changes were made in the German army and Von Neurath was replaced by Von Ribbentrop as German Foreign Minister. These acts were a prelude to the incorporation of Austria and the Sudetenland into the Reich.^ *rom this time, Germany, being about ready to embark upon its program of aggressive warfare in Europe, sought and encouraged similar action from Japan which had by this time become committed to a major war of aggression in China. In line with the expressed desire to strengthen the Anti- Comintern Pact, Ribbentrop in January 1938 suggested to the accusec OSHIMA, then Military Attache to Germany, the advisibility of closer collaboration between Germany and Japan and proposed a mut¬ual aid treaty aimed at the entire world. The Japanese General Staff favored the furtherance of German-Japanese cooperation and approved the proposed alliance, as did also the 5-man committee of the Cabinet, of which the accused ITAGAKI was War Minister.66 JAPAN DETERMINED TO ILPOSE ITS WILL UPON CHINA BY THE USE OF FORCE In the meantime, Japanese activities in China assumed more and more the pattern of complete political and economic domi¬nation of that country, acquired and maintained by the use of force. Economic aggression in China has been described in an earlier phase of the case. The common plan or conspiracy of the accused to wage aggressive warfare in China and against all nations who stood in 65.TP 6,001. 66. Exhibit 4-97, TP 6,051.