The Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Nagano, stepped in to the general’s aid. “Japan was like a patient suffering from a serious illness,” he said. “A quick decision had to be made one way or the other.” The Emperor tried to ascertain whether the senior advisers were in favor of diplomacy, first, or war, first. He could not get a clear answer. The next day, when the same question was raised again, the Chiefs of the Army and Navy General Staff remained silent. The Emperor expressed his regret that they had not seen fit to answer. He then drew a piece of paper out of his robe and read a poem by his
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