Japan’s famous medical Unit 731 performed different types of experiments, many that violated important protocols. Knowledge of their grotesque experiments was kept from the American public, while at the same time the government made unjustful deals to gather knowledge about biological weapons. The government’s main mission was to get this important information while keeping it a secret from other countries. Therefore, while Unit 731 was well known for its atrocities, the United States officials granted them immunity anyways, knowing the unit was experimenting on humans, including American soldiers. Jing Bao Nie, Nanyan Guo, Mark Selden, and Arthur Kleinman noted (2010), “Unit 731 was officially established in 1936” (p.24). This is the official
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Lafleur, Bohme, and Shimazono (2007) discuss a study that is one purpose behind the unit, “This facility was doing research on human beings as part of a feasibility study,” (p.73). The purpose behind the study is to find out if a constant supply of test subjects, human beings, is possible and if continuous experimentation is feasible, also the purpose is intended to see if Ishii’s project could be successful (p.74). Unit 731 serves as a field lab and test site as well. According to Nie, Guo, Selden, and Kleinman (2010), the unit is used for creating biological weapons and testing these weapons on Chinese cities. The production and testing of these weapons goes against the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which made the use of biological and chemical weapons in a war illegal (p.23). Paul Murray McNeill (1993), discusses other types of experiments performed, such as; “American, British, Australian, and New Zealand prisoners-of-war were used to compare the effects of various diseases on Anglo-Saxons versus Asians” (p.24 ). This unit is also famous for its experiments on humans involving the plague, cyanide, as well as other poisons and diseases. Even those involved knew that these practices were inhumane, with this in mind, why would American officials cover this up just for
Lafleur, Bohme, and Shimazono (2007) discuss a study that is one purpose behind the unit, “This facility was doing research on human beings as part of a feasibility study,” (p.73). The purpose behind the study is to find out if a constant supply of test subjects, human beings, is possible and if continuous experimentation is feasible, also the purpose is intended to see if Ishii’s project could be successful (p.74). Unit 731 serves as a field lab and test site as well. According to Nie, Guo, Selden, and Kleinman (2010), the unit is used for creating biological weapons and testing these weapons on Chinese cities. The production and testing of these weapons goes against the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which made the use of biological and chemical weapons in a war illegal (p.23). Paul Murray McNeill (1993), discusses other types of experiments performed, such as; “American, British, Australian, and New Zealand prisoners-of-war were used to compare the effects of various diseases on Anglo-Saxons versus Asians” (p.24 ). This unit is also famous for its experiments on humans involving the plague, cyanide, as well as other poisons and diseases. Even those involved knew that these practices were inhumane, with this in mind, why would American officials cover this up just for