1 March 1946 means whereby aerial liaison might be maintained between the two nations. However, in actuality, to the best of my knowledge, the Army never set up any plans for joint operations, and while the Navy occasionally had contact with the German Navy in the Indian Ocean I do not believe that any intense joint operations were planned or executed. Q. Did this alliance have any provisions in it that provided for aid, the type of aid Germany might give Japan? A. I do not believe there was any provision of that sort. Q. Do you know where we could obtain a copy of this alliance? A. The Army or the Navy should have one. Q. Who signed this document for Japan? A. I am not sure, but I believe both Nomura and Banzai signed or perhaps only one of them. Q. At this time who was the War Minister? A. TOJO. The Chief of Staff was Sugiyama. The Navy Minister was SHIMADA, and the Navy Chief of Staff, Nagano. 6 Q. You may go ahead. A. In regard to this alliance I do not know for certain whether Italy entered into it or not. This is a point that might not be very important and reflects upon another man, but, I believe, that in this period the German Government never let Ott know about things in detail. Q. Upon what do you base that statement, General? A. That is difficult to say, but I believe that Ott did not get along too well with the German Foreign Office. Q. You must have some reason for saying that, General. What is the reason? A. This is not something I particularly like to talk about, as it concerns another man, and if I were saying good about him, it might be different, but because this reflects upon him I am not very happy about it. In any case, I feel that Ott was never looked upon with too much favor by the Nazis because of his former connections with Schleicher- he was killed by the Nazis, you may recall, in June 1934. In the days that Shleicher was Defense Minister Ott was also in the Ministry and worked under him. Whatever the reasons may be, I feel that Ott was somewhat Anti-Nazi and for this reason did not have their full trust and confidence. 7 Q. I can appreciate your reluctance to talk about another man when the remarks you have to make might not be favorable to him. I understand that thoroughly, General, but I am interested in knowing those things that you know about Ott. It is necessary that I know them. Now this man Schleicher was killed in 1934. A good many years after that Ott was named Ambassador to Japan. Why was he selected as Ambassador to Japan if he did not have the confidence of the German Government? A. I do not know for sure, but it is my personal opinion that Ott was not selected for the post by 6 Sugiyama and his wife killed themselves at the end of W.W.II. Nagano died at Sagamo prison from a heart attack in 1945. 7 Shleicher was the last Chancellor of Germany before Hitler and was murdered by Hitler and his thugs during the “Night of the Long Knives”, a purge of all those whose existence was inconvenient to Hitler. They also murdered his wife. 171