Chapter 58 1. The turmoil in the selection of the defendant

In November 1943, after full preparations, the United States opened the prelude to the counterattack against Japan in the Gilbert Islands at the southern end of the central Pacific Ocean.The jumping battle for islands has won successive victories. In April 1945, the U.S. military captured Okinawa, the last barrier of the Japanese mainland.In May of this year, the European battlefield also achieved a decisive victory. With the defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany, the Second World War was drawing to a close, and the victory of the Allies was in sight. From September 17 to August 2, the heads of state and foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, and China held a meeting in Potsdam on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany, and issued the famous "Potsdam Proclamation", which solemnly and severely notified the fascist Imperial Japanese Government:

Immediately declare the unconditional surrender of all armed forces, with due and sufficient assurances that such action will be carried out in good faith.Otherwise, Japan is about to be quickly and completely destroyed. The "Potsdam Proclamation" sounded the death knell of the Japanese invaders. On August 6, the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb named "Little Boy" 10,000 meters above Hiroshima, Japan. With a deafening bang and a dazzling flash of light, a mushroom cloud rose into the sky, covering the whole of Hiroshima. Immediately shrouded in terrifying smoke and flames, the urban area was instantly turned into a scorching sea of ​​flames. Most of the buildings in the city were destroyed and razed to ruins. 78,150 people died on the spot.The huge and destructive power of the atomic bomb immediately caused shock and panic among the Japanese royal family and ruling group.

On the afternoon of August 8, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov summoned the Japanese ambassador to the Soviet Union, Naotake Sato, and handed him a declaration of war against Japan. Millions of Soviet Red Army crossed the Sino-Soviet border into the northeast of my country and launched a full-scale attack on the Japanese Kwantung Army.Panicked within the Japanese ruling class, successive imperial meetings were held, and finally decided to accept the policy of the "Potsdam Proclamation". At 12:00 noon on August 15, the emperor read out the imperial edict to all the Japanese people. After the solemn national anthem "Kim no Dai" was played, the emperor's heavy and mournful voice sounded on the radio:

Observing the general trend of the world and the status quo of the empire, I decided to take extraordinary measures to clean up the situation. The imperial government has been ordered to inform the governments of the United States, Britain, China, and the Soviet Union that our empire accepts the conditions of their joint declaration... On September 2, 1945, on the "Missouri" warship, Japanese representatives signed the instrument of surrender. On September 2, 1945, the American battleship "Missouri" moored in Tokyo Bay, Japan, an event of great historical significance in World War II, the signing ceremony of the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Empire was held here, and Allied Commander MacArthur solemnly announced : "Now that the world has returned to peace, let us pray for God to bless it forever!"

A week later, on September 9, the surrender ceremony of the Japanese army in the Chinese theater was solemnly held at the Chinese Army Military Academy in Nanjing. Neiji Okamura signed the surrender document on behalf of the Japan-China Expeditionary Force.The crazy and savage invader finally lowered his proud head.On the war-torn land of China, people are immersed in a joyous and high-spirited atmosphere. As MacArthur's big leather boots set foot on Japanese territory, the investigation and trial of Japanese war criminals by the headquarters of the allied forces stationed in Japan began.

On September 11, 1945, the Headquarters of the Allied Occupation Forces in Japan issued "Order No. 1" to arrest the war criminal Hideki Tojo.That afternoon, Major Klaus of the Allied Forces Headquarters led the American military police to Setagawa, a two-story residence of Hideki Tojo in the suburbs of Tokyo. When Klaus climbed to the second floor, he heard a gunshot. Joeiji shot himself in the left chest.After being rescued, Hideki Tojo survived, and history destined him to stay to accept justice and punishment. When the No. 1 war criminal was arrested, a reporter from the Associated Press interviewed Matsui Iwane. This heinous devil even said boldly: "As for me, I was appointed as the chief officer of the Shanghai Dispatch Army and the Central China Front Army during World War II. He commanded the Battle of Shanghai and the Battle of Nanjing, but according to the spirit of the "Potsdam Proclamation", this cannot be regarded as a 'war crime', so I have a clear conscience."

A week later, on September 19, the sword of justice finally pointed at this hypocritical devil. Matsui Iwane returned to Japan in the spring of 1938.At that time, although the Japanese military tried their best to block the news, the "Nanjing Massacre" tragedy was still disclosed in the newspapers through various channels, and the international public opinion was in an uproar, full of condemnation.In order to deceive others, the Japanese government had to make a decision to recall more than 80 people including Matsui Iwane and his subordinates. On February 17, 1938, Matsui Iwane completed the handover procedures with Yan Junliu, the new commander of the Central China Front Army in Shanghai. On the 21st, he returned to China with his staff and counselors on the cruiser "Tianlong". On the 25th, Matsui Iwane and his party arrived at the Sasebo Naval Port and received a warm, solemn and grand welcome. On the 26th, he rushed to Hayama Palace to accept the emperor's summons and reward.Afterwards, the Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister Lu and Prime Minister Marine successively hosted banquets to welcome him.

Matsui Iwane, as the chief culprit responsible for the biggest massacre in World War II, was not only not punished after returning to China, but also received a grand welcome and reward. While excited, the fascist demon wrote a poem to The emperor expressed his loyalty: After returning to China, Matsui Iwane, in order to hide his ugly face of being the culprit of the "Nanjing Massacre", built a "Wuwei Temple" on the halfway up Izu Mountain near Atami City. The blood came from the soil, mixed with the soil from Seto, Japan, and the national master of ceramic art, Kato Shunji, made a statue of "Xingya Guanyin" and enshrined it in the hall. Every day, together with his wife Fumiko Isobe, they climbed mountains with sticks, ate fast and prayed to Buddha.

However, no matter how he disguises himself, he is always murderous, and his nature is hard to change. On August 1, 1945, Matsui Iwane was deeply saddened by the news of Japan's defeat and surrender.In the evening, under the dim electric light, he took out a bottle of "pine, bamboo and plum" carved wine in great pain, poured a full glass while weeping, and drank it in one go.Then he took out the "Fengjie" saber given to him by the emperor with great anxiety, stroked it for a long time, slowly sprinkled wine on the saber, and cried bitterly while holding the saber.He probably feels infinite resentment for the beautiful dream that he will never have the chance to relive again in his life.

Skynet was restored, and the hypocritical demon finally fell into the French Open. Matsui Iwane was locked in the same room as Japanese fascist theorist Okawa Shuaki in Sugamo Prison.Okawa Shuming often had hysterical attacks and was noisy. Matsui Iwane was not only not angry, but after he calmed down, he would often teach him ancient Chinese poetry. There were as many as 100 Class A war criminal suspects in Sugamo Prison. At that time, the Far East Trial was almost controlled by the United States and the United Kingdom. No more than 20 people, and the rest can be listed as the second or third case for trial.Although Chinese prosecutors strongly opposed it, the effect was not obvious.Whether the trial of the second and third cases can proceed, and how long it will be delayed, no one is sure.Therefore, whether Matsui Iwane, the chief criminal of the "Nanjing Massacre" can be included in the trial of the first case has become a major issue of great concern to Chinese prosecutors.

On March 11, 1946, the meeting room of the Meiji Life Building in Tokyo. The Executive Committee of the Procuratorate of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East convened a meeting of all prosecutors here to discuss and determine the list of defendants to be included in the trial of the first case.Prosecutors participating in the meeting wanted to include war criminals who committed serious crimes against their own people in the first case for the sake of safeguarding their own national interests, so all of them looked serious and focused. After Chief Prosecutor Keenan announced the start of the discussion list, Hideki Tojo, the culprit of the Pearl Harbor incident, was the first to be brought up for discussion, and he was voted unanimously to top the list of Class A war criminal defendants. When Matsui Iwane was discussed, the Chinese prosecutor read the indictment to Zhe Jun, and then Keenan raised his voice and shouted: "Please provide conclusive testimony from Chinese witnesses!" Qin Dechun, Deputy Minister of Military and Political Affairs, was sent by the Chinese government to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East to provide testimony on the "Nanjing Massacre" incident.After Qin Dechun came to the meeting room and sat down, he took out the written testimony and read it very carefully. The Japanese army "killed and set fire, and did everything" in Nanjing. Before he could finish speaking, he was beaten by an American prosecutor. break: "Mr. Attorney General, the court is based on facts. Chinese witnesses are requested to present evidence of Japanese killing and arson." Keenan frowned slightly: "Qin Dechun, do you have any evidence or specific examples?" Qin Dechun was dumbfounded by the question. He looked at Jinan suspiciously, moved his mustache lips twice, and was speechless. There was chaos in the conference room. Some American prosecutors originally believed that the Far East trial should be conducted around the Pearl Harbor incident. Except for the war criminals in the Pearl Harbor incident, which should be severely punished, other Japanese war criminals could be dealt with lightly.Some people took the opportunity to make a fuss, and Qin Dechun had to retreat in embarrassment. The issue of Iwane Matsui, the chief culprit of the "Nanjing Massacre", being included in the first class-A war criminals trial list was thus shelved. Xiang Zhejun and his colleagues fell into deep pain.