11 Feb. 1946 Q. General, are you sure that at no time prior to Hitler’s birthday party you ever discussed the possibility of such a pact between Germany and Russia with Ribbentrop or any of Ribbentrop’s associates? A. No. That was the first time. Hitler’s birthday is around the 20th or 21st of April. However, a day or perhaps two before the actual signing I was notified that it would take place. Q. General, at the time Ribbentrop told you of his intentions in this regard at the birthday party, what did you say to him? A. As it was at the scene of the reception and not a place to raise a fuss and, further, as I thought it was simply a move to hurry us, I do not recall making any special comment. Q. You must have said something, General. A. Of course, I must have said that we would hurry proceedings or that we would think it over, but as it was at a reception, it was certainly not the place to start discussing international affairs. Q. Did you ever following that reception and before sending your dispatch to Japan meet with Ribbentrop and talk this matter over? A. No, not in regard to that. You must realize that later after the Non-Aggression Pact was signed, what he had said took on great importance, but at the time it seemed to be just a maneuver to speed us up. Q. It seems to me that this maneuver or threat or pressure move on the part of Ribbentrop, anything you want to call it, was of such importance that it is unusual for you not to at least have talked to him a little bit about it before sending a dispatch to Tokyo. Are you sure you did not talk to him about it? A. No, I did not. Q. It is now time for us to recess for today. Just let me make this observation: You have told us today about the time the HIRANUMA Cabinet came in. You have now told us events that transpired immediately before the HIRANUMA Cabinet fell, and the HIRANUMA Cabinet did fall immediately after this Non-Aggression Pact was signed. It seems to me there must be considerable detail between the start of the HIRANUMA Cabinet and the fall of the HIRANUMA Cabinet that made it necessary for them to have these 75 meetings of the Inner Cabinet, that you have not told us. When we come back tomorrow, maybe you can tell us more about the events of this period before we pick the story up after the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact. A. Essentially, all details were concerned with how to reach a half-way point where we might meet and our sole concern with exceedingly small matters, that it is very difficult for me to relate them unless I have the text of my communications and those from the Foreign Office before me. That is the first point, and the second is that apart from these small matters, no major things were discussed. 57