 On 19 June, Japan took advantage of the defeat of France and the impending armistice to present the Governor-General of Indochina, Georges Catroux, with a request, in fact an ultimatum, demanding the closure of all supply routes to China and the admission of a 40-man Japanese inspection team under General Issaku Nishihara.The Americans became aware of the true nature of the Japanese "request" through intelligence intercepts, since the Japanese had informed their German allies.Catroux initially responded by warning the Japanese that their unspecified "other measures" would be a breach of sovereignty.