Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Far East and Australasia, Volume VI

740.00116 PW/6–348

The Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Sebald) to the Secretary of State

restricted
No. 320

Tokyo, June 3, 1948.
[Received June 14.]

Sir: I have the honor to transmit the following information concerning the trials of alleged Japanese war criminals falling within the Class B and Class C categories as defined by paragraph I of the Far Eastern Commission policy decision of April 3, 1946¹ (FEC–077/7). This information has been obtained from both Allied and Japanese sources and is believed to be accurate.

As of April 30, 1948, 2,724 Japanese had been tried by Allied tribunals for alleged war crimes in the categories of Class B and Class C. Of these 2,284 were convicted and sentenced. The following table lists the various Allied nations which have tried Class B and Class C Japanese war criminal suspects and shows the number of Japanese tried and general categories of decisions reached:

	Number Tried	Number Convicted	Number Sentenced to Death	Prison Terms 10–25 yrs.	Prison Terms Over 25 yrs.
Australia	775	541	139	198	21
China	215	163	54	35	29
France	68	57	19	12	7
Netherlands	144	142	57	53	9
Philippines	15	12	7	3	2
U.S.S.R.	(No Information Available)
United Kingdom	611	550	187	142	46
U.S.A.	896	819	173	227	190
Totals	2,724	2,284	636	670	304

These statistics include trials by Allied nations in all parts of the Far East. For example, the figure 896, representing the number of Japanese tried by the United States, includes trials by United States military and naval courts in Japan, Guam, and Manila.

The figure given for Japanese convicted by United States military courts must also be revised somewhat in the light of the results of review by appropriate authorities. As of April 22, 1948, eighteen of the sentences imposed by United States military commissions in Japan have been reduced by Lt. General Robert L. Eichelberger, Commanding General of the United States Eighth Army, and 400 cases were still awaiting review. Four death sentences were commuted, three to life imprisonment and the other to thirty years hard labor; other prison terms were commuted and one three-year sentence was suspended.

It is believed that the figures given for several countries are somewhat lower than the actual figures because of delays in notification to this Headquarters of the results achieved. This is true particularly in the case of trials by Chinese and by Netherlands military courts.

Present plans call for conclusion of Class B and Class C trials by the end of 1948. Trials by the United Kingdom, which have been taking place in Singapore and Hongkong, have already come to an end. Many war criminal suspects are still being detained by other Allied nations, including the United States, but it is estimated that the program of trials will be substantially concluded by the end of this year.

It has been learned unofficially from officers of the Legal Section of this Headquarters that those Japanese who have been arrested and interned, many of them for nearly two years, in Sugamo Prison in Tokyo on suspicion of having committed war crimes in Class A, are now being re-examined with a view to returning indictments for commission of Class B crimes against those found liable; trial in Class B category will not necessitate invitation to other Far Eastern Commission nations to participate in the trials. It would appear unlikely, however, that trial of present Class A suspects who are finally indicted for alleged commission of Class B war crimes will terminate by the end of 1948.

Respectfully yours,

W. J. Sebald

1. See FEC 007/3, April 3, 1940, enclosure to letter from the Secretary General of the Far Eastern Commission, April 4, 1946, Foreign Relations, 1946, p. 424.