Page 227 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

Question: Did you share the views of Ishii Shiro?

Answer: Yes, I agreed with him as regards the necessity for such researches.

Question: Did you support the nomination of Ishii Shiro to the post of Chief of the
detachment?

Answer: I did.

Question: By the way, you were a bacteriologist by speciality?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Will you tell us in greater detail what you know about Ishii Shiro? In particular,
tell us which highplaced persons in the Japanese Ministry for War and the Japanese General
Staff shared and supported his views regarding preparations for bacteriological warfare.

Answer: In 1931, after his return from Europe, Ishii Shiro taught at the Army Medical
Academy in Tokyo. He began to say that the most powerful states were preparing for
bacteriological warfare, and that if Japan did not do the same, she would in the future find
herself in serious difficulties. I heard that Ishii was telling responsible leading officials of, the
Japanese Ministry for War and General Staff that, from the operations and strategical
standpoint, the bacteriological weapon was very useful as a weapon of attack.

Question: And which of the leading officials of the General Staff and in the Ministry for
War supported and shared Ishii's views?

Answer: As far as I know, his most active supporter was Lieutenant General Nagata, who
was later Chief of the Military Affairs Department of the Ministry for War.

Question: And what about Colonel Suzuki, Chief of the 1st Section of the Strategical
Division of the General Staff.

Answer: As to Colonel Suzuki, I know that he agreed with Ishii. That General Nagata was
Ishii's most active supporter is borne out by the following fact. In Ishii's study in his
laboratory at Pingfan Station there stood a bust of General Nagata. Ishii was so grateful to
him, that he always kept his bust about him.

Question: To sum up your own personal participation in the formation of Detachment 731,
would it be correct to say that, as Chief of the Sanitary Division of the Medical
Administration of the Japanese Ministry for War, you took a direct part in the organization
and formation of Detachment 731, and at any rate, agreed to and supported the appointment
of Ishii Shiro as Chief of the detachment?

Answer: That is correct.

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