Evening star., 1946-06-27
Motsuoko, Ex-Foreign Minister
Who Forged Jop-Axis Tie, Dies
WorCrimes Defendant
Regrets mobility
To Complete Defense
BY ths Associated Press

- - "is NssoItoIeO FFess
TOKYO, June 27.-Yosuke Matsu-
Okla, the onetime Foreign Minister
who formally linked Japan with the
Axis, died early today with great
regrets that he could not defend
himself in the International War
Crimes Court.
The disease wasted University of
Oregon graduate realized for days
that death was near, and frequently
told his eldest son, Kenichiro, that
he had many things to say to the
court-a defense that probably never
will be told in full. War crimes
charged against him were oficially
withdrawn after his death, which
cut the number of defendants in the
trial now in progress from So to 27.
tuberculosis, which brought his
death at 66 in unkempt odorous
Tokyo Imperial University Hospital,
first afflicted him in 1941 on his
return from Europe with a Soviet
neutrality pact. German Gestapo
Chief Alfred Meisinger said Matsu-
Okla obtained the treaty by revealing
to Stain Nazi plans for attacking
Russia.
1t was the high point of his career
for Matsuoka, who loved the lime
light and worshiped power. He
was removed from ONCE as Foreign
Minister in 194l. and sank quickly
into disease ridden obsority, his
health broken during the strenuous
months in power.
When Americans moved into Japan
last fall, he was living in a tiny
mountain lodge-his luxurious, for
eign-style home In Tokyo completely
gutted by firebombs.
He wrote no will, but left his
family a classic japanese poem
translated roughly as:
with no regret, no hate, down
the dark road do l go
Matsuoka. born of Samurai stock
in Ysmaguchi Prefecture, Western
Japan, on March 4, 1880, spent his
formative years on the American
Pacific Coast. He was 13 when he
arrived at Portland, Greg, TO enroll
in the Atkinson Public School
Thence he went to Oakland, Calf
for four years of high school: then
back North to the University of
Oregon Law School. from which he
graduated with honors in 1902
Nine years in the United States
fixed an indelible imprint on the
mind Of the young japanese. He
returned home-to enter the dip
lomatic service TWO years later
with knowledge he never lost OF
the faiths, sentiments and biblical
and literary phrases that stir Amer
lean hearts.
For three decades after 1902 he
followed varied career, diplomacy
business, politics, which brought
him eminence among his own people
and the beginnings of an interna-
tional reputation. Much of that
time he spent in Manchuria as di-
rector and vice president of the
South Manchuria Railway, the most
powerful nonmilitary organ of Jap
anese expansion on the Asiatic con-
tinent. Later, from 1885 to 1899. he
was its president.
Walked Out Of League.
AS head of the japanese dele
CATION at League Of Nations sessions
through the winter of 1928 he
conducted a dramatic rear-guard
oratorical campaign. The climax
came February ~, 1888, when Japan
confronted the full assembly. called
to vote on a report that censured
Japan for the seizure of Manchuria.
Eloquently and plausibly Matsuoka
defended his countryis course and
concluded. Il ask you not to adopt
this report"
Forty-three nations voted con-
demnation of Japan.
After the vote Matsuoka rose once
more. The Japanese government
are obliged to feel that they now
have reached the limit of their en-
deavors to cooperate with the
League OF Nations In regard to
China Japanese differences" he
said.
Then he gathered his papers from
the table, drew his stocky feet 4
tofits full lstature and strode from
ths cha hv- h;s s,,;}e "a