26 FEB. 1946 Date and Time: 26 February 1946, 1420-1620 hours Place: Sugamo Prison, Tokyo, Japan Present: General Hiroshi OSHIMA G. Osmond Hyde, Interrogator Lt. Comdr. F.B. Huggins, U.S.N.R., Interpreter Miss Lucille G. Brunner, Stenographer. Questions by: Mr. Hyde. OATH OF INTERPRETER Mr. Hyde: “Lt. Comdr. Huggins, the Interpreter, having been duly sworn on previous interrogations of General OSHIMA, now continues to interpret from English to Japanese and from Japanese into English, as required in this proceeding. Q. General, the other day when you were telling us about your reasons for talking with MATSUOKA on the train regarding the proposed Non-Aggression Pact with Russia you said that conditions at the time were changing in regard to German-Russian relations. You gave that as a reason for suggesting to MATSUOKA that he be careful. Later, you told us that Germany was more interested in having Japan attack Russia than anything else. I believe you said that that was the feeling that Germany had later. Will you explain a little more fully, if you can, what the changing conditions in regard to the German-Russian relations were that you had in mind when you talked to MATSUOKA on that occasion? A. Before I go any further in my explanation I would like to definitely state that your second statement regarding the German wish that Japan attack Russia was never brought up prior to the outbreak of the Russo-German war. In regard to the changing conditions I speak of, you may recall that I told you of how it had been the plan previously to even bring or attempt to bring Russia into the Tripartite Alliance. Here it was April and these talks had not progressed in any way, so that that in itself was strange, and add to this the movement of troops to the Eastern Front and it became fairly obvious to any observer that something or other was going on. MATSUOKA also was aware of this fact, and while both of us felt that it did not necessarily mean that war was imminent, because with Germany at war already, this movement of troops might simply be a demonstration of strength, we did feel that conditions had changed. This was the reason that I cautioned him to proceed slowly and to not rush into a pact which might cause us a great deal in concessions. 144