1 9 4 1 , ▁U . S . ▁pl ann ers ▁expected ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁Philippines ▁at ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war . ▁Late ▁that ▁year , ▁Admir al ▁Thomas ▁C . ▁Hart , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁A si atic ▁Fle et , ▁was ▁given ▁orders ▁to ▁that ▁effect . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁finally ▁ceased ▁oil ▁exports ▁to ▁Japan ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁following ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁French ▁Ind och ina ▁after ▁the ▁Fall ▁of ▁France , ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁of ▁new ▁American ▁restrictions ▁on ▁domestic ▁oil ▁consumption . ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁decision , ▁Japan ▁proceeded ▁with ▁plans ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁oil - rich ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies . ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 7 , ▁Ro ose vel t ▁war ned ▁Japan ▁that ▁America ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁take ▁oppos ing ▁steps ▁if ▁" ne igh bor ing ▁countries " ▁were ▁attacked . ▁The ▁Japanese ▁were ▁faced ▁with ▁a ▁dich ot omy — e ither ▁withdraw ▁from ▁China ▁and ▁lose ▁face , ▁or ▁se ize ▁new ▁sources ▁of ▁raw ▁materials ▁in ▁the ▁resource - rich ▁European ▁colon ies ▁of ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁engaged ▁in ▁negoti ations ▁during ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁attempting ▁to ▁improve ▁relations . ▁In ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁these ▁negoti ations , ▁Japan ▁offered ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁most ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁Ind och ina ▁after ▁making ▁peace ▁with ▁the ▁National ist ▁government . ▁It ▁also ▁proposed ▁to ▁adopt ▁an ▁independent