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Parent Individual Defendants - OKAWA
Date 30 December 1946
Language English
Collection Tavenner Papers & IMTFE Official Records
Box Box 3
Folder General Reports and Memoranda from December 1946
Repository University of Virginia Law Library
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS I. P. S. INTER OFFICE MEMORANDUM Subject: Individual Defendants – OKAWA From: Frank S. Tavenner, Jr. To: Douglas L. Waldorf Date: 30 December 1946 Serial 85-582 (OKAWA) is a confidential letter from C. I. S. regarding an article entitled “OKAWA Against Pacific War,” which apparently had been offered for publication by Mainichi Shimbun – on or about May 8, 1946 and the publication of which was prohibited by C. I. S. I am interested in the following paragraph taken from this article: “ I did not have any direct connection with the China Incident nor the War of Great East Asia. I was opposed to such violences. But with the Manchurian Incident as a start, the militaristic clique continued to enforce oppressive politics and finally because they plotted the infamous War of Great Asia, Japan and the Far East is continuing to suffer like this. Altho we will wait for the criticism of the future generations on the good or evil of our leading the Far East and Japan to their present condition by plotting the Manchurian Incident. I feel keenly the responsibility for leading Japan into an unexpected direction with the Manchurian Incident as the starting point. For the solution of the China affair and the war, I had always called for peace with China, and when I, who had always had contact with Chungking, approached Prime Minister Tojo for peace with China, Tojo said: ‘I wonder if the spirits of Yasukuni will be overjoyed?’ He laughed at my plan and refused to accept it. But I still did not lose hope and in order to carry out my responsibility I would gamble my life and work to the end for it.” The purpose of this communication is to request an investigation to determine who could testify as to the making of the quoted statement by OKAWA and having such person produced here at an early date for purpose of interrogation. In order for this information to be of any value to us it would be necessary for this interrogation to be conducted during this week. F. S. T., Jr.