on the Pacific while the negotiations were going
on, appeared in Guaymas. Their captains reported to the Nippon Suisan
Kaisha, a fishing company with headquarters in Guaymas. Eighty per
cent of this company's stock is owned by the Japanese Government.

Each ship is equipped with large fish bins which can easily be turned
into munition carriers, each has powerful short-wave sending and
receiving sets; and each has extraordinarily long cruising powers
ranging from three to six thousand miles. These boats do not do much
fishing. They confine themselves to "exploring," which includes the
taking of soundings of harbors, especially Magdalena Bay. Apparently
the explorers want to know how deep the fish can swim and whether
there are any rocks or ledges in their way.

That Germany, Japan and Italy are not working toward peaceful ends in
Mexico is slowly dawning upon the Mexican Government. Influential
government and trade-union leaders have repeatedly shown their dislike
of Nazism and fascism and have urged propaganda against them.

On the morning of October 5, 1937, Freiherr Riedt von Collenberg, Nazi
minister to Mexico, telephoned the Japanese and Italian ministers to
suggest a joint meeting to discuss steps to counteract the attacks on
fascism and their countries. The Japanese minister, Sacchiro Koshda,
suave and skilled in such matters, thought it would not be wise to
meet in any of the legations. The Italian minister suggested the
offices of the Italian Union on San Cosne Avenue.

At half past one in the afternoon of October 7, the ministers arrived,
each in a taxi instead of the legation car which carries a conspicuous
diplomatic license plate. At this secret meeting which lasted until
after four, they concluded that it would be unwise for them personally
to take any steps to counteract the anti-fascist activities--that it
would be wiser to work indirectly through fascist organizations like
the Confederation of the Middle Class and its associated bodies. A few
days earlier each minister had received a letter from several
organizations allied with the Confederation of the Middle Class. It
was an offer to help the Berlin-Tokyo-Rome combination. A free
translation of the passage which the ministers discussed (from the
letter received by the Japanese minister which I now have) follows:

"We, exactly like the representatives of the three powers, love our
Fatherland and are disposed to any sacrifice to prevent the
int