War Criminal Court Stymied Major Says Ex-Prisoners Are Needed to Testify Chicago (AP) – An Army major back from testifying at the Japanese war crimes trials asserted here yesterday that unless more former prisoners return and testify it will result in “many war criminals who should be severely punished getting off with light sentences.” Major A. c. Tisdelle Jr. said that his testimony was largely responsible for the death penalties in two instances – including Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma’s. He returned to the United States three days after testifying at Manila and Yokohama. He asserted that members of the prosecution staff in the trials of Japanese charged with prison camp brutalities told him they were relying entirely on depositions and that they were proving unsatisfactory. Tisdelle said, “MacArthur is reluctant to order these former prisoners back to testify, but I feel that he would be willing to accept their voluntary offers.”