LONDON: Japanese ex-Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo, who headed the Japanese Government at the time of Pearl Harbour and whose arrest was ordered by General MacArthur in the first round-up war criminals, shot himself today [Sept 11], says a Reuter flash from Tokyo.

Tojo shot himself at his country home near Tokyo as an American Intelligence officer tried to arrest him. Whether Tojo is actually dead is not yet known, but reports suggest that his suicide attempt has succeeded.

The Japanese News Agency, reporting Tojo’s ‘suicide attempt’ said at 10 a.m. (G.M.T.) (4.30 p.m. I.S.T.) today that Tojo was in ‘a serious condition’. But the C.B.S. correspondent in Tokyo cabled that Tojo died 20 minutes after he had shot himself.

A New York message said: The Supreme Com­man­­der, General MacArthur, has ordered the arrest of the Japanese Minister Hideki Tojo, who headed the Japanese Government at the time of Pearl Harbour in the first rounding up of war criminals … General MacArthur has also ordered the immediate arrest of ten members of General Tojo’s Cabinet. They are included in a list of 39 Japanese to be held for trial on charges of war atrocities or for propaganda services.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2020