DEFENCE COUNSEL OPENS CASE FOR THE JAP WAR LEADERS

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 February 1947, Page 5

DEFENCE COUNSEL OPENS CASE FOR THE JAP WAR LEADERS

Recd. 7 p.m. Tokio, Feb. 24 Japan was pictured to the International War Crimes Tribunal as a nation whose motives were misunderstood and whose leaders were patriots without a thought that their surrender would lead to their trial as war criminals. These views were submitted by Dr. Ichiro Kiyose, counsel for Tojo, opening the defence of 26 Japanese accused at the resumption of the trial after three weeks’ recess, which followed the completion of the case lor the prosecution. Kiyose, who is recognised as Japan’s leading authority on criminal law, declared that evidence would be introduced to show that the attack on Pearl Harbour was provoked by Japan’s encirclement by the Allied Powers, aid American embargoes, which iorced Japan to act in self-defence. The defence would also attempt to show that President Roosevelt, on reading Japan’s final note on December 6, 1941, commented "This means war, and that American policy had already been placed in the hands of the armed forces.

Referring to Japan's failure to declare war before launching the Pearl Harbour attack, Kiyose said that evidence would show that this was due to unexpected clerical difficulties at the Japanese Embassy, which resulted in a Note to Washington not being ready until 20 minutes after the opening of hostilities. The then Secretary of State (Mr. Cordell Hull) hail then kept Ambassador Nomura waiting another 35 minutes. Kiyose admitted that the Japanese atrocities claimed in evidence would show that the accused were not responsible.