I like to quote churchill for this story because he's a participant in the story. He has his own way of viewing things, and he's not unbiased by any stretch of the imagination. The japanese navy was at once forced to live on its oil reserves,. At the outbreak of the pacific war, had, in fact, consumed four out of 18 months supply. This is the fuse being lit. Get out of china, or we're going to cut off your ability to do what you're doing any more.