peaceful means. It may confidently be assumed that the Japanese leaders, before entering the Tripartite Pact, had taken into account this possibility and had reached the conclusion that Japan was by then sufficiently strong to face war with the United States should the worst come to the worst. It does not however follow that they had already at that time decided to attack the United States. I do not believe that decision was taken until later.
