Ryan Ginstrom <ryang@tinned.meatgol.com> wrote:
> "Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message

>> I will believe the members of the general public who say they did not
> know, or
>> were not allowed to know. Leaders were fools.

> Anyone with a brain certainly realized what the newspaper reports of great
> victories drawing ever closer to Japan meant. Most probably also realized
> they were far outmatched by the US; yet popular opinion was heavily in favor
> of going to war.

Not sure about that last statement. From what I recall of the elections, 
more peace-oriented politicians were voted in than war-mongers, and it
was this that, in part, prompted the militant factions to begin
subverted the election processes at the Cabinet level.

Mike