Japanese Military Quotes
The Japanese Government was in the control of ardent militarists intent on expanding the Japanese empire. They invaded Manchuria and had designs on China. The League of Nations was very weak, in large part because the United States had not joined when the Senate refused to ratify the treaty. So peace or war In Asia depended on the fascist, military clique that ruled Japan.
At the time Japan had a strong Fascist military wing and the army was not under the control of the civilian government. The government diplomats were less aggressive and expansionist as the military was. The Japanese diplomats would assure other governments like the United States of their peaceful intentions and then the Japanese army would do something that was completely contradictory. As the militarist wing gained domination over the government, the diplomats would strategically lie, and then claim what whatever the army did, was done be rogue officers and was not part of government policy.