EVEN THE MIKADO MY NOT BE IMMUNE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 250, 22 October 1945, Page 5

EVEN THE MIKADO MY NOT BE IMMUNE

WAR GUILT INQUIRY Pacific Trials To Begin Within Few Weeks N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 12.30 p.m. TOKYO, Oct. 21. Not even members of the Imperial Household are immune from possible prosecution for war guilt, said Colonel Avila Carpenter, General Mac Arthur's chief legal officer. This statement was made in reply to a question at a Press conference whether Emperor Hh'ohito might be tried. Colonel Carpenter said that the Mikado had not been investigated as an individual, but he added that if the examination of State papers leads the trail to the Imperial Household it will be followed nonetheless. Colonel Carpenter declined to say whether members of the present Cabinet were on the huge list of war criminals, which already totals 2000, and may reach 4000. Colonel Carpenter reported that 500 Japanese were in custody as suspected war criminals. The first atrocity trials in Japan would begin soon. They would be held in the largest suitable places, enabling as many Japanese as possible to attend. The New Delhi radio says the major war criminals to be tried are reported to include the former Premier, Tojo, who shot and wounded himself when about to be arrested, and the former Foreign Minister, Togo, who is recovering from heart trouble. Trials of the Pacific war criminals will begin in Tokyo and Manila within a few weeks, a later message states. The list of criminals runs into thousands, and the trials will go on for at least two years. The Americans have already handed over the Japanese who were responsible for the ill-treatment of Indians*