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GSD at #14.

22 Towns Retaken – 2-3
Nazis Concede Pause in Drives – 3
Premier Emphatic – 4-5
The International Situation – 4
213 Vessels Added This Year – 5-6
A United States Navy Battleship Tries Her Guns (photos) – 5-6
Army Will Test Air Raid Defense – 6
President Names Moscow Mission – 6-7
The Day in Washington – 7
British Offensive in Libya Expected – 8-9
When the Alarm Sounds in Besieged Tobruk (photo) – 8
Axis Shows Anxiety in Lies, Wavell Says – 9
Russians Praised by British Envoy – 9
Early Denies Parley in Pacific is Planned – 9
French Volunteers Depart for Poland – 9
Allies Continuing Parley with Iran – 10
Judge Rebels at Oath to Petain and is Ousted – 10
Assures Yugoslavs Big Help is Coming – 10
Australian Envoy Confers with Hull – 10
Chinese Regain Port (map) – 10
Italy to Restrict Restaurant Meals – 10
Smuts Says United States is Preparing to Enter War – 10
Two Years of War-III – 12
Nazis Facing Soviet Drive ‘Hope for Help Soon’ – 12
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 13-14
British Supply Cost £90,622,237 in Week – 14
A Canine Trooper on Duty (photo) – 14
More Troops Land at Singapore Base - 14

i think i posted a while ago about what recent document discovery shows about japan at this moment. i still think, based on the new documents and analysis, that Roosevelt and hull missed a huge chance to have japan stand down.

the documents show that the premier of japan is requesting the meeting with Roosevelt, which was rebuffed by hull, because the Japanese cabinet is in stalemate. the navy realizes it cant possibly win a war with the US, but wont say that in cabinet, the civilians on the cabinet also think they cant win, but with the navy silent, no way can be found to control the army in china which is the central contentious issue with the US.
the imperial army cant find a way to withdraw, on its own, because of what they view as their “debt to the dead”. this may sound ridiculous to us, but i guess it was very real. having lost over 200,000 troops in China, they couldn't internally find a way to withdraw.
the only power in the country that could effect a withdrawal was the emperor.

the premier's strategy in wanting to meet with Roosevelt was to get him to give the premier a concession that IF the army withdrew from china, the embargo would be lifted. his plan was, armed with that concession, to go direct to the emperor and have the emperor intervene and order the army withdrawal which would save face for all.

alas, this two corner diplomatic bank shot was not to be, and the cabinet got sucked into a position where it was easier to save face in the short run, even though many of them believed they would be doomed in the long run.

also, at a crucial moment, a flawed analysis was presented which showed that japan had sufficient naval assets to supply itself via sea, in wartime, from SE Asia. when this turned out, during the war, not to be true, the Japanese nation was doomed, and the outcome a fore gone conclusion.