[Secret]
From: Berlin
To: Tokyo
29 November 1941
(Purple)
#1393 (In 3 parts, complete)
By
his request, I was supposed to have called on Foreign Minister Ribbentrop
during the evening of yesterday, the 28th. Suddenly, however, he requested that
the time be postponed and it was not until 10:30 at night that I finally saw
him.
This
delay was occasioned by the fact that a long conference of the bigwigs of the
government and military, from Goering down, was being held at the official
residence of the Fuehrer. The war against the Soviet Union has now taken
definite shape and the outcome can be unerringly foretold. Next year's
campaigns were mapped at this conference, taking into consideration the points
brought up at the conference of the various Prime Ministers and Foreign
Ministers of Europe. It is an absolute certainty that Japan's moves were also given
discussion at this conference.
1.
Ribbentrop opened our meeting by again inquiring whether I had received any
reports regarding the Japanese-U. S. negotiations. I replied that I had
received no official word.
Ribbentrop:
"It is essential that Japan effect the New Order in East Asia without
losing this opportunity. There never has been and probably never will be a time
when closer cooperation under the Tripartite Pact is so important. If Japan
hesitates at this time, and Germany goes ahead and establishes her European New
Order, all the military might of Britain and the United States will be
concentrated against Japan.
"As
Fuehrer Hitler said today, there are fundamental differences in the very right
to exist between Germany and Japan, and the United States. We have received
advice to the effect that there is practically no hope of the Japanese-U. S.
negotiations being concluded successfully, because of the fact that the United
States is putting up a stiff front.
"If
this is indeed the fact of the case, and if Japan reaches a decision to fight
Britain and the United States, I am confident that that will not only be to the
interest of Germany and Japan jointly, but would bring about favorable results
for Japan herself."
I:
"I can make no definite statement as I am not aware of any concrete
intentions of Japan. Is Your Excellency indicating that a state of actual war
is to be established between Germany and the United States?"
Ribbentrop:
"Roosevelt's a fanatic, so it is impossible to tell what he would
do."
Concerning
this point, in view of the fact that Ribbentrop has said in the past that the
United States would undoubtedly try to avoid meeting German troops*, and from
the tone of Hitler's recent speech as well as that of Ribbentrop's, I feel that
German attitude toward the United States is being considerably stiffened. There
are indications at present that Germany would not refuse to fight the United
States if necessary.
(Part 2)
2.
I made inquiries as to the future of the war against the Soviet Union.
Ribbentrop:
"The Fuehrer has stated that he is now determined to crush the Soviet
Union to an even greater extent than he had planned at first. He is now bent on
completely wiping out that state and went on to announce that practically all
of the main military objectives had been attained and that a greater part of
the German troops would shortly be brought back to Germany.
"Following
up those campaigns, the Caucasus campaign will be launched in earnest. Next
Spring Germany will advance to and cross the Ural Mountains and chase Stalin
deep into Siberia."
I:
"Approximately when do you expect that?"
Ribbentrop:
"The campaign will be launched in about May of next year, according to
present schedules."
I.
"According to what you say, Germany is apparently preparing to gamble
quite a bit in her Russian campaign. We hope that air connections between
Germany and Manchukuo can be established at an early time."
Ribbentrop:
"That is an item that Germany has been considering for some time. By
summer of next year I do not believe that air connection from the Ural area to
Manchukuo will be an impossibility."
3.
I then asked him about the campaign against England proper to which he replied
that before launching landing operations against England, Germany will probably
completely wipe out Britain's influence in the Near East, Africa, Gibraltar and
the Mediterranean Sea. I got the impression that more emphasis is being placed
on this area than heretofore. So, I asked whether it was Germany's intention to
conclude the war without attempting to go through with a campaign against
England.
Ribbentrop:
"Germany has, of course, made all necessary preparations for this
campaign. However, Germany is in receipt of intelligences which would seem to
indicate that all is not well within England herself. For example, we hear that
there is a split within the ranks of the Conservatives; that Churchill's
influence is on the wane; that Bevin, Chief of the Labor Party, is advocating
revolutionary measures. All of these are tending to make the preservation of
order there increasingly difficult.
"Of
course, I am not one to implicitly believe all of this. However, I am convinced
that things are getting bad in England. Under these circumstances, it may be
that Germany's various other campaigns may cause England to fall even without
our going through with our landing operations against England herself.
(Part 3)
"In
any event, Germany has absolutely no intention of entering into any peace with
England. We are determined to remove all British influence from Europe.
Therefore, at the end of this war, England will have no influence whatsoever,
in international affairs. The Island Empire of Britain may remain, but all of
her other possessions throughout the world will probably be divided three ways
by Germany, the United States, and Japan. In Africa, Germany will be satisfied
with, roughly, those parts which were formerly German colonies. Italy will be
given the greater share of the African colonies. Germany desires above all
else, to control European Russia."
4.
In conclusion, I said: "I am fully aware of the fact that Germany's war
campaign is progressing according to schedule smoothly. However, suppose that
Germany is faced with the situation of having not only Great Britain as an
actual enemy but also have all of those areas in which Britain has influence
and those countries which have been aiding Britain as actual enemies as well.
Under such circumstances, the war area will undergo considerable expansion, of
course. What is your opinion of the outcome of the war under such an
eventuality?"
Ribbentrop:
"We would like to end this war during next year. However, under certain
circumstances, it is possible that it will have to be continued on into the
following year.
"Should
Japan become engaged in a war against the United States Germany, of course,
would join the war immediately. There is absolutely no possibility of Germany's
entering into a separate peace with the United States under such circumstances.
The Fuehrer is determined on that point."
In
closing this conference, Foreign Minister Ribbentrop requested that the
contents of our talks be kept a strict secret. Please, therefore, exercise particular
caution in handling this message.
I
have shown copies of this message to the military and naval attaché's, Lt-Gen.
(Vice Adm.?) Nomura, and Maj-Gen (Rear Adm.?) Abe. Please show a copy to the
Army and Navy authorities in Tokyo, too.
(In
the last section of the first part of this message, we wrote * * * "the U.
S. would undoubtedly try to avoid meeting German troops" * * * That should
have read: "the U. S. would undoubtedly try to avoid war".)
25556
JD-1: 6942 (D) Navy Trans. 12-1-41 (7)
*See end of message.
(EXHIBITS
OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)