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We had no assurances from Japan, and so forth and so on. Nevertheless, the policy was to play the whole relationship on the side of our saying to the Japanese, “We mean you no harm ever and will do all we can to help you. We can't help you to win your war, because, as you know, we're opposed to your war with the Chinese, but we will help you to live, to develop your civilization, and so forth.” We tried to trust to a great deal of buttering to prevent any aggressive actions on the part of the Japanese. I think that was a clear policy, both in Hull's mind and in the President's. This was discussed many times.

In the July 24th Cabinet meeting we discussed radar. It had been mentioned before then, though perhaps not by that name. I had been aware since certainly sometime in the winter, without knowing in any specific way, that we had a new and extraordinarily valuable device, mechanism or weapon for detecting hazards before they were upon you, particularly submarines. It was all sort of mysterious. It was never exactly explained. There was just mention that there was such a thing.

Sometime in the summer, possibly at this meeting, somebody in the Cabinet asked a direct question, because this mysterious something had been mentioned often enough that I suppose each of us had put two and two together, or made a little separate inquiry here and there. Someone said, “Well, what is this instrument that's so valuable anyhow.” While