The Collected Short Stories - Jeffrey Archer [119]
As each such case was debated, General Tomkins left the five men in no doubt as to his contempt for their views. “Goddam Nip sympathizers,” he often suggested, and not always under his breath. As the general still held sway over the twelve-man tribunal, the colonel’s successes turned out to be few in number.
When the time came to determine the fate of those who had been in command of the POW camp at Tonchan the General demanded mass hanging for every Japanese officer involved without even the pretense of a proper trial. He showed no surprise when the usual five tribunal members raised their voices in protest. Colonel Moore spoke eloquently of having been a prisoner at Tonchan and petitioned in the defense of Major Sakata, Sergeant Akida and Corporal Sushi. He attempted to explain why hanging them would in its own way be as barbaric as any atrocity carried out by the Japanese. He insisted their sentences should be commuted to life imprisonment. The general yawned throughout the colonel’s remarks and, once Moore had completed his case, made no attempt to justify his position but simply called for a vote. To the general’s surprise, the result was six-all; an American lawyer who previously had sided with the general raised his hand to join the colonel’s five. Without hesitation the general threw his casting vote in favor of the gallows. Tomkins leered down the table at Moore and said, “Time for lunch, I think, gentlemen. I don’t know about you but I’m famished. And no one can say that this time we didn’t give the little yellow bastards a fair hearing.”
Colonel Moore rose from his place and without offering an opinion left the room.
He ran down the steps of the courthouse and instructed his driver to take him to British HQ in the center of the city as quickly as possible. The short journey took them some time because of the melee of people that were always thronging the streets night and day. Once the colonel arrived at his office he asked his secretary to place a call through to England. While she was carrying out his order Moore went to his green cabinet and thumbed through several files until he reached the one marked “Personal.” He opened it and fished out the letter. He wanted to be certain that he had remembered the sentence accurately …
“If for any reason you should require my help in your deliberations, do not hesitate to contact me personally.”
“He’s coming to the phone, sir,” the secretary said nervously. The colonel walked over to the phone and waited. He found himself standing to attention when he heard the gentle, cultivated voice ask, “Is that you, colonel?” It took Richard Moore less than ten minutes to explain the problem he faced and obtain the authority he needed.
Immediately he had completed his conversation he returned to the tribunal headquarters. He marched straight back into the conference room just as General Tomkins was settling down in his chair to start the afternoon proceedings.
The colonel was the first to rise from his place when the general declared the tribunal to be in session. “I wonder if I might be allowed to open with a statement?” he requested.
“Be my guest,” said Tomkins. “But make it brief. We’ve got a lot more of these Japs to get through yet.”
Colonel Moore looked around the table at the other eleven men.
“Gentlemen,” he began. “I hereby resign my position as the British representative on this commission.”
General Tomkins was unable to stifle a smile.
“I do it,” the colonel continued, “reluctantly, but with the backing of my Prime Minister, to whom I spoke only a few moments ago.” At this piece of information Tomkins’s smile was replaced by a frown. “I shall be returning to England in order to make a full report to Mr. Attlee and the British cabinet on the manner in which this tribunal is being conducted.”
“Now look here, sonny,” began the general. “You can’t−”
“I can, sir, and I will. Unlike you, I am unwilling to have the blood of innocent soldiers on my hands for the rest of my life.”
“Now look here, sonny,” the general repeated. “Let’s at least talk this through before