Talk:United States declaration of war on Japan

First Paragraph Issue
The last two sentences in the first paragraph make no sense. They are as follows: "U.S. intelligence intercepted it, and would not allow the embassy to receive it until it had been deciphered. By the time the message was decoded, translated into English, and allowed through to the Japanese embassy, the attack was over."

The author of these two sentences clearly does not understand that the interception of the message by the U.S did NOT interfere with its reception by the Japanese.

Unless there is disagreement, I will remove these last two sentences. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.218.231.115 (talk) 19:49, 7 January 2012 (UTC)


 * No need. You are absolutely right. I re-wrote the sentences. Boneyard90 (talk) 02:10, 8 January 2012 (UTC)
 * :: I agree that sounds better.~ Forst.michael (talk) 19:07, 21 November 2023 (UTC)

Background paragraph is contradictory
This paragraph asserts that the Japanese meant to comply with conventions (presumably the editor means the Hague Convention on initiation of hostilities) but then goes on to say, correctly, that the 14-part message was neither a declaration of war nor did it announce a rupture of diplomatic relations. You can't have it both ways, though I suppose the case can be made that the Japanese tried. --Yaush (talk) 17:52, 4 December 2012 (UTC)


 * Declarations of war were already obsolete. (217.42.104.15 (talk) 16:43, 5 May 2016 (UTC))

Regarding the Votes and Presidential Signature section
The president's signature is required for a declaration of war to take effect. Historically, it has not been an issue whether or not a sitting president would actually sign a declaration of war in light of the fact that presidents are usually the ones who ask for such declarations in the first place. The U.S. Constitution, though, lists the power to declare war in the very same section (Art. I, § 8) where all of the other powers of Congress are listed, immediately before which (in §7) the document lays out in detail the process for presidential consideration of "Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate..." as well as of "Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment)." Inasmuch as adjournment of Congress is the only constitutional exception to presentment, and inasmuch as the declaration of war upon Japan was was a resolution "to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives" was necessary, the declaration could not have taken effect without the president's signature (although it was, at that time, a foregone conclusion that the president would sign it). Accordingly, the "Votes and Presidential Signature" section of the main article could stand slight revision so that it will reflect (or at least address) this constitutional reality. 2601:1:8C00:59A:9964:D10A:819F:CF0C (talk) 22:46, 4 January 2014 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Introduction to Political Communication
— Assignment last updated by Deparkozee (talk) 21:41, 16 October 2023 (UTC)