STATEMENT OF FOREIGN MINISTER, YOSUKE MATSUOKA, ON THE WORLD STATE OF EMERGENCY

July 2, 1941

[Tokyo Gazette, Vol. V, no. 2, 108-9]

As announced by the Government today, an important national policy has been decided upon at a council held in the Imperial presence. It goes without saying that the situation arising from the German-Soviet War cannot be dealt with on the basis of the mere fact that a war has broken out between Germany and the Soviet Union. We, therefore, intend to keep a close watch over the development of the situation with the utmost caution and dependable preparedness as well as with a firm determination, paying a constant attention not only to the developments directly attendant upon the war but also to the trend of the individual Powers and the mutual relations among them in the light of the world situation in general.

I feel that a really grave state of super-emergency is developing before our eyes the world over as well as in East Asia, with the affairs of which our nation is directly concerned. The more serious the situation the more calm and composed must our nation be, and with a nationwide unity we must, in response to the August Will of His Imperial Majesty, endeavor not to make even the slightest deviation from the path along which our nation is to march forward.