THE NEW CABINET On 17 July 1940, HARA, President of the Privy Council, and six former Premiers, including HIROTA and HIRANUMA, met with left KIDO and selected KONOYE as the head of the incoming cabinet. ^ On 18 July 1940 MATSUOKA informed the German Ambassador confiden¬tially that he had accepted the position of Foreign Minister and requested friendly cooperation with Germany.154 MATSUOKA became Foreign and Overseas Minister and Vice President of the China Affairs Board. The retiring War Minister, General HATA, secretly recommended to the Emperor the appointment of TOJO as War Kinister prior to Prince KONOYE1s acceptance of TOJO for that post. The Emperor felt that this action on the part of HATA was hasty and out of order and means were adopted to prevent it from becoming a precedent. 155 SEIRATORI declined appointment as Vice Foreign Minister, but he let it be known that'he was being considered for appointment as permanent Advisor to the Foreign Minister, in which capacity he expected to exercise a far-reaching influence in the new government. The Manchurian-group in the new govern¬ment was further strengthened by the appointment to the post of Vice Foreign Minister of OHASHI, a former member of the Manchurian State Council, who was an adherent of the German course of Japanese foreign policy. 156 153.Exhibit 532, TP 6,251 154.Exhibit 535, TP 6,261 155.Exhibit 539, TP 6,266 156.Exhibit 538, TP 6,265