Why did the US provoke Japan?
>It is not believed that in the present state of political opinion the United States government is capable of declaring war against Japan without more ado
>and it is barely possible that vigorous action on our part might lead the Japanese to modify their attitude
>Therefore the following course of action is suggested:
>Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore
>Make an arrangement with the Netherlands for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies
>Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek
>Send a division of long range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore
>Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient
>Keep the main strength of the U.S. fleet now in the Pacific in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands
>Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil
>Completely embargo all U.S. trade with Japan, in collaboration with a similar embargo imposed by the British Empire
>If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better
>At all events we must be fully prepared to accept the threat of war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCollum_memo
>and it is barely possible that vigorous action on our part might lead the Japanese to modify their attitude
>Therefore the following course of action is suggested:
>Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore
>Make an arrangement with the Netherlands for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies
>Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek
>Send a division of long range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore
>Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient
>Keep the main strength of the U.S. fleet now in the Pacific in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands
>Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil
>Completely embargo all U.S. trade with Japan, in collaboration with a similar embargo imposed by the British Empire
>If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better
>At all events we must be fully prepared to accept the threat of war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCollum_memo