ABSTRACT
Ishii's encounters with American investigators in early 1946 were productive for both sides. The Americans were anxious to learn all they could about Japanese BW, and the former head of Unit 731, universally recognized as Japan's premier BW expert, appeared to be the ideal person to help them with their inquiry. Murray Sanders's November 1945 report, although preliminary and incomplete, indicated conclusively that Japan was a major BW power, and that Ishii was a most important figure in its program. Later reports and investigations in 1946 and early 1947 made it quite evident that Japanese BW researchers had conducted inquiries using methods involving human rights violations, and that Ishii had probably participated in these practices. It is now known that American scientists, who were prohibited from engaging in such activities, in their desire to make their country pre-eminent in the BW field, welcomed the opportunity to appropriate the findings from this research.!
