12 Feb. 1946 Q. What happened to SHIRATORI? A. He resigned also. Q. Do you know why he resigned? A. For the same reason, I believe. Q. Now, General, when you use this word “resigned”, what do you mean? A. I put in my resignation to the Foreign Office. Of course, my tenure of office as Ambassador does not cease until I reach Japan. Q. Where were you going to work after that; you were retired from the Army and you have now resigned as Ambassador. What were you going to do? A. I did not intend to do anything. Q. General, this is all very strange to me, and I am wondering why your Foreign Office did not know you resigned. A. They should know. Q. The information I have is that you did not resign, but on the contrary both you and SHIRATORI were recalled to Tokyo by your own Government. A. That is a base lie - a gargantuan falsehood. In fact, I was asked to stay on for some time, but I flatly refused. Q. General, I have made it my business since our first meeting to have this matter checked with your Foreign Office, and your Foreign Office no later than this week has informed us that you were recalled from Germany. A. I cannot see why such a statement should have been made. Naturally, the orders for my recall come from the Foreign Office, but it is absolutely true that I sent a telegram around the 21st, or 22nd of August, asking that I be relieved of my post. Q. When was your resignation accepted? A. October, I believe, 1939. Q. Now, General, when you returned to Tokyo, what did you do then? A. I did nothing. Q. Did you not stay in the employ of the Foreign Office? A. I arrived back in Japan in December and severed all connections with the Government. SHIRATORI continued as Ambassador without assignment and I believe subsequently became one of the advisors to the Foreign Office. Q. In what Division of the Foreign Office did SHIRATORI work? A. I am not absolutely sure of what he did, but I believe, as I stated, that he was first an Ambassador without assignment, and later became an advisor. 64