TOJO AND SIX OTHER JAP WAR LEADERS HANGED IN TOKYO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22827, 23 December 1948, Page 7

TOJO AND SIX OTHER JAP WAR LEADERS HANGED IN TOKYO

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) TOKYO, Dec. 23, Seven of Japan’s wartime leaders were hanged today. They were: — [ 1 General Hicleki Tojo, aged 64, ex-Prime Minister. General Kenji Doihara, aged 65. Commander 7th Army, Singapore, 1944-45. Kold Hirota, aged 70, former Foreign Minister. General Iwane Matsui, aged 70, C.-in-C., Central China Army, at time of rape of Nanking. General Akira Muto, aged 56, Chief of Staff in Philippines. General Seishiro Itagaki, aged 63, former War Minister, 7th Army Commander in Malaya, 1945.

General Keitaro Kimura, aged 60, C.-in-C., Army in Burma, 1944.

The hangings took place in Sugamo prison between one minute after midnight and 35 minutes after midnight today, Tokyo time.

International Military Tribunal of the Far East were hanged.” Reuter’s correspondent fays the American Army’s attempt to conduct the execution secretly was completely successful. The first word that that hangings had been carried out was that from General D. MacArthur’s headquarters. Watchers outside the prison received no indication that Tojo and his fellow conspirators had gone to the gallows A few hours before Tojo died his wife’s last letter to him was published in Tokyo. Mrs. Tojo said she was pleased to hear that her husband was in such a mental condition that he did not care whether he remained longer in the world. She added that no matter how hard the times would be, she would remember how happy they had been. Watchers outside the prison reported that witnesses for the execution arrived at 11.50 p.m. and left at 110 a.m. No other traffic entered or left the prison between those hours Two large canvas-covered Army trucks escorted by jeeps loaded with military police left Sugamo prison soon after 2 a.m. carrying the bodies of the executed war criminals. Scores of photographers rushed to take pictures as the trucks sped out. Two Japanese newspapermen who approached the prison gate when the convoy was leaving were arrested by military police The trucks reached Yokohama about an hour after leaving Sugamo. They went to the crematorium by a circuitousroute.

Newspaper men were not allowed to attend and only a small, unidentified group of military officials witnessed the hangings. Army Headquarters had previously announced that the bodies will be cremated. To prevent the enshrinement of the war criminals, their families will be denied their ashes. Who was the first to die and the order in which they were hanged was not indicated. It is possible that several were hanged at once because the executions were performed speedily. A Buddhist priest and two American chaplains were in the prison for the executions. The only details of the hangings, except for the official annoucement, came from the Buddhist firiest, Nobukatsu Hanayama, who gave he last rites of their faith to the executed men. Hanayama said that they went to their deaths “with minds as pure and cleansed of wordly cares as that of Buddha.’’ 1 He added: “They were utterly indifferent towards religion while they were in power, but their attitudes recently underwent a transformation.” The text of the official announcement said: "Between midnight and 1.35 a.m., December 23, 1948, all seven of the war criminals that were condemned by the