IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRST WAR GUILT INFORMATION PROGRAM
OCTOBER, 1945 - JUNE, 1946
NEWSPAPERS
1. A running story, entitled Historical articles on the War in the Pacific (approximately 15,000 words) presenting the true history of the War, was prepared by CIE, approved by the Historian, G-3, and received almost complete coverage in the Japanese daily press from 8 December 1945 until the series ended. This history emphasised guilt for inception of the war, revelations of historical truth theretofore kept from the Japanese people, and facts about Japanese atrocities, particularly in Nanking and Manila. (Tab B-1).
2. Before the actual release of the above history, an information program emphasising war atrocities was carried out in conjunction with the Yamashita trial in Manila, the issuance of lists of Japanese war criminals to be apprehended and tried at Yokohama and, after 6 December 1945 in conjunction with the Historical Articles series itself. The atrocity and war guilt information program was divided into the following activities:
- a. About 1,000 copies of the Sack of Manila (Tab B-2) were distributed to the Japanese press by CIE. The press was strongly urged to utilise this document in any part and at any time to give factual presentation of Japanese atrocities.
- b. Appropriate excerpts and photographs from the Report on the Destruction of Manila and Japanese Atrocities (issued by the Office of the Resident Commission of the Philippines to the United States) were furnished to the Japanese press with strong recommendations for liberal use. (Tab B-3).
- c. Information from the two publications mentioned above was supplemented by photos of captured Japanese documents giving evidence of rape, mass killings of civilians, torture of prisoners of war, beheadings and other atrocities. A dozen detailed stories of atrocities as quoted in Japanese documents were furnished to CIE by ATIS and released to the Japanese press, in November-December 1945.
3. Subsequent to December 1945, press releases in conjunction with radio series, "Now It Can Be Told" (Tabs E and H) were furnished to all newspapers, and on 9 February 1946, details of arrests of war criminals and the crimes with which they were charged were distributed to all newspapers by Kyodo News Agency.
4. Representative editorials of leading newspapers on the general subject of war guilt are carried under Tab B-4.
