THE TRIPARTITE PACT A. Negotiations for a Tripartite Military Alliance. (1) In January 1938, at a conference between RIBBENTROP, German Foreign Minister, and Colonel OSHIMA, Japanese Military Attache, RIBBENTROP asked if there were not some way in which Germany and Japan might be brought closer together• In June 1938, the German division of the Japanese General Staff approved the furtherance of German-Japanese cooperation. These negotia¬tions resulted in Major General KASAHARA being dispatched from Germany to Japan in July 1938 for the purpose of ascertain¬ing the attitude of the Japanese Army as to a mutual aid treaty between Japan and Germany which would be aimed at the entire world* The General Staff of the Japanese Army approved the pro¬posed alliance, as did also the five man committee of the cabinet, of which ITAGAKI, Seishiro, as War Minister, was a member. Colonel OSHIMA was advised that the approval was for a pact promising mutual aid in case one of the signatories was the victim of unprovoked aggression and that the pact should be aimed primarily at Russia and secondarily at all other countries. In October 1938, Colonel OSHIMA was promoted to the rank of Major General and was appointed Ambassador to Germany, in which latter capacity he was directed to carry on "official" negotia¬tions with the German Government looking to the culmination of the proposed military alliance between Japan and Germany. Immediately after assuming his duties as Ambassador, General OSHIMA discussed the general outline of the proposed treaty with RIBBENTROP, and after deciding upon the general outline of the treaty, he officially informed the Japanese Foreign Office of its contents. Italy being reluctant to join the pact at this time, RIBBENTROP requested Ambassador OSHIMA to confer with MUSSOLINI in Rome and endeavor to induce Italy to unite in the proposed military alliance, which action was taken by Ambassador OSHIMA after first obtaining approval of the Japanese Foreign Office. Early in January 1939 Ambassador OSHIMA and SBIRATORI, I newly appointed Ambassador to Italy, met at San Remo, Italy, in order to talk over the progress of negotiations for the Tri¬partite Pact. Proof (a)Document 2156D, (Exhibit No. ):