Jap War Trials To Be Delayed

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 280, 27 November 1945, Page 5

Jap War Trials To Be Delayed

CONSULTATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS WASHINGTON, Nov. 25. The War Department has issued a statement saying that, ‘‘because of the international aspects of the case against Tojo and other high Japanese officials who might be charged with planning and initiating a war of aggression, violation of treaties or conspiring for that purpose, General MacArthur has been instructed not to proceed with the prosecution of persons involved in them, since it is necessary to consult the other Governments concerned. These consultations are now being carried on and the prosecution will begin at the earliest possible moment. General MacArthur has been advised to proceed immediately with other cases involving violation of the laws of war and inhuman acts committed against civilian populations.” The Washington correspondent of the New York Times said that it is at present not known in Washington how many Japanese now in custody will be affected by the delay. Tojo’s trial was originally scheduled to start early in Decem>3r.

In Tokio, a retired rear-admiral, Katsugi Masaki, interviewed by the Associated Press, named prominent Japanese involved in the militarists’ rise to power, some of them including Tojo s former Advisor-General Teiichi Suzuki, not included in General MacArthur s list of war criminals. He said some of the generals became desperate in tne failure of the China war, knowing they would be punished if they lost. Hence they propelled Japan into the Pacific war. There were other factors, notably the feeling among Japanese that they were oppressed by the Western Powers, but the major cause of conflict was the intrigue by which Tojo and other army Fascist sought totalitarian power. Lieut.-General Manji Ishihara sought an alliance in 1936 with Italy and Germany because he knew Germany planned to attack Russia and he estimated that the Nazis would be ready in 1940, after which Japan would launch an assault from the east. However, Tojo wanted to avenge the Kwantimg Army’s defeat in Inner Mongolia and attacked China instead of Siberia, expecting an easy victory.