Page 106 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

In the beginning of 1944 I was promoted to the post of Deputy Chief of the Hogoin camp
and simultaneously director of the Information-Investigation Department. The function of the
Information-Investigation Department was to collect information about the economic,
political and military position of the U.S.S.R. and also to detect prisoners who were inclined
to escape, violators of camp regime and those who conducted anti-Japanese agitation among
the camp prisoners. Those who were hostile to Japan and also those who refused to submit to
the camp regime, I, with the consent of the Chief of the camp, lijima, sent to Detachment 731,
whither, at different times during 1945, about 40 Soviet citizens were sent.

In speaking of this I want to note that prisoners from the Hogoin camp began to be sent to
Detachment 731 in the beginning of 1942, i.e., before I was one of the directors of the camp.

Detachment 731 that I have mentioned was located on the outskirts of Harbin, in the
village of Heibo, 15-20 kilometres from the Hogoin camp.

I never visited Detachment 731; only once, in the autumn of 1944, did I drive past its
grounds, but was unable to see anything as the entire area was enclosed by a high, close
fence. At about 200 metres from the entrance to the detachment's premises there was a notice,
the actual wording of which I do not remember, but the gist of which was that entrance to the
detachment's premises was permitted only to those who had special permission from the
CommandepinChief of the Kwantung Army.

From a number of the members of the 2nd Division of the Harbin J.M.M., I do not
remember who in particular, I learned, as far back as 1942, that Detachment 731, or "the Ishii
Detachment, "as it was otherwise called, cultivated lethal bacteria and conducted experiments
to test the action of bacteria on living people, which no human organism could stand, and in
the end the man died.

Somewhat later, about the end of 1944 or beginning of 1945, having occasion to visit the
Harbin J.M.M., I learned from some of the leading members of the Mission staff, who, in
particular, I do not now remember, that Detachment 731 of the Kwantung Army
Headquarters cultivated lethal bacteria and produced poison gases for the purpose of striking
the enemy's army. Japan's enemy was the Soviet Union.

Question: What was the established order of sending Soviet citizens to Detachment 731?

Answer: In accordance with the written instructions of the Harbin J.M.M. signed by the
Chief of the Mission Major General Akikusa, members of the Information-Investigation
Department, with my consent, drew up lists in conformity with available incriminating
material; these lists were endorsed by the Chief of the camp, Major lijima, who affixed his
private seal. lijima took the aforesaid list and reported it to the Chief of the Mission Akikusa;
the latter always agreed with our opinion and sanctioned the despatch of the Soviet citizens
we had listed to Detachment 731 to be physically exterminated.

I do not remember the names of all the people sent to Detachment 731 for extermination. I
recall Demchenko, a soldier of the Soviet Army, who categorically refused to give any
information about the Soviet Union. Physical means of pressure were used on him with my

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