[Homer_J_Simpson]

I wish I had saved the rest of the article. Maybe it gave a hint as to what happened with Gen. Umazu’s predecessor as CiC of Japanese Forces in Manchukuo. Did he resign for personal reasons? Was he laid low by accident or illness? Had he been despondent of late? Maybe he had just completed the usual tour of duty and was rotated back to Japan for staff duty.

[Cheburashka]

I doubt Japanese sources would have felt chatty to the New York Times correspondent about what happened to the disgraced general.

According to Wikipedia, Michitaro Komatsubara committed suicide, but only in October, 1940.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michitar%C5%8D_Komatsubara