Commence Trial Of 400 Japs Accused Of Atrocities

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1945, Page 5

Commence Trial Of 400 Japs Accused Of Atrocities

(Rec. l.co p.m.) TOKIO, Dec. 19. The trials of about 400 Japanese accused of atrocities against prisoners of war were commenced today before an American military commission.

Among those indicted are Lieuten-ant-General Masaharu Homma. He will be charged, firstly, that between December 8, 1941, and August 15, 1942, when commander-in-chief in the Philippines, he failed to control his troops, permitting them to commit atrocities; and, secondly, that on May 6, 1942, he refused to grant quarter to American and Allied forces in Manila Bay after a white flag had been raised. These charges will be backed by 43 specifications in which Homma is alleged to be responsible for 80,735 known cases of killing and torture, and many others not listed. There are over 20,000 more crimes alleged against Homma than against Yamashita. WANTON BOMBING

The first specification accuses Homma of wantonly bombing Manila after it was declared an open city.

Homma will be tried under a directive from General MacArthur as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Yamashita was tried under a directive by General MacArthur as Commander of the United States Army

Forces in the Pacific. This enabled him to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Homma’s trial thus ostensibly is a United Nations affair and outside the jurisdiction of any domestic civil Court.

By deposition, General Wainwright will be one of the principal witnesses against Homma, to whom he was forced to surrender, but to whom he was unbowed, even as a captive.

Homma, who pleaded not guilty to many charges, including the Bataan death march, was ordered to report for trial on January 3, despite counsel’s protest that it would, take at least a mopth to prepare the defence, as many witnesses were in Japan, Korea and China. It is expected that the trial will be concluded in about three weeks, since the court will not encounter translation difficulties, which slowed Yamashita’s trial.

Homma speaks fluent English as a result of long service as Japanese military attache in England. FORMER PRISONERS’ EVIDENCE The bulk of the evidence will comprise statements made by former prisoners of the Japanese. Almost the only spoken testimony will be that given by doctors who later examined these men.

The prosecution has announced that death penalties will be demanded because of the seriousness of the crimes.

When the Court opened today. Colonel Joseph Hall, who was captured in the Philippines and spent three years as a. prisoner, was relieved of his duties as a member of the commission, following a submission by counsel for the defence that, he was not fit to judge impartially. Asked if he had ever been beaten, Colonel Hall replied: “Cften.” Asked if he ever received kind treatment, he replied: “Never.” TORTURED PRISONERS Laying the pattern for the trials was the first case, in which Tatsua Tsuchiya, prison guard, was accused of beating prisoners to death with knotted ropes and torturing others. He pleaded not guilty. He sat impassively as interpreters related how he and other guards tortured prisoners and. stole food from others, also compelled British and Americans to line up and slap each other’s faces while the guards looked on and laughed. The prosecution introduced copies of letters between the former Secretary for. State (Mr Cordell Hull) and the Japanese Government, agreeing that the United States and Japan would abide by the 1929 Geneva Convention in handling prisoners of war.