Ikeda replied, “The Kwantung Army is hopeless.” The once-elite army had been stripped of its best troops, equipment, and munitions to reinforce Formosa, the homeland, and other Pacific battlefields. Now it was merely a “hollow shell” of its former self. Suzuki let out a deep sigh at these words. “Is the Kwantung Army that weak?” he asked. “Then the game is up.” “The greater the delay in making the final decision, the worse the situation will be for us,” said Ikeda. To which Suzuki replied, “Absolutely correct.”
