Chapter 65 fourth quarter

But once this incident was announced, the Japanese people were shocked to know that many Japanese officials were involved in Rastovorov's intelligence network.It was announced that the Japanese spies directly related to Rastovorov were the former aviation staff officer of the 35th Army of the Kwantung Army, Maj. Shiga Shoji (age 35), and several other personnel repatriated from the Soviet Union.The newspaper also published the speech of Fujii, chief of the Public Security Investigation Agency.Fujii said: "This is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are still a large number of spies hidden behind it, densely covered like spiders, implicating many Japanese."

After the ex-major Shiwei was repatriated from Siberia, he conducted various investigations on those repatriated from the Soviet Union at the Maizuru Repatriation and Relief Bureau.He told the visiting journalists that since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Security Investigation Department ordered him to swear never to reveal the content of the notes or express his feelings, he could not say anything and remained silent.In this way, ordinary people will not be able to know what kind of espionage activities the former major has carried out. However, on the night of August 19, the Third Division of the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Reimo Takamo (aged 51), an officer of the Second Economic Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from his home.According to the investigation, Gao Maoli had been in contact with Rastovorov since the 24th year of Showa. He received 30,000 to 50,000 won each time he was leaked information on the U.S. forces stationed in Japan and confidential matters concerning Japan-US relations, and received a total of 1 million won.The above situation was found to be true after investigation, so he was arrested and questioned for violating the "National Civil Servant Law".

It seems that shortly after Rastovorov's death and the former major Zhiwei surrendered, the public security authorities discovered Gao Maoli's leak to a certain extent, and then conducted an investigation in order to find evidence.Minister of Justice Ohara once said that regarding the "Rastovorov incident", in addition to the information jointly released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Security Investigation Agency, it was said that some private individuals were involved, and they are considering making an announcement soon. But then an unexpected event happened.At around 0:40 p.m. on August 28, Nobunori Higure, a foreign affairs officer working in Section 5 of the European and American Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was arrested on suspicion of violating the "National Civil Servant Law" in connection with this case (year 44 years old), while being interrogated by prosecutor Hase, suddenly took the opportunity to jump onto the table, and committed suicide by jumping from the south window.He fell on the concrete pavement of the Central Court of the District Prosecutor's Office and was rushed to the hospital, but died about an hour later due to a fractured back of the skull.

On the same day, Prosecutor Changgu started interrogating at around ten o'clock in the morning, and the record was written, and he was about to extradite this person to the Metropolitan Police Department.Higurashi probably planned it in advance. During the interrogation, he had already taken off his shoes under the table. After the interrogation, he saluted Prosecutor Hase and said, "Then I will leave." table.At that time, Officer Sasaki grabbed his belt to stop him, but it was too late. Higurashi was originally a staff member of the Japanese embassy in Moscow. He was one of the group of people who were repatriated together with Ambassador Sato and others in Showa 21.About his character, the newspaper once reported.He is a simple, hard-working man, usually taciturn, and suffered from a nervous breakdown a few years ago.

But in this incident, besides Takamo Rei and Higurashi, another person was arrested.He is Sho Sihong (41 years old), the former First Section Affairs Officer of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.During his tenure in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from December 26 to July 29), he let a foreigner read the confidential documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in several places in Tokyo, and leaked the secrets in order to violate the Article 100 of the "National Civil Servant Law" indicts crimes. The authorities released the story of this incident, giving the Japanese people the impression that Rastovorov used Japanese officials to obtain secret information, and shocked them by the horror of his espionage plot.Moreover, no matter whether it is the former major Zhiwei, Higurashi or Shoji, they all returned from the Soviet Union, so the public has re-recognized that the Soviet spy conspiracy is almost pervasive.

In particular, it is unprecedented that the Higurashi officer committed suicide by jumping from the upper floor of the District Prosecutor's Office to the courtyard during the trial.This will inevitably make the public think that the confidential content they leaked is important and large-scale. But to this day, most people don't even know what kind of conspiracy Rastovorov was carrying out, what secrets were leaked by these officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and what information Rastovorov sent to the Soviet Union. went.What information did Rastovorov use these Japanese officials to obtain?For this question, no answer can be found from the published materials.

However, Prosecutor Hase, who had interrogated Higurashi, said something meaningful.He said that "in his confession there are plots that can be inferred" as to the cause of his suicide.So, where does this feeling come from?Since Prosecutor Hase did not give an explanation, it is impossible to find out. On the surface, it seems that Higurashi, Takamo Rei, and Shoji were the three officials who were charged under the "State Civil Servant Law" for leaking state secrets to Rastovorov. Stovorov's unilateral confession, and not to the Japanese authorities, but to the American authorities.There is also no objective proof that Rastovorov really said that.

After Rastovorov left Japan, he remained silent for nearly seven months.We cannot tell whether he remained silent during this period, or whether he made a confession which was not made public.In short, after seven months, the United States suddenly issued his statement, and also held a dramatic press conference, which has been described above.Not a single photo was taken of Rastovorov, who was present at the press conference, and his statements were not allowed to be taped. Why is this?Anyone will be surprised.It is not known whether it is not allowed to take photos because of the consideration of the State Council, or according to my own wishes.However, since this kind of performance is held, taking photos of the person involved on the spot and publishing the photos of him meeting with reporters for newspapers around the world can achieve many times the publicity effect.

In the middle of the night, the U.S. authorities specially summoned reporters from news agencies from various countries outside the Soviet system, and made an exception to use the room where the Secretary of State met with reporters to hold an unusually large-scale press conference.However, the painstakingly achieved effect was not culminated because no photographs were allowed. However, according to the record of the US Senate Judiciary Committee's Investigation Subcommittee on the Domestic Security Act on February 8, 1956, it can be seen somewhat whether it was an instruction from the State Department or his own wishes.When the subcommittee met in Room 4245 in Washington (D.C.), Rastovorov would be called in to hear him describe his own espionage activities.The meeting was presided over by Senator Wilga, attended by various senators and chief adviser Morris and others.

It was not a secret meeting because of the presence of journalists.At the beginning of the meeting, Wilga first talked about the matters that news agencies should pay attention to.He said: "I would like to remind all photojournalists of the news agencies to take the advice of the committee not to take pictures of the witness Rastovorov, either in this room of the committee or anywhere else on Capitol Hill. On this point I would like your assistance. Since the witnesses have made a request to the Committee, I am referring to the assistance of the photographers, which I am sure you will be happy to do. Thank you. You have always acted aboveboard."

The sympathy expressed to Rastovorov at the subcommittee meeting held in February 1931 is exactly the same as that expressed to him at the State Council press conference on August 14 two years ago (29 years). The body of expression is the same. From this it appears that it was Rastovorov's own wish that journalists were not allowed to take pictures at the reception.That is to say, Rastovorov was probably unwilling to let the whole world, especially his motherland, the Soviet Union, see him in the United States, and at the same time refused to allow reporters to take pictures for his own personal safety. However, he was completely in the hands of the United States at that time.If the U.S. thinks that the dissemination of Rastovorov's photos will help achieve publicity effects around the world, it will no longer consider respecting his wishes and insist on taking pictures of him.The announcement itself has already ignored his wishes, so what else is there to worry about?Why not let the journalists take pictures of him at the press conference to great effect?The only photograph of Rastovorov was the frontal bust which had been seen in the newspapers.That was provided by Sabelev, a former representative of the Soviet Union at that time, when he made a search request to the Metropolitan Police Department immediately after Rastovorov disappeared. Since such a fussy press conference was held, in order to achieve the same publicity effect, shouldn't the United States provide a large number of photos of Rastovorov to news agencies!Because the American authorities did not allow the photo of Rastovorov who was meeting with the press, and turned away the photographers, some people in news agencies around the world even doubted whether the Russian who appeared in the room of the Secretary of State was Rastovorov. Love himself.Even newspaper readers from all over the world will be puzzled if they notice this.