10 Dec.
45
was referred to by the United States Chief of Counsel
in his opening address. This document, which is signed by Himmler in
crayon, is our Document Number 2195-PS. I offer it in evidence as
Exhibit. USA-150. I now quote the file memorandum:
"Today I visited General Oshima. The
conversation ranged over the following subjects:
"1) The Führer speech, which pleased him very much,
especially because it has been spiritually well founded in every
respect.
"2) We discussed the conclusion of a treaty to consolidate the
triangle Germany-Italy-Japan into an even firmer mold. He also told me
that, together with German counter-espionage" — Abwehr —
"he was undertaking long-range projects aimed at the
disintegration of Russia and emanating from the Caucasus and the
Ukraine. However, this organization was to become effective only in
case of war.
"3) Furthermore, he had succeeded up to now in sending 10
Russians with bombs across the Caucasian frontier. These Russians had
the mission to kill Stalin. A number of additional Russians whom he
had also sent across had been shot at the frontier."
Whatever the beginning and the course of development of the fascist
triplice, the Nazi conspirators, once their military and economic
alliance with Japan had been formalized, exhorted the Japanese to
aggression against those nations with whom they were at war and those
with whom they contemplated war. In this the, conspirators pursued a
course strikingly parallel to that followed in their relationship with
the other member of the European Axis. On 10 June 1940 in fulfillment of
her alliance with Germany, Italy had carried out her "stab in the
back" by declaring war against France and Great Britain. These Nazi
conspirators set about to induce similar action by Japan on the other
side of the world.
As I shall show, the nations against whom the German-Japanese
collaboration was aimed at various times were the British Commonwealth
of Nations, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United
States of America. I shall deal with each of these nations in the order
named.
At least as early as 23 February 1941 — on the basis of documents
available to us — these conspirators undertook to exploit their
alliance with Japan by exhortations to commit aggression against the
British Commonwealth. Again the figure of the Defendant Ribbentrop
appears. On that date, 23 February 1941, he held a conference with
General Oshima, the Japanese Ambassador to Berlin, at which he urged
that the Japanese open hostilities against the British in the Far East
as soon as possible.