Evening star., 1946-01-03
Homma Certainly Saw
Bataan March Order,
Former Aide Declares
BY the Associated Press.

~ e~NS <ASSoSidtCu rIeSS.
MANILA, Jan. 3.-Japanese
1t. Gen. Masaharu Homma must
have seen orders for the brutal
death march" of Americans
and Filipinos from Bataan in
1912, but had "a very thin in
terest" in his captives, one of his
former staff officers testified as
Homma's war crimes trial
opened today.
The witness, Maj. Gen. Toshi-
mitsu Takatsu, said Hommas head
quarters on Bataan were less than
500 yards from. the death-march
route, and that Honma travelled 20
miles, down the highway while the
prisoners were driven mercilessly
along it.
Describing the death rate among
captives as 300 daily at the O'Don-
nell prison camp, Takatsu said ned
icines were mot sufficient" and II
think there was a lack of food.
which was mostly rice Also, there
was not much water" He said he
reported these conditions to HON.
mas headquarters but nothing was
done.
Refuses to. Elaborate.
His statement that Homma's in
terest in prisoners was very thin"
was quoted by prosecutors from an
earlier, written statement, and
Takatsu refused to elaborate. He
explained to Prosecution Questioner
1t. Benjamin F. Schwartz, U. S. N.
r., of Los Angeles, that he was
honor bound" not to speak badly OF
Homma in the latter's presence.
Defense counsel had objected that
many of the specifications filed
against Homma in his trial "for vio-
lations of the laws of humanity"
were vague, and the prosecutors IN
troduced additional details.
IN establishing widespread rap
ing and brutal mistreatment OF
American and Filipino women, they
said, they would offer proofs that
such actions, for which they blame
Homma, included the "inhuman"
treatment of an unnamed, married
American woman at the swank Ro-
sario apartments two days after the
fall of Manila. AS the result of
her treatment, they said. the woman
was sent to an asylum as insane.
Homma, the prosecution asserted,
was directly in charge OF all jap
enese forces in the Philippines at
the time.
Constitutional Rights Denied.
AS the trial opened, prosecutors
told the American military commits
sion hearing the case that Homma
has no rights under the American
constitution and is being tried for
violations of the laws of humanity"
1t. Paul w. White, Lincoln, Nebr.,
of the prosecution staff, said the
Japanese government has informed
the United States Army that Homma
is not entitled to be treated as a
lieutenant general. Although not
discharged dishonorably in the
western sense of The term, the
stopped and aged Homma is in
complete disgrace at home because
of his military failure in the Philip
pines in 1912, 1t. White explained.
Homma, with overpowerirlg num-
bers, required too long to conquer
Bataan and Corregidor to please
Tokyo and thus delayed Japan's
southwark advance.
i Await Supreme Court Action.
Homma's appearance in court in
a white suit instead OF In uniform
presumably is because Of this re-
ported disgrace.
Homma stared at his hands while
prosecution and defense attorneys
argued whether an American mill
tary commission has authority to
try him in a land where civil courts
exist.
Attorneys for both sides said in
formally that they are anxious for
the United States Supreme Court
to act on the appeal OF Gen. Tomo-
yuki Yamashita, recently convicted
of condoning uncounted horrors by
his troops and sentenced to be
hanged. The Yamashita trial, first
war crimes hearing in the Pacific,
set many precedents. Attorneys will
have to gauge their actions by the
S,,rreroe Courts rulings,
1t. White said the prosecution is
prepared to link Homma much more
closely with his troops crimes than
was the case in the Yamashita trial.
He said the prosecution has proof
that Homma's headquarters ordered
the execution of Chinese Consul
General Kwangson Young and his
staff.
Macarthur Fixes Rules.
1t. Schwartz, explaining the mill
tary commission setup, stated this
Is an executive session-not a court,
not a court-martial" - operating
under authority of Gen. MacAr-
thur as Allied commander.
1t. Col. Frank E. Meek of Cald-
well, Idaho, chief of the prosecu-
ton staff, replying to defense con-
tentions, argued that Gen. Mac
Arthur has power to set up a mill
tary commission to try war GRIM
inals under its own rules even in
peacetime.
He said the atrocities Homma is
accused of having ordered or con-
doned were committed in wartime,
and the commission rules were laid
down by the commander of Allied
forces while active hostilities were
in progress.
A.. ~