Wednesday, 13 October

Italy has declared war on Germany. Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union recognised the Badoglio Government as a war ally. The Italian Government proclaimed that when the war is over Italy would have a democratically elected government.

Swedish Minister Assarson asked Military Attaché Guo to tell me as follows.1) Satō visited Minister Assarson, and for the first time he expressed pessimism about Germany and said although he knew the Soviet Union was strong, he didn’t expect it was that strong. He also knew the German army would retreat, but didn’t expect it would retreat beyond the Dnieper River. According to the earlier estimation of Japanese military experts they thought that Germany could maintain its strength and could guard the West bank of the Dnieper River; but now it seems they are unable to guard it. So the military men’s observation was unreliable. 2) Satō received news from the Japanese Embassy in Berlin that the East line retreat of the German army was purely an order from the German military authority, and this fitted in with the report from the Swedish military Attaché from Germany. 3) Satō also said that the British and American airplanes’ bombardment of Germany have had a great effect and demoralised Germany’s fighting spirit. 4) Satō said that the news from Sweden that American planes bombarded Romanian oil fields has destroyed about 25% of the German oil supply. 5) Satō expressed his annoyance towards the Soviets, The Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Lozovsky, in particular. He said that no matter how big or how small a matter he could not talk to Lozovsky. For example in one instance Soviet reporters came to Manchuria without passports, Satō would like to talk to Lozovsky with regard to this matter but the Soviet Union didn’t send him any reply. So Satō thinks it is useless to remain here, and perhaps he will leave the Soviet Union and return to Japan.