determined to carry on the war to its bitter end-30 ancj that Japan was prepared for a prolonged state of war. 31 The Japanese Government demonstrated its determination to continue its course of aggressive action in China by increas¬ing the severity of her peace demands on two separate occasions while negotiations were pending and by making the threat of new military operations.On 16 January 1938 the doors were closed for further peace negotiations and continuance of military action 30• Exhibit 486-D, TP 5,991. German Foreign minister Von Neurath, according to an office memorandum quoted in a tele- gran of 12 January 1938, pointed out to Ambassador TOGO the danger to Japan of prolonged war in China, to which TOGO replied: it* * *The Japanese Government is determined to carry on the war to its bitter end and the conditions of peace would naturally become the more harder, if the war continue the more longer." 31Exhibit 486-1, TP 6,017. In a telegram of 28 January 1938 from German Foreign Minister Von Neurath to the German Embassy in Tokyo it is stated2 "* * *Upon my question how Japan envisions the further development of the matter in China, the Ambassador declared that the Japanese Government could, after the military defeat of Chiang Kai-shek, no longer recognize him as representative^ of the Chinese People and that the Chinese Central Government did no longer exist. Japan would now endeavour to negotiate about the end of the state of war with a new Chinese government, which probably would be composed of the already exist¬ing governments in Peking and Shanghai. In reply to my objection that there would then probably still remain a big and not yet pacified area of China, the Ambassador replied that they were prepared for everything in Japan and that they would also know how to carry the burden of a prolonged state of war." 32(a) See Note 29. (b) Exhibit 486-D, TP 5,994. In a telegram dated 5 January 1937, German Ambassador Von Dirksen reported Foreign Minister HIFtOTA1 s demand for a quick reply "becauso now military operations are planned."