MURDER AND TORTURE

Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1948, Page 5

MURDER AND TORTURE

(N.Z.P.A.—

-Reuter*

How 'Japanese Waged War Against Aliies '

Copyright)

Eeceived Tlmrsday, 7 p.m. TOKIO, Nov. 11. The Japanese war leaders conspired to g'o to war and so m&nipuiate 'dipioinatiG exehange-, that their military forces could attack the armed forees qf the United i States and Britain' before a warn- j ing could reach them, the Xnternational Tribunal declared today, The Emperor was informed of Japan's deeision on November 19, 1941. However, the deeision to wage war against the Western Powers was actually decided on Oetober 12 when Tojo insisted that there was no hope for a diplomatic success in' the Ameriean negotiations and Cabinet should mahe up their minds for war. Six days later Tojo speeded up The war plans. Atrocities were committed in all theatres of war on a scale so vast and on so common a pattern, that only one concliision was possible — gtrocit.ies were either secretly ordered or wilfully permitted by tlie Japanese (Tovernment or individual members thereof or by the leaders of the armed forces. From beginning to end the Japanese war lords flagrantly disregarded the rules of war designed to prevent inhumanity. Evidencerelating to atrocities established that torture, murder, rape and other cruelties of a most jnhuman and barbarous character, were freely practised by the Japanese Army and Navy. Rape of Nanking. Tlje Tribunal found that the worst singie event was the rape of Nanking. Jai^anese soldiers swarnied over the city like barbarian hordes to desecpate. It murdered, raped, looted and burned. Foi- tliis atrocity the Tribunal found Matsui guilty and also named Foreign Minister Hirota, War Vioe-Minister Umezu and Finance Minister Kaya, who were informed of the atrocity but took no act ion against Matsui. The Tribunal found that as the result of an instruction to the chiefs of war prisoner canips by Tojo, prisoners were constantly driven and beaten. Sick and wounded prisoners were prodded and Ihose suffering from mai nutrition foreed to labour upon inilitary work until they died from disease, "malnutrition and cxhtuistion. cs

Deliberate Policy. The Japanese Government did not abide by the provisions of the Geneva Convention but used it as a means to secure good treatment. for Japanese in Allied hands. The judgment declared: "The illtreatment of prisoners of war was a deliberate policy. Prisoners wero regarded as disgraced and entitled to live only . by the tolerance of their eaptors." NamingJforeign Minister Shigemitsu as having strongly denied in 1944 that the Japanese authorities used torture among war prisoners, the Tribunal said it had no evidence that any action was taken to stop torturing Allied war prisoners. An organised effort, following the instruction o'f the Japanese War Ministry, was madcto burn or other wise destroy all documents and other evidence oi: the ill-treatment of war prisoners and civilian internees. The Tribunal found Shigemitsu guilty of having given entirely t'alse reports on the condition of the prisoners on the Burma-Siam railwa-y. Shigemitsu claimed that the prisoners received m'edical aid whereas they had not received it and had been dying by thousands from beriberi, cholera, malaria and other tropical diseases.

- Principal Accusedi The principal accused concerned with the maltreatment of prisoners were Tojo, who formulated the policy, Shigemitsu and Togo, who endeavoured to conceal the atrocities from the Allied Powers, Muto and Sato who, as chiefs of the Military Affairs Burean, drafted orders and directives concerning prisoners, Matsui for Nanking, Doihara, Hata, Itagaki, Kuniura and Umezu who, as military eommanders, administered detention oamps, 'and Koiso, Chie-f of Staff of the Kwangtung Army. Iluinan FJesh Served at Meals. Sparing no detail of Japanese vivisection and cannihalism, the Tribunal said even officers of rank, a General and Rear- Admiral, took part. The flesh of murdered prisoners of soup made from such flesh, was served at meals of Japanese even when other food was available. "That is .to say, thjs horrible practiee was indulged in.

•from choiee aiid not of necessity," the Tribunal said, Inhumane illegal warfare at sea was waged by the Japanese Navy in 1948 apd 1944 and the surviving passengers and crejv of tqr.pedoed shjps were murdered.