The Evening Star (December 5, 1945)
Keenan favors trial of Japs on U.S. soil
HONOLULU (AP) – Japanese war criminals should be tried on American soil, Joseph B. Keenan said yesterday en route to Tokyo to become Gen. MacArthur’s legal adviser for war crimes trials.
To the charge that the accused had violated precepts of international law by fomenting and encouraging war, he said, has been added the new charge that they specifically violated “the laws of the United States and treaties their governments made with the United States.”
“The alleged criminals have broken federal criminal laws and will be tried for violation of any treaty obligations or any settlements fixed by law between nations,” he said.
“In the past the United States has prosecuted all criminals extraditable, no matter where or when the laws were broken.”
That was as much as Mr. Keenan, former assistant to the attorney general, would say on the subject.
Mr. Keenan said it has not been decided whether Emperor Hirohito will be accused as a war criminal, a decision to be made by Gen. MacArthur.
Two C-54 transports are carrying his party of 40 to Tokyo from Washington. The party includes 20 prosecutors who formerly were high-ranking Army or Navy officers and lawyers; 18 girl secretaries from the Department of Justice, one liaison officer and one civilian investigator.