Probably apocryphal, but I'm sure there were similar conversations. Though from what I've read, many in the Japanese High Command were fully aware of the dispar

Probably apocryphal, but I'm sure there were similar conversations. Though from what I've read, many in the Japanese High Command were fully aware of the disparity in war-making potential between the U.S. and Japan. That Japan decided to go to war anyways despite knowing this is still discussed. There's a page over on combinedfleet.com (great resource and discussion) that goes into the numbers, and it's truly astonishing. U.S. output could be described as terrifying. http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm http://www.combinedfleet.com/economic.htm