The Hull note, officially the Outline of Proposed Basis for Agreement Between the United States and Japan, was the final proposal delivered to the Empire of Japan by the United States before the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) and the Japanese declaration of war (seven and a half hours after the attack began).
No further American proposals were made before the attack on Pearl Harbor, as the US government had received intelligence that Japan was preparing an invasion of Thailand.
United States military intelligence had deciphered some of Japan's diplomatic codes so they knew that there was a second proposal in case it failed.
[5][better source needed] By November 26, top American officials at the White House, State, Navy and War departments believed that Japan was moving invasion forces toward Thailand.
The first section is a "Draft mutual declaration of policy" by stating these principles:[7] The second section consists of 10 points and is titled "Steps to be taken by the Government of the United States and by the Government of Japan"[7] On November 26, 1941, Hull presented the Japanese ambassador with the Hull note,[7] which, as one of its conditions, demanded the complete withdrawal of all Japanese troops from French Indochina and China.
On December 4, President Roosevelt was warned by a 26-page ONI memo that the Japanese were showing particular interest in the (US) West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii.
[9] On December 7–8, the Japanese began attacks against the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Hawaii.