TOGO NOW IN GAOL PRISONERS DROWNED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 259, 1 October 1945, Page 5

TOGO NOW IN GAOL

PRISONERS DROWNED

TO BE TRIED BY ALLIES.

TOJO RECOVERING WELL. ■ . . LONDON, Sept. 30.,.

Shigenori Togo, Foreign Minister in General Hideki Tojo's Cabinet at the start of the Pacific war, is now in a prison cell awaiting trial as a war criminal. He has had a fortnight's grace because of illhealth,

Tojo himself, who failed in his attempt at suicide, is reported in a Press Association message to have recovered sufficiently to wjjlk round his hospital room. He will soon be transferred to gaol.

The Minister of Justice (Chuzo Iwata) told the Domei News Agency that the Japanese Government was taking more direct action in arresting suspected war criminals. He did not specifiy what steps were- contemplated. The Government, he added, should arrest all war criminals because their acts came under Japan's criminal code. More than 30 Japanese officers on the administration staff of prison camps in Siam were identified on Friday as perpetrators of atrocities or as responsible for maladministration resulting in thousands of deaths ol British, Australian and Dutch persons. Former prisoners made the identification.

In the first sifting, all the arrested suspects, among whom were 50 Japanese held near Bangkok, were viewed in a line up by six selected groups of prisoners. Accusations ranged from withholding food and medical supplies to actual killings. Three lists were drawn up during the sifting: A black list for definite charges,' a white list for those identified ,as consistently humane and helpful to prisoners, and a third list for unidentified persons or those against whom there were no specific charges. Major R. C. Leming, a former prisoner, who before the' war was a judge of the Siamese Court of Appeals, is now directing the sifting procedure. He said that only those against whom there were probable charges would be detained. Former prisoners would remain at Bangkok to testify at the trials.

The British War Secretary (Mr Lawson). speaking to the Press at Singapore, said that Britain would see justice meted out to Japanese war criminals, "even if they were of the most exalted status."

"Though I have heard a good deal about the cruelties practised," he said "the facts come as a shock when vou' meet the persons concerned. ' Punishment of the guilty would be as expeditions as possible, he added.