Evening star., 1945-12-10
Macarthur Arrests
81 More Suspected
OF War Atrocities
By The Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
TOKYO, Dec. l0.-Continuine
his roundup of war criminal sus-
poets, Gen. Macarthur today
directed the arrest of 81 Japa-
nese accused of committing
atrocities against United Nations
nationals held in the Cabana-
tuan prison camp in the Phil
ippines, in prisons, camps and
hospitals in Japan proper and
on the prisoner-of-war ship
Oryoku Maru during the vessels
nightmarish voyage from the
Philippines to Japan.
Also ordered arrested were three
Japanese naval officers. including a
repatriate from Wake Island. Two
of them are being court -martialed
by the japanese.
New Suspects Small Fry"
The newest war criminal suspects
were considered small fry" in COM
parison with some of the japanese
arrested recently, but to American
and Allied prisoners of war they
ranked highest.
Included was 1t. Col. BANJO Mori
who commanded the Cabanatuan
prison camp from 1912 to 1914, and
Col. Gennosuke Mona, who directed
japanese gendarmerie in Hong Kong
from December, 1912, to February,
1o45.
Also named were a 1t Toshino
and a civilian interpreter known
only as Wada Both were aboard
the Oryoku Maru between Deem
ber, 1914, and January, l945, when
they were accused of atrocities.
Three Others Surrender.
Three japanese named on pre-
vious war criminal suspect lists sur
rendered today at Sugamo Prison.
They were Gen. Jinzaburo Mazaki,
once inspector general of military
education; Nagakage Okabe, who
was education minister in the cabi-
net of ex-Premier Hideki TOTO, and
Koichiro Ishigara. businessman.
American fears of an assasSina-
ton attempt against Mazaki-a pos
sible key witness against Tojo-
ended today when he surrendered.
Mazaki. who also faces war
crimes trial. has indicated through
a brother that among other teSti-
mony at his trial he will charge
TOTO and his cohorts plunged
Japan into the Pacific conflict pri-
marily to avoid the peoples wrath
for failure in the China war.
With Mazaki's incarceration, 1t
can be revealed reliably that Amer
ican authorities feared japanese
extremists might try to silence the
69-year-old general 1t was con-
sidered likely that impetus for such
a plot might come from recently
demobilized colonies and majors
who originally supported TOTO and
who actually ran the japanese War
Ministry after Tojo's cabinet fell.
Rice Riots Threatened.
Meanwhile, a warning from in
f1uential farmers that rice riots are
inevitable without stronger govern
ment agrarian policies conceded to-
day with Gen. MacArthur's second
blunt demand that Japan's feudal
land system be altered Immediately.
Fifteen farmer representatives
from Akita Province in Northeastern
Japan declared muddled govern
ment policies have produced such
lack of confidence that the rich To-
hoku district may sell only so per
cent of its rice crop to the govern
ment.
Gen. MacArthur's land directive
abolishes absentee land ownership
and provides that millions of farm
ers may buy land on long term at
low rates.
Crises Feared.
The measure threatens new
crisis for Premier Kijuro Shide-
hara's cabinet, which is on the verge
of collapse. Gen. MacArthurs' first
demand last month for agrarian re-
form resulted in lukewarm gov
ernment measure now before hesi-
tant diet. Today's directive cracks
the whip for prompt action on a
reform which the landowners are
opposing strongly.
The farmers warning of rice riots
followed their meeting with Prince
Higashi- former premier, in
which they asked that the Emperor
be invited to visit Tohoku prefecture
to "dispel the mental confusion now
existing among agricultural commu-
mites" They said only an imperial
visit would enable farmers to regain
their confidence and stability"
Their compatriots, the farmers
added, have lost confidence in the
Central Government and perfectural
authorities, and are refusing to sell
their rice. Without a full quota