The history of sports is closely tied to the larger history of the society in which they are played. Baseball in the United States in the 1920's and l930's assumed a major role in spreading the ideals of fair play, sportsmanship, and democracy to the Far East, with tours by amateur athletes and professionals such as Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. Even after the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924, it was felt that Baseball Diplomacy should continue in order to lessen Japanese resentment at American racial prejudice. The ideals of the early thirties, both in sports and diplomacy, were slowly dispelled by activities in the European sphere, where nations were preparing for war. The major baseball-related news from Japan, after successful tours in 1934, 1935, and 1936, came in 1940, when radio broadcasting of professional games ceased, and English playing terms and team names were replaced by Japanese words. In August of 1940, baseball was abolished in Japan, and on December seventh, Pearl Harbor was attacked. The sports world tried to explain the deed as a weakness in the Japanese national character, rather than as a failure of the civilizing role of baseball, and threw itself fully into the war effort. A period of idealism and naivete was coming to an end, and sports slowly came to recognize the fact, just as did the rest of society. (MB)