6 Feb. 1946 in early September 1938, that I received a communication from the General Staff to the effect that as matters would be entering the stage of negotiations I was to pass on all information to the Ambassador TOGO. Q. Does that mean this, General, that the matters had now reached the stage that you were to keep the Ambassador informed of what was going on, but you still continued the negotiations in your capacity as Military Attache? A. Yes. Q. You may continue. A. Kasahara, as I recall correctly, returned sometime in the middle of September. Prior to his return, however, I had received a communication or communications from the General Staff suggesting, as I told you the other day, that I become the Ambassador, and as I told you I, at first, refused on the grounds that I wished the present Ambassador to continue negotiations, but finally upon their insistence in early October 1938, I resigned from the regular Army and took the post of Ambassador. Ambassador TOGO was shifted to Russia. Q. Was Ambassador TOGO a military man? A. No. Q. Do you know what the attitude of Ambassador TOGO towards this proposed treaty was? A. As I know it, he wished to have it only in so far as Russia was concerned. Q. Continue. A. I began my official duties as Ambassador about the end of October 1938. Following discussions with Ribbentrop and Gaus, the head of the Legal Department of the German Foreign Office, and having decided upon the general outline of the treaty I sent an official communication to the Japanese Foreign Office giving in it the aforementioned outline. Q. General, according to my information you were named Ambassador on 8 October 1938. A. Yes. Q. And you assumed your duties immediately? A. I stated I began my official duties towards the end of October because it is Japan’s protocol not to take up the official duties until the former Ambassador leaves for his next post. Q. General, I suppose at the time you were named Ambassador the negotiations then with respect to this proposed treaty that had theretofore been carried on through you as Military Attache had now reached the stage where the Foreign Office in Tokyo was carrying on the negotiations through and with you in your capacity as Ambassador? A. Yes, as soon as I became Ambassador. Q. You may continue. A. The first answer from the Foreign Office stated that the Foreign Office and the Government were in agreement regarding a treaty of this sort which would help to conclude the China Incident and (1) to clarify the Russian situation so that troops could be deployed elsewhere, (2) to strengthen Japan’s international position, and (3) to receive technological and economic aid from Germany. However, regarding the actual wording of the treaty they stated that they were in process of studying it. That 42