Page 29 - MaterialsTrial-JapaneseArmy-1950
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bacteriological weapons had been completed, orders were received from the Ministry for War
               to  increase  the  output  of  bacteriological  weapons.  I,  accordingly,  took  all  the  measures
               necessary to carry out these orders.


                  I remember that in this connection I instructed the Chief of the 1st Operations Division
               Matsumura  to  take  measures  through  the  Strategical  Division  to  ensure  the  production  of
               various kinds of bacteria in conformity with the orders received. At the same time I ordered
               that Detachment 731 be supplied with the necessary number of specialist officers and with
               the necessary equipment.


                  With  reference  to  the  work  of  Detachment  100  in  preparing  to  conduct  bacteriological
               warfare, I must say that Detachment 100 was charged with the duty of carrying out sabotage
               measures, i.e., infecting pastures, cattle and water sources with epidemic germs. In this part
               of  its  work,  Detachment  100  was  closely  connected  with  the  Intelligence  Division  of  the
               Kwantung Army Headquarters. Bearing in mind the general function of Detachment 100, I
               knew that the detachment was conducting the necessary work in producing bacteriological
               weapons, and was also studying methods of employing them.


                  I did not, however, know how this work was proceeding practically, as all these questions
               were directly dealt with by the Intelligence Division under my command. In particular, I do
               not  remember  having  received  reports  about  the  bacteriological  reconnoitring  operations
               carried out in the districts of the North Khingan Province bordering on the 5oviet Union. I
               affirm that all this work was conducted by or-. der of Headquarters of the Kwantung Army
               and I do not deny responsibility for it, as these operations were conducted at the time that I
               was Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army. I do not deny that Detachment 100, the
               aims  and  objects  of  which  were  also  to  prepare  for  conducting  bacteriological  warfare,
               conducted  researches  to  devise  concrete  methods  of  carrying  out  sabotage  measures  and
               made active preparations to carry out this sabotage against the Soviet Union, which followed
               logically from its practical functions; but I was not fully informed about this part of its work.


                  With the object of testing the effectiveness of the bacteriological weapons produced by
               Detachment 731, the detachment performed experiments in using these weapons on human
               beings under laboratory conditions and also under field conditions approximating to combat
               conditions. Detachment 731 conducted the experiments under field conditions on a proving
               ground especially equipped for the purpose at Anta Station.


                  I learned about the experiments on living people from the reports submitted by Kitano and
               Tamura. Furthermore, I also learned from the cinema film I saw that experiments in testing
               the  action  of  bacteriological  weapons  were  performed  on  living  people.  From  the  report
               submitted to me by Kitano in November 1944 I learned that experiments on living people
               were being made in the proving ground at Anta Station. From the report submitted to me by
               Tamura in June 1945 I learned that experimentees were confined in a special prison under the
               charge of Detachment 731.


                  Experiments  on  living  people  were  sanctioned  by  my  predecessors  General  Umezu,  or
               Ueda.  On  this  point,  I  plead  guilty  to  the  fact  that,  knowing  that  experiments  were  being
               performed on living people, I permitted them and thereby virtually sanctioned the killing of
               Chinese,  Russians  and  Manchurians  who  were  sent  for  experimental  purposes  by  the

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