China to Japanese economic control and domination was made clear by Ambassador TOGO.5° Germany was promised preferential trade treatment in consideration of the special relations existing between Japan and Germany and the friendship Germany had shown since the con¬clusion of the Anti-Comintern Pact.^ One such promise was contained in the instructions issued in 1938 by the accused EIROTa3 Foreign Minister, in which he said "in setting up any import or export system, Germany's interests will be fully res¬pected and will be given preference over any third country.""5 However, the division of the spoils resulted in serious con¬troversies. Germany charged, and produced evidence to prove, that Japan had ruthlessly eliminated all foreign trade in North China, including that of her German partner, in favor of the Japanese. Specifically, Germany charged that "the Japanese 50.(a) Exhibit 592, TP 6,588. Ambassador TOGO handed Ribbentrcp a pro memoria on 29 June 1938 and stated; "As an explanation he added that the Japanese Government would like to avoid the expression 'North China1 in such a Pro Memoria and would like to put 'China' in its place." (b) Exhibit 593, TP 6,593. In a memorandum by Minister Director Wiehl of 6 July 1938 regarding a conversation with embassador TOGO, it is stated? "(1) According to our suggestion the Pro Memoria was to refer to 'the areas of China which are under Japanese influence.' The Ambassador wishes to replace these words throughout merely by 'China' and brought up as a reason that the Japanese govern¬ment hoped to extend its influence over all of China, therefore it was for general reasons undesir¬able to acknowledge in this document the possibility of a division of China into areas which either were or were not under Japanese influence.* * *" 51.* Exhibit 595, TP 6,604. 52.Exhibit 2228-A, TP 15,986.