If you are going to try to go to war, or to prepare for war, in a capitalist country, you have got to let business make money out of the process or business won't work.

When the news first came that Japan had attacked us my first feeling was of relief that ... a crisis had come in a way which would unite all our people. This continued to be my dominant feeling in spite of the news of catastrophes which quickly developed.

We face the delicate question of the diplomatic fencing to be done so as to be sure Japan is put into the wrong and makes the first bad move. ... The question was how we should maneuver them [the Japanese] into the position of firing the first shot.

Gentlemen don't read each other's mail.

Honor begets honor; trust begets trust; faith begets faith; and hope is the mainspring of life.

We debated long over the situation for it is a very difficult question and all of us recognize its difficulty.

The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.