The foreign minister removed his hat and gloves and placed them on the table. A moment of confusion followed, as he studied the two copies of the surrender agreement, unsure of where to sign. Shigemitsu read English perfectly, so there did not appear to be any reason for the delay. Halsey suspected that he was stalling, and suppressed the urge to slap the foreign minister and shout “Sign, damn you! Sign!”51 Finally MacArthur turned to Sutherland and said tersely, “Sutherland, show him where to sign.”52 Sutherland put his finger down on the line over the foreign minister’s name. Shigemitsu
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