12 Feb. 1946 - this is not, however meant to mean actual intelligence sources. Q. Now, General, tell me this, did you communicate to your government in Tokyo the information that you received from the sources that you have just explained to us? A. I did not, for two reasons: first, that I did not believe this information was very credible, and secondly, while today it certainly appears that I should have paid more attention to it, at the time I did not feel that Germany would carry on negotiations that would lead to what I thought was a violation of the Anti-Comintern Pact. Q. General, you indicated a little while ago that you had a conversation with Ribbentrop in which he told you about the discussions going on between Germany and Russia relative to a trade pact, and if I understood you clearly, you stated at that time you questioned Ribbentrop if they were also doing this as a method of covering up discussions relative to a Non-Aggression Pact. Am I correct in that? A. There is not much actual difference in the way you put it and what I actually did - the trade pact was being negotiated with officials of the Foreign Office and not Ribbentrop directly, but when it was drafted and signed provisionally Ribbentrop made an appearance, and at this time I said to him that there was some talk of German-Soviet negotiations relative to a Non-Aggression Pact, but was this true? He definitely said that no such thing was contemplated and that they were simply discussing a trade treaty. Q. General, were you there when this document was signed provisionally, or where were you that Ribbentrop put in this appearance to talk to you? A. I was at the Foreign Office to sign the provisional trade pact for my Government and Ribbentrop came to witness the ceremony. Q. General, the trade pact that you are talking about is the trade pact between Germany and Japan, and Ribbentrop put in his appearance at the time that document was provisionally signed as between those two countries, is that correct? A. That is correct. Q. And while Ribbentrop was there on that occasion you had this discussion with him relative to his negotiations with Russia concerning a trade pact between Germany and Russia and then you inquired if there is anything to this story that they were actually contemplating a Non-Aggression Pact. Am I correct? A. That is essentially correct, except that I made no mention of the trade pact (between Russia and Germany) as I was already aware that these negotiations were going on. Q. General, you evidently were somewhat suspicious of the negotiations between Germany and Russia. By that I mean you personally evidently were of the opinion that maybe these negotiations relative to trade pact were in fact a means of covering up negotiations for a Non-Aggression Pact. I am wondering whether you passed on those suspicions to your Government in Tokyo, or whether you just waited to see what happened. A. I was not suspicious as an individual. I simply brought up the matter of these rumors, as there was an opportunity to do so when I met Ribbentrop at this provisional signing. In this regard I might point out that had there been or had we thought that there was any credence to be placed on these rumors the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. also should have heard about them and passed on the word to Japan. 60