Doc. No. 6907 the Japanese Government desired that a no separate peace Pact be signed. The Japanese Ambassador to Italy, invoking the provisions of the Tri-Partite Pact, on 3 December 1941, called upon Italy to declare war upon the United States after the opening of hostilities. MUSSOLINI advised that if Japan should declare war on the United States and Great Britain, Italy would immediately do likewise. Both RIBBEN¬TROP and MUSSOLINI agreed prior to 7 December 1941 to enter into a treaty by which Japan, Germany and Italy would not conclude a peace treaty separately. Such a treaty was formally concluded on 11 December 1941, to remain in force as long as the Tri-Partite Pact of 27 September 1940. On 14 December 1941, at a reception given by HITLER to Ambassador OSHIMA, at which HITLER presented OSKIMA with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in gold, HITLER declared that Japan had taken the right course in attacking without wasting time in declaring war. He commented that he had used this system and that he expected to use it in the future. On 18 January 1942 the Japanese, German and Italian armed forces concluded a military agreement in the spirit of the Tri-Partite Pact of 27 September 1940, and provided for operational coordination among them. The world was divided into zaies for military oparations. Japan was assigned the waters eastward from about 70°9 east longitude to the west coast of the American continent,ras well as