INTERNATIONAL PROSECUTION SECTION FRENCH DIVISION TOKYO, 30 September 1947 MEMORANDUM TO: Mr. P. LOPEZ, Associate Prosecutor for the Philippines FROM: R. ONETO, Associate Prosecutor for France Re: ITAGAKI, Def. doc. 2555 Defense document 1977, Sworn Deposition of SAWADA Shigeru I.The facts. On the 22nd of September 1940 (in the same time the Japanese Government was discussing an agreement with the French authorities) the Japanese Army invaded the Northern border of French Indo-China; severe fights took place with the French Army specially in Lang-son. Japanese airplanes bombed the harbor and the city of Haiphong. In the general opining statement, the defense contends that was a “local border incident.” The responsibility of these fights seems to be rejected on the chiefs of the South China Army or on the offers under their orders. II.The deposition of the witness SAWADA In order to exculpate ITAGAKI, General SAWADA, actually vice-chief of Staff, General Headquarters in Tokyo, states that the Army for South China was taken away from the command of the commander-in-chief of the China Expeditionary Force