FOUR YEARS IN QUEST OF TOKYO WAR CRIMINALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23321, 2 August 1950, Page 8

FOUR YEARS IN QUEST OF TOKYO WAR CRIMINALS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. August 1. Home yesterday after four years in Japan tracking down war criminals, Captain J. G. Godwin would like to be off to "have a look at what is going on in Korea.” Captain Godwin stated this in an interview on his arrival in the Wanganella from Sydney. Himself a war-prisoner of the Japanese for 18 months. Captain Godwin gave evidence at nine trials of Japanese war criminals at Yokohama, Hong Kong, and Manus Island. He was formerly a Fleet Air Arm ui’ot. He re-enlisted in the Army when the J Force was recruited and later ioined the legal section at General MacArthur’s headquarters. Tokyo, being attached to the Australian war crimes section.

As far as he knows New Zealand look no individual part in the postwar pursuit of war criminals, except for being represented at the Tokyo international war crimes tribunal which tried the Japanese leaders. “Lot to be Dug up”

“There was a lot to be dug up,” said Captain Godwin, speaking of his work on the investigation and compilation of evidence against suspected war criminals. He investigated crimes in the Solomons. Bougainville. Dutch New Guinea. Burma and Malaya.

Former officers of the Japanese regular army, jealous of the army’s reputa tion. were specially difficult to interrogate satisfactorily, he said. Of the Japanese servicemen. Captain Godwin said; “They fully knew that what they were doing was illegal in the eyes of humanity and contrary to international law. This was proved bv the pains thev went to after the war to hide the atrocities. They got together among themselves and arranged this.” Lies and perjurv made the investigators' wo'-k hard he said. After four years in Japan, Captain Godwin saw no renentance among the Japanese militarists for anything committed in their name, but only regret at having lost tiie war.