Nevertheless, he refused to give up and went pleading from ministry to ministry. But his words had no more effect than “hitting a nail into rice bran.” During the last week in August he attended a liaison conference, where he contrasted the alarming differences between American and Japanese war potential. In steel, he said, the ratio was 20 to 1; oil more than 100 to 1; coal 10 to 1; planes 5 to 1; shipping 2 to 1; labor force 5 to 1. The overall potential was 10 to 1. At such odds, Japan could not possibly win, despite Yamato damashii—the spirit of Japan. For once his listeners were impressed
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