<Begin Segment 26>

MU: Can you tell us a little bit more about the details of the acquittals that you're talking about?

TM: Well, it was a matter of working hard to find evidence or witnesses who would support the defense. So we did work hard to find somebody and eventually -- of course, by asking a medical officer, the major general, but a lot of Japanese then were hesitant to show up. Because they thought maybe they'd get tried, too. But there was one good man who helped his case.

MU: Which case would that be?

TM: That, major general.

MU: Major general.

TM: I think he said the major general was away most of the time. And that he shouldn't be responsible. If anybody, he said, it was somebody in charge of the medical end of the business of that unit. But this man, major general was in a higher position and he shouldn't be held because it wasn't his policy. And he was a very gentle man and kind man, and so when a witness like that came and gave us affidavit, I think the judges believed him. So he was found not guilty. But we had to work hard.

MU: How about the other case?

TM: Well, the other case, too, we found witnesses that were favorable to this Kempeitai commandant. He was a full colonel, but we found a witness -- I forgot he was, whether he was this colonel's staff member or not -- but this witness said this commandant was a very kind person, very fair, and although the officers under him were not so, not so good, they were, mistreated and all that, but this man would never go for that. And in fact, from time to time, he used to give warning not to mistreat American prisoners. And so anyway, he was sentenced to only ten years, which is name only.

<End Segment 26> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.