740.00116 PW/3–646: Airgram
Mr. Max W. Bishop, of the Office of the Political Adviser in Japan, to the Secretary of State
[Received March 14—9:42 a.m.]
A–20. Informed inquiries have revealed that the clearing and release February 27 of Vice-Admiral Ueda Yoshitake, former president of the Japan Geopolitical Institute (arrested September 11, 1945, with 38 other major war crimes suspects, including the entire Pearl Harbor Cabinet) is in the nature of an individual case and does not necessarily portend the release of other major suspects. It is understood, however, the International Prosecution Section considers that certain such suspects are being held without adequate cause and is recommending their release as soon as the necessary investigations have been completed.
It has been further learned that SCAP’s “Clarification of Status” memorandum, the first of its kind, of March 3, 1946, to the Japanese Government announcing the release of 13 named “minor” war crimes [Page 421] suspects from detention and from suspicion as war criminals was designed to make it a matter of record that these persons had been cleared of the charges against them. There had been indication that under the previous arrangement, whereby such persons were ordered released by letter to Eighth Army Headquarters without notification or explanation to the Japanese Government, this had not been fully understood.