19 Feb. 1946 add to the following statement I would like to just say this at this point: at the meeting with Hitler the talk was mainly regarding the Three Power Pact and of whether it was popular in Japan and whether it was intended that it be followed to the letter, and things of this sort. Also talk of Singapore came up at one time during the meeting, but in so far as I remember, no promises of any sort were made by MATSUOKA. In fact, I have no clear remembrance of how the matter was brought up and there was to the best of my knowledge no talk about an attack or anything of the sort. I had intended to speak to you a little more fully regarding thoughts held by a certain group among the Germans in regard to Singapore. Q. Was there any discussion in that meeting about the Philippines? A. No. Q. Are you sure about that? A. To the best of my remembrance. Q. Proceed. A. Before I go any further I wish to say here that I do not believe that MATSUOKA had the sanction of the Japanese Government to make any promises concerning future plans. Q. I understand that, but there was no reason why MATUSOKA could not discuss proposed future plans that he might take back to the Government in Tokyo and later perhaps obtain the approval of the Government in Tokyo of those plans, was there? A. I intend to speak to you more fully on that matter, so I request that you hear me out a little further. Q. I will be glad to hear you out, but I do not want you to eliminate it from your statement. A. (Remark to Interpreter: I shall go on with my story until such a point as I think is opportune for you to make an interpretation and then advise you in that respect.) I shall proceed further from this point, but please get this much down in the record. I repeat that MATSUOKA did not have the permission of the Japanese Government to make any promises. Also I heard from the members of his staff including the Military and Naval Aides that as far as they knew he had no such permission. I had not heard that he was vested with any such rights, nor did any of the members of my own Embassy staff hear anything to this effect. That is point number one. We now come to whether MATSUOKA on his own initiative made any promises - that, I believe, is what you are particularly interested in. The first point here is, when MATSUOKA was with me at these meetings, did he make any promises about Singapore or joint future operations or anything else of an important nature? To this I can answer that he did not. We then come to the meetings he held, at which I was not present. Following the publication of Prince Konoye’s memoirs, in which he states, I believe, that he, that is Prince Konoye, believed that MATUSOKA had made some promises in Germany there arose much talk and conjecture as to what these promises might have been. I can definitely state that MATSUOKA never told me of any promises, which he might have made. Further, it is my belief that any talk of future attacks or the stating of a war or matters of this sort is too all-embracing and important to be discussed by one man, particularly as war plans and military operations in Japan are the strict field of the Military alone, which is the Supreme Prerogative. Q. Are you telling us now that MATSUOKA did not discuss any proposed war plans with Ribbentrop or Hitler or anyone else in Germany? A. That is what I think. 107