The Evening Star (February 2, 1946)
Japanese government may join Allies in prosecuting Tojo
TOKYO (AP) – The Japanese government may join the Allied powers in accusing former Premier Hideki Tojo and others of its own former leaders of responsibility for the Pacific war.
Japanese officials tentatively are preparing such charges, it was reported today at Gen. MacArthur’s headquarters.
This would be in keeping with the surrender terms under which Japan agreed that stern justice must be meted to war criminals.
In the international war guilt trials, the Allied nations are the complaining parties. Should the Japanese government participate in the Tokyo trials, it would be only after approval by Gen. MacArthur and would be a distinct departure from the Nuernberg procedure.
The biggest question now, when the first top war crimes trial here will get underway, rests largely on the arrival of representatives of the nine Allied surrender signatories. Some are en route. Travel schedules of others are not known at headquarters. However, it is expected the first trial will get underway early in March.
The American prosecution staff, under Joseph B. Keenan, for 60 days has been gathering evidence against top war criminal suspects.
Investigators have questioned Tojo at length on numerous occasions.
It is understood that Eugene Ott, former German ambassador who came voluntarily from China to Tokyo, also has been questioned in detail by Mr. Keenan’s aides. He is expected to tell what he knows as the representative of an Axis partner about Japan’s entry into the war.