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JAPANESE TORTURE METHODS
Revelations Blade At
Darwin War Trials;
Beatings Are Given
r\ARWIN.--The Japanese did not regard beatings
with sticks as ill-treatment because it was a regu-
lar thing in the Japanese Army. There were other
harsh ' forms of punishment which were also not re-
garded as ill-treatment.
The Darwin war criminals' court was told this by
Captain Saiki, one of the Japanese accused of ill-treat-
ment and torture of Australians in Timor.
It was Saiki who demonstrated
the Japanese log torture to the
court on Monday.
Saiki, who appears very
young, said in answer to the
defending officer (Capt. Cole)
that Japanese troops, when
they first entered the army,
were made to squat on logs and
were struck with sticks.
Japanese soldiers were beaten
as part of their physical train-
ing and they were also beaten
for certain offences.
There were many punishments
in the "training^ 'of the ,Japanese
Army. ' One wasrto hang from a
bar for long periods and to hold
heavy machine=guns above the
head. Men were also struck with
tools.
He denied that Capt. Ellwood,
one of the Australians- alleging
ill-treatment, had developed run
ning sores where ' bonds^ had cut
into his legs and arms.!
He said he had been told by
Major Kobayashi to question Ell-
wood (of the. special Reconnais-
sance Detachment) and obtain
information about signals. Ko-
bayashi had said the Japanese
could not contact Darwin until
Ellwood disclosed his frequency.
Kobayashi wanted this informa-
tion in two or three days as "the
position was serious."
"We had the complete cipher
and although we did not have
Ellwood's crystal there were
other methods of contacting
Darwin," added Saiki.
Saiki said he did not find out
from Ellwood where he had hid-
den his crystal. On the second
day, when he still had no infor-
mation, Ellwood was struck with
ar. open hand. >
P. O. TV. Treated As Spy
GAIKI said he was told by Koba-
yashi that Ellwood was to be
treated as a spy. Ellwood was
wearing no rank and Saiki did not
recognise his uniform.
Kobayashi ordered Ellwood to
be handcuffed at night because
there were not enough guards.
Saiki said Ellwood was told
that if he made true statements
he would bc returned to. his
wife at the end of the war, but
if he made false ones he would
be treated as a spy.
Answering questions by Capt.
Cole about the extent of a Japan-
ese soldier's obedience to his
seniors, Saiki said this . went as
far as killing himself if ordered
to.
Referring to the treatment of
Capt. Cashman, Saiki said he was
ordered by Kobayashi to get in-
formation about signals and
cipher matters. Kobayashi told
him to speed up "the answers to
establish commmunications with
the Australians in Darwin.
After claiming that Cashman
had been well treated,. Saiki ad-
mitted that he had placed a piece
of wood behind Cashman's knees
and given him the log torture be-
cause he did not answer. The log
was slightly less than about 2 in.
in diameter.
He also admitted that while
Cashman was being given the log
torture he hit him across the
head with a stick. Later, he said
Cashman could not be hit across
¡the head or arms because his head
and arms were bandaged.
At noon on the second day he
was told by Kobayashi that if
Cashman did not answer at all
I he might use any means he
I Jiked to get the information.
Saiki was in the witness box all
day and his cross-examination
was unfinished when the court
adjourned for the day.
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