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"Herr Hitler," said the Colonel, "gradually became so heated in his conversation, and finally was so carried away, that it seemed he didn't know to whom he was talking. He pounded the table with his fist and exclaimed that England must be defeated. As Mr. Matsuoka is also a person who becomes heated in conversation, an interesting scene was revealed."
With Russia's Stalin the Foreign Minister had a different kind of time. After the Neutrality Pact was signed, Stalin brought out a reddish liquor and proposed a toast to the Emperor of Japan. Yosuke Matsuoka, who likes sake, took a look at the glass, drew himself to his full five feet two, and grasped the goblet like a man. "I will drink anything if it is for His Majesty the Emperor," said he, and emptied the goblet in a gulp. After that much liquor flowed, and soon both statesmen grew mellow. If their conversation seemed funny to U.S. citizens, it was not so to Japanese, who consider drinking exploits a credit to a statesman.
"Mr. Stalin," said Mr. Matsuoka, "the treaty has been made. I do not lie. If I lie, my head will be yours. If you lie, be sure I will come for your head."
"Mr. Matsuoka," said Mr. Stalin, "my head is important to my country. So is yours to your country. Let us use care to keep our heads on our shoulders."
"Let us drink to that," said Mr. Matsuoka.
"You are an Asiatic," said Mr. Stalin. "So am I."
"We are all Asiatics," said Mr. Matsuoka. "Let us drink to the health of the Asiatics."