THE ANTI-COMINTERN PACT, SECRET AGREEMENT, AND SECRET COMMUNICATIONS. A. Conclusion of the Anti-Comintern Pact and Secret Agreement and Transmittal of Secret Communications. (1) While Japan was consolidating her position in Manchuria and North China, Germany and Italy were engaged in a program of military preparedness for aggressive action in Europe* Proof In Germanyt (a)Document 223//, (Exhibit No* ), "Events Leading up to World War II,M p* 36: "October 14 /1933A Germany withdrew from the disarmament conference* (fIn the light of the course which recent discussions of the powers concerned have taken in the matter of disarmament, it is now clear that the disarmament conference will not fulfill what is its sole object, namely, general disarmament* * * This renders impossible the satisfaction of Germany's recognized claim to Equality of rights, and the condition on which the German Government agreed at the beginning of this year again to take part in the work of the conference thus no longer exists.')w (b)Document 2231 > (Exhibit No* ), "Events Leading up to World War II," p. 36: