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→The Hunt for "Tokyo Rose": sometimes the story behind the story is far more interesting than the story. A true travesty of justice.
Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the search began for Japanese military leaders and others who may have committed war crimes. The military took the lead in this, with the press joining in the hunt, often following, but sometimes beating the military in tracking down the suspects.
Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the search began for Japanese military leaders and others who may have committed war crimes. The military took the lead in this, with the press joining in the hunt, often following, but sometimes beating the military in tracking down the suspects.
Two of these reporters, Henry Brundidge, from Cosmopolitan, and Clark Lee, from INS, set out to find “Tokyo Rose", unaware that no such person existed and the the name was created by ''American'' troops. Still, their investigations - and the offer of $250 for information leadig to Tokyo Rose - eventually led them to Iva Ikuko Toguri d’Aquino. Iva's name was provided to them by Leslie Nakashima, a ''nisei'' working at Radio Tokyo and Clark Lee promptly released the information to the public at large.
Two of these reporters, Henry Brundidge, from Cosmopolitan, and Clark Lee, from INS, set out to find “Tokyo Rose", unaware that no such person existed and the the name was created by ''American'' troops. Still, their investigations - and the offer of $250 for information leading to Tokyo Rose - eventually led them to Iva Ikuko Toguri d’Aquino. Iva's name was provided to them by Leslie Nakashima, a ''nisei'' working at Radio Tokyo and Clark Lee promptly released this information to the public at large.
Upon meeting Iva, Brundidge and Lee offered her $2,000, which they later reneged on paying, for exclusive rights to interview her. Iva agreed, and signed a contract that identified her as “the one and only ''Tokyo Rose''”.
However, not only did Brundidge's editor at Cosmopolitan reject the story, he also refused to authorise the $2,000 payment. The only way Brundidge could avoid paying the money out of his own pocket was to void the contract. He presented Lee's comprehensive notes to 8<sup>th</sup> Army Counter Intelligence Corps commander General Elliot Thorpe, claiming that she should be arrested for treason and the notes contained her confession. At the same time, he arranged for Iva to hold a joint press conference with some 300 journalists, thus negating the terms of his own "exclusive" contract and saving himself $2,000.
Unaware of Brundidge’s double-dealing, both Iva and the press corps agreed and the conference was held at the Yokohama Bund Hotel. She also gave interviews to "Yank" and "Pacific Stars & Stripes" and even recorded mock "Orphan Ann" broadcasts for the newsreels. Ignorant of the brewing trouble (news that “Tokyo Rose” was an American citizen, who intended to return to her home in California, had sparked a series of angry protests), Iva was under the impression that “Tokyo Rose” was the GI's popular darling, exactly as "Orphan Ann" was intended to be. Under the misguided impression that she was now a radio celebrity, she signed autographs and posed for pictures as “Tokyo Rose.”
Iva was taken into custody on 17 October 1945, and upon her arrival at the 8<sup>th</sup> Army HQ brig, was informed that she was under arrest, although no warrant had been issued and no charges were filed.
[[Image:Tokyo Rose.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Another mug shot of Iva Toguri, taken at Sugamo Prison on 7 March, 1946. It bears the same caption as the photograph above.]]
[[Image:Tokyo Rose.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Another mug shot of Iva Toguri, taken at Sugamo Prison on 7 March, 1946. It bears the same caption as the photograph above.]]
Even though Iva’s arrest for treason had been publicly announced, she was never informed why she was being held. After a month in the brig, she was transferred to Sugamo Prison, where she was placed in a cell on "Blue Block", where diplomats and women accused of war crimes were held. here she spent the next eleven and a half months, locked in a 6 by 9 cell. Her husband was allowed one 20-minute visit a month and she could take a bath once every three days. At the same time, she learned of her mother’s death whilst enroute to the Gila River Interment Camp in Arizona and her family’s subsequent move to [[Chicago]].
While this was going on, Major Cousens was tried for and acquitted of treason by the Australian Army for his work for the Japanese, whereupon he returned to work at Radio Sydney. Similarly, not only was Captain Ince cleared of all wrongdoing, but he was also promoted to Major.
Iva meanwhile, found herself being interrogated by the [[FBI]] and Army CIC who, despite overwhelming evidence pointing towards "Tokyo Rose" being a composite figure and that Iva had not committed treason, refused to believe anything she told them, even ignoring copies of her scripts which were presented to them.
Finally, on 25 October 1946, having spent a year, a week and a day in military custody without ever being charged, Iva was released "without condition". She left the prison flanked by an honour guard and carrying a bouquet of flowers, presented by the Sugamo Prison commandant, Colonel Hardy.
One again, she tried to apply for a passport to return home, but the same lack of documentation that had left her stranded there in the first place, continued to frustrate her efforts. At the same time, she lost her first child, shortly after he was born in January 1948. It is possible her long confinement contributed to the baby's death.
==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==