Page 101 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

WITH ACCUSED KAJITSUKA

December 8. 1949 City of Khabarovsk

Question to witness Matsumura: Tell us what you know about the reports made by the
Chief of Detachment 731 to the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army at which
Kajitsuka was present.

Answer: At the end of 1944, the Chief of Detachment 731, Kitano, made a report in the
office of the Commanderin-Chief of the Kwantung Army. Kitano reported on the methods of
employing plague-infected fleas as a bacteriological weapon. Present during this report were:
the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army Yamada, Chief of Staff Kasahara Yukio, his
deputy Ikeda, the Chief of the Medical Administration Kajitsuka, I, staff officer Lieutenant
Colonel Miyata (Prince Takeda), Kitano, who made the report, and an officer who
accompanied him whose name I do not know.

This was a secret conference. I remember that after this conference the written text of
Kitano's report was sent to the Operations Division, where it was subsequently kept. Yamada
approved the method proposed by Kitano of employing plague-infected fleas as a
bacteriological weapon.

... After Kitano made his report, all those present at the conference went to see a cinema
film which Kitano had brought. This film demonstrated the employment of the
bacteriological weapon. I did not see this film because, just as I reached the hall where it was
to be demonstrated, I was called to the Operations Division.. ..

Matsumura

INTERROGATORS

Lieutenant Colonel of the Office of the Ministry

of Jurisprudence KACHAN for Internal Affairs

for the Khabarovsk Territory, Lieutenant Colonel PAPKOV

Interpreter BOLKHOVITINOV

RECORD OF INTERROGATION
OF THE WITNESS IIJIMA YOSHIO

October 20, 1949 City of Khabarovsk

101