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Published on: E

December 7, 1941

6 a.m. (Hawaii time): Bratton (Far East code breaker) decrypts the message “We request the Ambassador to submit our reply at 1:00 Washington time [i.e., the breakdown of negotiations]”; he thought the Japanese were about to attack, called Washington, but no one was there at that time on Sunday; even after examining the message, the State Department never thought of Hawaii, but rather the Philippines.