the near future. Consequently no special diffi¬culty will he felt in securing effective results from the Pact in the future. (5) The wording of the statements contained in Official Notes No. 3 and No. 4 of the appendix to the second pact mentioned above is, we regret to say, somewhat deficient in clarity. However, they confirm the view of the German Government that among the articles in the Bapallo Pact and the Neutrality Pact existing between Germany and the Soviet Union, those which conflict with the spirit of the present Japanese-German Pact and Germany's obligations arising thereunder will become invalid as the result of the extinction of their object in the light of the situation^prevalent when the present Pact is enforced. There is no doubt on this point, as may be judged from the fact that during the course of the negotiations on the present Pact our ambassador to Germany wired the following telegram to our Foreign Minister after obtaining the assent of the representative of the German Govern¬ment. 'I have the firm conviction that the spirit of this Pact will prove to be the sole basis of Germany's future policy toward the Soviet Union.1 "It seems to us that this Japanese-German Pact is an agreement, based on the common interest of the two countries, for taking appropriate measures in cooperation for a joint defense of the two countries from the destructive activities