Description:

(TOKYO WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL) ANNOTATED SUMMATION OF THE CASE AGAINST FIELD MARSHAL SHUNROKU HATA
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), popularly known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, convened in April 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for their crimes against peace, conventional war crimes, and crimes against humanity, leading up to and during World War II. Presented here is a period mimeographed document, 63pp. legal folio, the summation of the international prosecuting team's case against Imperial Japanese Army field marshal SHUNROKU HATA (1879-1962). Hata was charged with conspiracy, waging aggressive war and disregarding his duty to prevent atrocities for his role in the collapse of the government of pro-British and American Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonai, which paved the way for the premiership of Hideki Tojo and was brought about by Hata's resignation as Army Minister, and for his conduct as Commander in Chief of the China Expeditionary Army. This copy of the summation against Hata, bound in a plain manila folder cover with a metal file clip, was prepared for American associate counsel for the prosecution DAVID NELSON SUTTON (1895-1974), who was responsible for gathering witness testimony related to Japanese war crimes in China. It is signed on the front cover in black ink by Sutton, to which he adds the title ‘Hata – Summation' and ‘Concluded 11:25 Friday 20 Feb 1948' in pencil. The text features many additional pencil notations which suggest that Sutton was assigned to read certain passages out loud as part of the prosecution's oral presentation of the summation to the court. In particular, Sutton counts down the number of pages before a section titled ‘HATA Asks Death Penalty for Doolittle Flyers'. This reads, in very small part: ‘...On 18 April 1942 American flyers dropped bombs aimed at military objectives in Japan and landed in China. These are known as the Doolittle Flyers. They [eight crewmen captured immediately] were imprisoned and kept under HATA's jurisdiction until they were brought to Tokyo on 25 April 1942. They were kept in Tokyo until 17 June and then returned to Shanghai and placed in Bridge House Jail and were therefore continuously under HATA's jurisdiction. Their so-called trial was held on 20 August and they were all sentenced to death. The death sentence was subsequently commuted for five of them and the other three were executed…' The report goes on to describe Hata's knowledge of the coerced confessions extracted from the captured airmen and the poor conditions of their imprisonment, and his advocacy for their execution, including his issuance of Military Order No. 4, the ‘Enemy Airmen's Act'. The document, which originates directly from Sutton's archives, shows some toning, folds and foxing to the covers, with additional slight foxing to the interior pages, but is otherwise in very good condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

*SEE ADITTIONAL SHIPPING ABOVE* -Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

November 13, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000