Evening star., 1945-12-03
Prince, Ex-Ministers
Among 50 High Japs
Ordered Arrested
By the Associated Press.


TOKYO. Dec. 3.-Gen. MacArthur's
newest directive yesterday ordering
the arrest Of 50 prominent Japanese
as war crimes suspects reached into
every strata Of Japanese society.
The new 'rogues gallery includes
one imperial price, an ex-president
of the Privy Council, two former
premiers and nine erstwhile cabinet
ministers. five prominent Industrial
Nts, militarists, bankers and news
paper executives.
These men are sandwiched into
the latest war criminal list among
some Of Japan's most influential
leaders-and sope whose presence
in this company is puzzling.
Seven Were in Thought Police.
The newest group reached deeply
into domestic totalitarianism. Seven
of the militarists once were top
men in the dreaded Kempeitai, or
thought police. Several were prom
inent in the Imperial Rule Assist
ance Association. Japan's first single
party. and its successors. The list
included:
Field Marshal Shunroku Hata,
former war minister who retired in
1910 and gave Dictator Hideki TOTO
his big chance by naming him as
his successor. Hata miraculously
escaped death by sitting out in an
AFRAID shelter the atomic bombing
Of Hiroshima.
Admiral Sankichi Takahashi, who
had served as commander in chief
of the combined feet and chief OF
the navy general staff.
Baron Kiichiro Hiranuma, former
premier and now president of the
Privy Council and senior elder states
man. Although known as a Japan
ese Fascist, he opposed the tripar-
tite pact with Germany and Italy.
1896 Pact Recalled.
Former Premier Koki Hirota, un-
der whose administration the Anti
Comintern Pact was signed in 1896
as substitute for the tripartite
pact.
Naoki Hoshino, who as chief cabi-
net secretary was instrumental in
applying Manchurian developed
controls to the japanese homeland.
Gen. Toshizo Nishio, former cam
mander in chief in China, who was
considered one of Tojo's closest mil
itary friends and advisers. ,..
1t. Gen. Saburo Ando, another
Manchurian general, who took over
the Home Ministry under TOTO to
enforce more strictly the repressive
laws in Japan.
Japan's diplomatic corps con.
tributed to the new list such figures
as Eiji Amau, longtime Foreign
Once spokesman and author of the
Amau statement of April, 1884, warn
ing other powers to keep hands of
China, and Masayuki Tani, who was
Foreign Minister in the TOTO cabinet
in 1912.
8 Peers Named.
Gen. MacArthur's list named eight
members of the House of Peers and
involved several so-called advisers to
various totalitarian political organi-
cations. The threat was plain, for
the list omitted several of the prin-
cipal spokesmen of those organiza-
tions, sor,.e of whom are now sitting
in the House of Representatives.
Although Gen. Macarthur de-
manded the arrest Of the man who
named TOTO War Minister, it ig-
nored, for the time being at least,
the man who selected him as Pre-
mier: Marquis Koichi KIDD, former
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.
1t tapped several more former
TOTO ministers on the shoulder, but
omitted one-time finance minister.
Sotaro Ishiwata, now Imperial
Household Minister.
But those exalted positions were
no protection, for the list named
Imperial Prince Nashimoto. pre-
sumably because of his position as
Lord Custodian Of the National
Shinto Shrines.
2he Diet. opening the second week
of its second extraordinary session
since the occupation, probably will
he colnred bv uor rosnopeihilifv