Reading Eagle (September 27, 1940)
JAPAN SIGNS NEW PACT WITH AXIS
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Action Seen as Warning To U.S. Against Joining Britain in Waging War
Three Great Military Powers Sign 10-Year Agreement For Mutual Assistance
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Berlin, Sept. 27 (AP) –
Germany, Italy and Japan welded a new totalitarian bloc today with a one-for-all and all-for-one pledge of aid against any new enemy entering either the European or China war – an implicit warning to the United States.
With Adolf Hitler as an onlooker, the Rome-Berlin Foreign Ministers and the Japanese Ambassador to Berlin signed a solemn ten-year military and economic treaty declaring the readiness of the three governments to join their 250,000,000 people as world-scale battle comrades.
Advance preparations for such an eventuality were written into the treaty by an immediate undertaking for joint technical consultations by representatives of the three powers.
Divide Spheres of Influence
The three powers formally divided spheres of world influence, Japan being recognized as the leader in founding a “new order in Greater East Asia” and Germany and Italy for “establishment of a new order in Europe.”
The three powers affirmed that the terms in no way affect the political status of any one of them as regards Soviet Russia. Germany, with her Russian non-aggression pact, is the closest of the three to the U.S.S.R.
The pact brings together the original membership of the anti-Comintern accord, but goes infinitely further than the old agreement to exchange information for curbing activities of international Communists.
As for their world front, the Tokyo-Berlin-Rome signatories pledge “to assist one another with all political, economic and military means when one of the three contracting powers is attacked by a power not at present involved in the European war or in the Chinese-Japanese conflict.”
That was the kernel of the pact.
Rome Issues Warning
Fascist authorities in Rome indicated plainly that the pact meant a united front against any attempt by the United States to interfere with them in any territory they consider their “living space.”
Spain, herself apparently ready to cast her lot with these three mightier nations, rejoiced in her press at Japan’s signing on the dotted line and typical of the comment was this:
The United States faces the alternative of renouncing its plans or of intervening immediately against the new totalitarian allies without awaiting execution of its grandiose rearmament program.
One newspaper cautioned “Uncle Sam” against aiding Britain.
Pacific Maneuver Seen
To neutral observers the most obvious effect of the treaty was to insure that should the United States enter the war, she would be immediately engaged in the Pacific – with a fleet so big that she would be unable to come to Britain’s aid in the Atlantic or Mediterranean (the Japanese Navy is the world’s third largest, almost equal to the German and Italian Navies combined).
While no particular nation was mentioned, it was clear to the whole audience at the palatial chancellery for the signing ceremony that the pact was intended as a warning to America. The audience consisted of some 200 newspapermen, as well as representatives of the German government and the Italian and Japanese embassies.
The scene of the pact signing was one already familiar to foreign correspondents – the big gilded “hall of ambassadors” in the new chancellery. Two huge crystal candelabra cast a festive light on the state ceremonies.
Hitler Watches Ceremony
At the farther end of the hall, next to the door to offices of the cabinet and Fuehrer Hitler, stood a long table with microphones and three leather armchairs – the center one for German Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop, the one to his right for Italian Foreign Minister Ciano, and the one to his left for Saburō Kurusu, Japanese Ambassador to Germany.
Bemedaled and uniformed military and diplomatic representatives ranked back of the chair formed an impressive background for signature of the far-reaching agreement. The ceremony of signature began at 2:15 p.m. (7:15 a.m. EDT).
Two minutes later, the door to the right of the long table opened again and the major domo struck the floor thrice with his heavy mace and then Hitler, his face pale and serious, entered.
Von Ribbentrop met him at the door, saluted and said:
My Fuehrer, I report the signing of the German-Italian-Japanese pact.
Hitler was wearing his field gray party uniform. Quietly someone slipped a fourth chair up to the council table and the Fuehrer sat there, after shaking hands with the three statesmen. Then he motioned to Von Ribbentrop to read the declaration.
It was Von Ribbentrop’s subsequent commentary which elaborated on the potential war union of 250,000,000 people on two sides of the earth. On this he said:
Make Veiled Threat
Any state, should it harbor the intention of mixing in the final phase of the solution of these problems in Europe or eastern Asia or attacking one state signatory to this three-power pact, will have to take on the entire concentrated might of three nations with more than 250,000,000 inhabitants.
While Von Ribbentrop spoke, Hitler for the most part stared at the ceiling , occasionally wringing his folded hands. When Von Ribbentrop had finished, Hitler turned with a smile to Count Ciano on his right, motioning to him to read his statement.
Ciano snapped to the Fascist salute and then slowly read his declaration. Hitler watched Ciano intently, resting his chin on his left hand.
When Ciano had finished, Hitler shook hands with him and motioned to the Japanese envoy, Kurusu bowed and stepped to the microphone. The sing-song manner of the Ambassador’s speech – each of the three read in his native tongue – appeared to intrigue the Fuehrer. His eyes roved from his hands to the envoy’s earnest face and back again.
When the Japanese had finished, Hitler shook hands with both Ciano and Kurusu and left the hall.
Dieckhoff Is Present
In the chancellery audience was the German Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Hans Dieckhoff, who has been home since December 1938, ostensibly to report to the Fuehrer. Dieckhoff was in his natty blue diplomat’s uniform.
The new treaty was announced in one of the most pretentious ceremonies of the Nazi regime.
Ciano arrived by plane from Munich for the ceremony of signature. Fog held up his plane and delayed the ceremony an hour.
Von Ribbentrop described the pact as an “alliance of the three most powerful powers in the world.”
He said it was directed against “those warmongers in the world who are intending to continue and to spread this war.”
The German Foreign Minister said specifically of Soviet Russia:
The three powers have established that neither the existing relations with Russia nor the relations with Russia which are to be established are to be touched in any way.
Under the treaty Japan specifically agreed to leave European affairs in the hands of Germany and Italy, but equally important – and perhaps even more so in view of the fact that a greater portion of the British and French colonial possessions are in the Far East – the Axis Powers agreed to recognize Japan’s leadership in creating a “new order” in Asia.
Effective Immediately
The pact was to be effective immediately against all corners. Von Ribbentrop said, however, the intention of the signatory powers was to seek “peace and not war.”
The contractors will sincerely and gratefully appreciate the collaboration of any nation that wishes to aid them in the creation of a new order in Europe and the great Asiatic region.
Ciano said that the treaty:
…confirms by a solemn pledge of political, economic and military cooperation the communion of interest and aims existing between these three countries during recent years in which a new history of the world was being forged.
In the magnificent work of regeneration, out three nations have constantly encountered the same sinister and stubborn resistance, the same unwillingness to understand and the same hostility.
They all three had to breath in order to live, they all needed work for their sons and space for their peoples.
Purposes Reaffirmed
This breath, this space and this work has been refused them by those mighty empires who, having monopolized the resources of the world, intended to deny to three nations those elementary and vital requirements which are their most crying need.
These three powers have no intention of challenging or threatening anyone.
Their pact, as confirmed by today’s treaty, aims at preventing any unnecessary extension of the present conflict and represents, together with the bloc ensuing from the union of military and civil forces of our three empires, an insurmountable rampart that will shatter every attempt to spread the conflict beyond the present confines.
The text of the pact was read to the assembled correspondents by Minister Schmidt, chief of the foreign press section.
Six Points Listed
The six points were:
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Japan recognizes and respects Germany’s and Italy’s leadership in creating a new order in Europe.
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Germany and Italy recognize and respect Japan’s leadership in creation of a new order in the great Asiatic region.
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Japan, Germany, and Italy agree to cooperate in their efforts on aforesaid lines. They further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if one of the Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Japanese-Chinese conflict.
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Technical commissions will be set up and will assemble immediately, to which Germany, Italy and Japan will delegate members.
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Germany, Italy and Japan declare that the above agreement in no way touches upon the political status of any agreements concluded between the three powers and Soviet Russia.
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The newly concluded pact takes effect immediately it is concluded for a period of ten years and can be renewed.
TEXT OF ACCORD SIGNED IN BERLIN BY AXIS LEADERS
Berlin, Sept. 27 (AP) –
The following is the official English translation of the treaty of Berlin signed today:
The Governments of Japan, Germany, and Italy consider it as the condition precedent of any lasting peace that all nations in the world be given each its own proper place, have decided to stand by and co-operate with one another in their efforts in Greater East Asia and the regions of Europe respectively wherein it is their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things, calculated to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned. It is, furthermore, the desire of the three Governments to extend cooperation to nations in other spheres of the world that are inclined to direct their efforts along lines similar to their own for the purpose of realizing their ultimate object, world peace. Accordingly, the Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe.ARTICLE 2
Germany and Italy recognize and respect the leadership of Japan in the establishment of a new order in Greater East Asia.ARTICLE 3
Japan, Germany, and Italy agree to cooperate in their efforts on aforesaid lines. They further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if one of the Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Japanese-Chinese conflict.ARTICLE 4
With a view to implementing the present pact, joint technical commissions, to be appointed by the respective Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy, will meet without delay.ARTICLE 5
Japan, Germany and Italy affirm that the above agreement affects in no way the political status existing at present between each of the three Contracting Powers and Soviet Russia.ARTICLE 6
The present pact shall become valid immediately upon signature and shall remain in force ten years from the date on which it becomes effective. In due time, before the expiration of said term, the High Contracting Parties shall, at the request of any one of them, enter into negotiations for its renewal.In faith whereof, the undersigned duly authorized by their respective governments have signed this pact and have affixed hereto their signatures.
Done in triplicate at Berlin, the 27th day of September, 1940, in the 19th year of the fascist era, corresponding to the 27th day of the ninth month of the 15th year of Showa (the reign of Emperor Hirohito).