Page 156

Parent Collaboration Between Japan, Germany and Italy Volume III
Date 23 February 1940
Language English
Collection Tavenner Papers & IMTFE Official Records
Box Box 15
Folder Japan, Germany, Italy Collaboration Vol 3
Repository University of Virginia Law Library
campaign, etc. Finally slightly bashful he came out with the enclosed paper, which is dated 26 August, and regard- in g which he said the following: "As everybody knows, I dissuaded OSHIMA at the end of August from the idea of making the sharp protest with which he had been ordered by the Japanese Government, in regard to the inconsistency of the German-Russian Non- Aggression Pact with the secret treaty between Germany and Japan. He followed my advice out of consideration for the German Government in the critical phase of that time. But it had not been possible for him to act directly contrary to his Government. Therefore, he merely tele¬graphed to his government, saying he had followed its order. But in fact he - OSHIMA - had postponed the ful¬fillment of the demarche till now. He had waited until the end of the Polish campaign, and he believed the step would be not so grave any more now, especially after he had arbitrarily deprived the order from Tokyo of its severity. So he asked /me/ to take note of the enclosed memorandum. "I read the memorandum which is indeed no longer very important, but still accepted it only personally and not officially for information. OSHIMA wishes to explain this matter himself if he meets the Reich Foreign Minister in the near future. Then he will add that this paper could disappear in our documents according to our judgment. He thought an explanation, especially of a legal nature would not be good nor well-timed.