Roosevelt made no attempt to paper over the great damage that had been caused to the American armed forces, noting (without giving figures, as casualty reports were still being compiled) that "very many American lives have been lost" in the attack.
Roosevelt gjorde intet forsøg på at skjule de store skader, som var blevet tilføjet de amerikanske væbnede styrker, og bemærkede (uden at anføre tal, da tabsrapporterne endnu var under udarbejdelse) at "særdeles mange amerikanske liv var gået tabt" ved angrebet.