Page 10 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

Criminal Experiments on Human Beings

Criminal and inhuman experiments on living people were the chief method used for testing
the action of bacteriological weapons, and they were practised systematically and on a mass
scale.

These criminal experiments were performed on Chinese patriots—fighters in the resistance
movement against the Japanese invaders—and Soviet citizens whom the Japanese.
Gendarmerie had doomed to painful death.

The preliminary investigation has established that the brutal killing of human beings by
criminal experiments upon them was practised by the Japanese bacteriological detachments
with the knowledge and consent of the Commander of the Kwantung Army.

The accused Yamada has admitted that he sanctioned the performance of experiments on
living people.

Yamada testified:

"I ... permitted them, and thereby virtually sanctioned the violent killing of Chinese,
Russians and Manchurians, who were sent for experimental purposes by the Kwantung
Gendarmerie and by the Japanese Military Missions which were subordinated to me. ..." (Vol.
18, p. 174.)

Witness Furuichi testified that experiments had been performed in infecting human beings
with typhoid. He said:

". . . It was about the beginning of 1943 that, on the orders of Tabei, Chief of the 1st
Division, I first took part in typhoid-infection experiments on people confined in the prison of
Detachment 731. I prepared one litre of sweetened water, which I infected with typhoid
germs. This litre I then mixed with more water, and this was administered to about 50
imprisoned Chinese, war prisoners, if I remember rightly, only some of whom had been
inoculated against typhoid." (Vol. 5, p. 308.) Questioned as to the activities of the 1st
Division of Detachment 731, accused Kawashima Kiyoshi said:

". . . Detachment 731 experimented widely in the action of all lethal bacteria on human
beings. For these purposes we used imprisoned Chinese patriots and Russians whom the
Japanese counterespionage service had condemned to extinction. ..." (Vol. 3, p. 59.)

". . . Detachment 731 had a special prison, where the persons designated for
experimentation were kept under a strict regime and in close isolation; for purposes of
secrecy, the detachment personnel usually referred to them as 'logs.'" (Vol. 3, p. 146.)

Inhuman experiments on living people were also performed under field conditions closely
approximating those of battle, at specially equipped proving grounds. The prisoners were tied
to iron stakes driven into the ground, and the action of various bacteria ammunition was

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