JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 49, 7 December 1948, Page 3

JAPANESE WAR CRIMINALS

APPEALS TO BE HEARD (Rec. 10.30) WASHINGTON, Dec. 6. The Supreme Court to-day granted a hearing to two Japanese war lords convicted as war criminals and sentenced to be hanged. The appeals were filed on November 29 on behalf of Doihara and Hirota challenging the legality of the Tokio trials. General MacArthur, meanwhile, has announced that the executions of the five other condemned leaders, as well as the two appellants, would be deferred pending the Supreme Court’s action. None of the other five has filed an appeal. The coui't also agreed to hear appeals by five other convicted .Japanese war lords who were given longterm prison sentences. Mr Justice Robert Jackson cast the vote that determined the court’s decision. He said lie had refrained from voting in similar appeals filed by Germans convicted in war trials because he had served as chief United States prosecutor at Nuremburg, but this time the court had split 4-4, so he had cast the deciding vote. Mr Justice Jackson said failure to hear the case would leave the United States open to the accusation that the Japanese were given less than justice —a charge that would be impressed on Oriental memories.