Evening star., 1945-12-03
jap Prince Denies War Role,
Admits He Didn't Oppose 1t
Nushimoto Believed
Held for Connection
With Military Groups
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
TOKYO, Dec. 3.-A bewildered old
man with 10th century mustachios
stood amid the bomb-charred ruins
Of his imperial mansion today and
professed ignorance as to why he
was the first member of the Japa-
nese imperial household named as
a suspected war criminal
Il have no idea why I was named
and it was very much a surprise to
me-" Imperial Prince Morimasa
Nashimoto said in his first inter-
view with foreign spaperman.
Almost as he vas speaking For
eign Minister Shigeru Yoshida sub
mitted a formal Japanese govern
ment request to Allied headquarters
asking for a reprieve' for the aged
prince, whose arrest along with 58
other suspects was ordered earlier
in the day.
Standing stiffiy in his garden, the
n-year-old Nashimoto described
himself as a field marshal without
a command, a prince without infiu-
ence and Shinto ritualist with lit
tie to do.
Never Consulted, He Says.
Il had nothing whatsoever to do
with the war and nobody ever con-
suited me on political affairs" Ma
shimoto said. Il didn't actively op-
pose 1t, but you can imagine how I
felt. can imagine what you
think OF wartime Premier Hideki)
TOTO and I feel the same way"
The prince declared he retired
from direct participation in mill
tary affairs In 1932-"not in oppo-
sitlon to the Manchurian incident
but because Of i'll health" Since
then he has served on the Board of
MaIshals, which functioned infre-
quently when the Emperor asked its
advice on military matters.
Foreign Minister Yoshida noti-
fed me a short time ago about the
war criminal list" Nashimoto said
He thought maybe would be
named because of my connection
with several societies"
The societies, he added. included
honorary chairmanships in organ
izations for the military arts-such
as sports taught IN schools-and for
training airplane glider pilots for
air raid defense.
But I was only an honorary
chairman, the real work was done
by someone else" he explained.
The prince paused and said: "Let's
see what else have done"
Then he looked up solemnly and
added: Nothing"
Hata Accepts Responsibility.
One Jap militarist just arrested
Field Marshal Shnroku Hata, proud
and unapologetic. said today Il will
take responsibility for all opera.
tions" while commander in chief oi
Japanese forces in China.
Declaring 1t was no shock to finc
his name on the new list of Japa.
nese war leaders ordered arrested b,
Gen. Macarthur, the 66-year-olc
chief aide de camp to the Emperor
told the Associated Press:
Il expected it. I feel the respon.
sibility of the war"
Hata offered no defense for 9
career which reached a bloody eli.
max when he led japanese troops
into Shanghai in 1898 and com.
manded all japanese forces In
China until December, 1s43.
He disclosed that the Japanese
were preparing for American land
lngs on the coast as China as fal
back as September, 1914. An invad.
ing force could have walked in al
most any time up to the surrender
Hata said, for although over 1.0O0,-
900 japanese soldiers were In China
there was only one regiment and
half of brigade-5,0O 900 men in all
deployed along the expected Ameri-
can beachhead.