Page 269 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950

Question: As a bacteriological expert you knew what diseases the fleas could be infected
with?

Answer: Yes, I knew.

Question: Which?

Answer: Plague.

Question: Thus, the fleas bred in your branch and in other branches of Detachment 731
were intendedfor plague infection?

Answer: Yes, so it seems.

Question: Good. Tell the Court what Sub-Lieutenant Kamio was doing in your branch.

Answer: Sub-Lieutenant Kamio was Chief of the branch's Supply Division, but in view of
the shortage of cadres in the branch he also had to carry out the duties of chief of the group
engaged in trapping field rodents and engage in the breeding of white rats and mice.

At first there were 10 men in the squad. They received trapped field rodents from army
units and the civilian population, brought them to the branch, from where they were sent on
to the base of Detachment 731.

In addition to this, a special squad headed by Sub-Lieutenant Kamio engaged in the mass
trapping of field rodents in the town of Mutankiang. This squad consisted of about 10-14 or
15 men. In 1945 the squad was brought up to 30 men and the mass trapping of rats
intensified. Apart from this, a squad of five began the breeding of white rats and another
squad, also numbering five men—white mice. I do not recall the month. But the branch was
short of white mice and white rats at the time and 500 white mice and 500 white rats were
received from the Harbin Supply Division of Detachment 731 for mass breeding. This mass
breeding was started in the branch.

Question: Accused Onoue, when your soldiers were trapping field rodents were they
dressed in uniform or civilian clothes?

Answer: They were in workers' overalls.

Question: That is, in civilian clothes?

Answer: Yes.

After this work was started on the mass breeding of white rats and white mice and their
despatch to the headquarters of Detachment 731. I recall that 100 to 150 rats and 150 to 200
mice were despatched to the detachment's headquarters every month.

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