T O M A IN T A IN the program o f the

Y O U N G M EN’S C H R IST IA N A SSO C IA T IO N

O F T H E U N IV E R SIT Y O F C A L IFO R N IA ,
I hereby subscribe:

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N am e ................................................................ ,.........................................................

Street .........................................................................................................................

C ity ........................................................................ . D ate .....................................

T h is s u b s c r ip tio n , b e in g v o lu n ta r y , m a y b e d e c r e a s e d o r c a n c e lle d a t a n y tim e
u p o n w r itte n n o tic e to t h e T r e a su r e r . M ak e c h e c k s p a y a b le to
R a lp h T . F is h e r , T r e a su r e r , 2 2 2 7 U n io n S tr e e t, B e r k e le y , C a lifo r n ia
 I a m a m o n g those hundreds of To rl
students of-Japanese a n c e s t r y w h o are g r a t e f u l
to y ou and y o u r wife for k e e p i n g f a i t h in
us*
R o bert B a b a
 . Each of the three honored guests were presented with JACL pins in appreciation
of their services on behalf of Japanese Americans* GALEN FISHER *96* one time
student president of the U niversity Y, RUTH KINGMAN and JANE DAVIS (the la t t e r the
spouses of S t ile s H all, s greybeards) were honored at a meeting o f the Japanese Amer
ican C itizens League (JACL) on Saturday^ November 24, at international House*
Mr* Fishep and Ruth Kingnan were cited for th e ir work with the p a c ific Coast
Committee On American p rin cip les and Pair Play* Jane D&vis was commended for her
aid to returnees a fter the end o f the evacuation in 1945*
The Pair Pl&y committee was instrumental in creating a public opinion which
minimized Ihe e v ils of the evacuation and prepared the West ¿oast for the return
of persons of Japanese ancestry and Uieir parents a t the close of the war A Over
500 individuals and fam ilies were aided with housing* Jobs and other personal prob
lems by Jane Davis during her service with the International In stitu te , as a volua- /
tear worker with the Berkeley In terracial Oommittee, and as a private citizen *

GHAEEL-ASILOMAR: j t
Worship- in. the . chape1 each morning w ill
be led by Douglas steers* Dr* Stoere i s
Professor o f Philosophy at Kaverford Col»
lege in Penn«* A ctively related to the
American Friends Service Comm*, he has fre
quent extended v i s i t s to Europe, in the
benuty o f the Asilomur Chapel v*ith i t s v is 
ta o f send and sea, Dr. stoere w ill quicken
in us a sense of nearness o f Him who is the
God o f th is moment of history*

The Alameda County Chapter of NAACP has

MORNING PLATFORM* ju st elected Stan Brown and Mr3* ward Tab-
This moment in history w ill be le r to i t s Board of D irectors, other S t ile s
interpreted " from the platform H allers who have served on the Board are
eech moming by Gerald Kennedy* Welter Gordon, Fred Stripp, Harry Kingman
No stranger in the p a c ific south- and Jane Dayis* A member of the S t ile s Ad
west* Dr. Kennedy was graduated- visory Board, Dr* Prod S trip p , is the pre
from College of the p a c ific and sent facu lty advisor for the u n iv ersity
the p a c ific School o f Religion* chapter.
Now the youngest bishop in Ameri
can Methodism, Dr* Kennedy serves
the Portland area which includes i u s phSToce *
Oregon, Washington* Idaho and—
Alaska* During t h is year, he has
v is ite d both in Europe and Asia
—He knows something o f the des
pair amd hope of the peoples
of the world* He sees thing
th rough hi a understand! ng
o f the God who i s the God
of a l l men and o f a l l
areas o f lif e * ---------
*51.Univ* YvMkC.A. Wk bf Dee* 3 XXV-8

Tues* Dec* 4 FAR EASTERN TABLE w ill eontlaue ■ with i t s program of emphasis on coun
Noon tr ie s o f the Far East* Chairmen Gsrri McCormick end Ted Riedel w el- g
Stiles-Aud* come a l l students interested in the Far East to come and p a rticip a te.

Tuesè Deo* 4 CALIFORNIA IB: (for man and women students) vsi l l hear the 3rd and
Noon f i nut* d i scussion on personal Matu rity lead hy Dr* Raymond Cope* This
S ti les-Blake one is ill he concern eci wi Ih tip tur ity in rela tio n s between the sexes#

Tues. Dec* 4 BIBLE STUDY group w ill present, the 4th of the discussion s e r ie s led by
4:00pm Dr. C.C~. MeCowan on "Is there a »socia l gospel?*1 And i f so, in what
S tiles-B lak e sense and what is l t T^'pr» McCowanlaas w ritten a book on th is subject
so we expect to learn a good deal from him* P h il Zefllker» chairman*

Wed* Deo* 5 ATTITUDES TOWARD LIFE group w ill continue i t s discussion with speakers
Noon rela tin g th e ir attitu des toward life * pare Signery chairman. Watch
S tiles-B lak e Daily Cal fo r d etailed information*

Wed* Dec* 5 WORLD AFFAIRS group; There w ill be an interesting discussion in the
Noon offingT ^heldon Kiser and Dick U tter, co-chairmen*
Stiles-Aud*

Web. Doc* 5 STUDENT-FACULTY COFFEE HOUR; Professor Mandelbaum of the Anthropology

4:00pm Department .■an d/or Prof e s sor ■ Hudson of 1he English Department w ill be
S tiles-B lak e the guests* Dick Prosser;^ Chairman*
Thurs* Dec* S RACE RELATIONS"w ill continue with i t s program on human relation e
Noon among *fche races* Zoe Borkowski and Scott Zumwalt, c.o—chairmen*
YW Cottage ' M''¥nSnHN
Thurs. Dec* LEADERSHIP TRAINING-Dr. Tamotsu Shibuteni» A ssistan t Professor o f So
Noon . ciology at UC and a ctiv e in S t ile s in his undergraduate days at the
S tiles-B lak e . U n iversity-w iil speak to the group on Leadership and Group Behavior.
He received his ph.D from the U niversity o f Chicago wh^re he taught
fo r several years* He is an a ith o rity in the fie ld of c o lle c tiv e
'group behavior* Owen Scarborough, ©hairm anfl^^^»™

Thurs* Dec* CABINET; Leo G ill leading devotions* Led is on S tiles* Executive
5 :4 5 -8 îOOpm Committee as Corresponding Secretary.
Stiles-Aud*
Fri* Dec* 9 COMMITTEE ON EFFECTIVE CITIZENSHIP w ill present the U.S. p osition on
Noon | 9 | the future of international relation s; lest.w eek the U.S.S.R.' was pre
YW Cottage sented* Question: "I s there any reco n c ilia tio n between the two?”
Margaret Olney, Ed Levin, co-chaifmen*

Fri* Dec* POSTER CLASSES w ill continue* :

Noon & 3pm
S tiles-S tu d io

Fri* Dec* (Hj SOCIAL DANCE CLASS:. Practice w ill continue with Ed Gong and Co* d i-
7 ;30pm ipQcting.Jv i ' ^ ^ i ‘ìX {bfij
Stiles-M usic
F r i. Dec*.7 I FOLK DANCING: Under the able d irection of Charles Sederholm and Ilro
7:30pm Marsh the dencing w ill be continued* Public invited*
Stilos-Aud*

& YKo't ^
*f0 ' U O U T
'«ft S v c ^ n o w i
CO m e >\
ffffl/sœâifiiïï " M ,
THE UTAH INIP PU
SALT LAKE'CITY, UTAH, MONDAY, JUNE 8. 1964

Ruth W. Kingman
To Be Honored At
Testimonial Banquet
DETROIT—Mrs- Ruth W. King-
man, Civil Rights Lobbyist, First
Executive Director of the Pacific
C o a s t Committéê on American
Principles and Fair Play and
named in the current “Who’s Who
in American Women” will be one
of the honorées ai the Testimonial
Banquet on July 3 at the 18th Bi
ennial National JACL Convention
in Detroit.
Mrs. Kingman was also the re
cipient of a citation at the 14th
Biennial National Convention in
San Francisco in 1956. The name
of Mrs. Kingman is recognized
with great pride, especially by the housing and employment.
Nisei for whom she devoted many
years as their ardent champion. “She and the Pacific Coast Com
mittee may be credited with the
Perhaps the words of Mike Ma- fact that so many evacuees have
s a o k a which appeared in the returned to their pre-evacuation
“Washington Newsletter” of April homes and associations and that
24, 1953 most fully lauds the work today the general acceptance and
of Mrs. Kingman, “As the dynamic future destiny of those of Japa
and persuasive Executive Director nese ancestry are more promising
of the Pacific Coast Committee on than ever before”.
American Principles and Fair Play
from its formal organization in Mrs. Kingman and her committee
1943 until its development into the was instrumental in interpreting
California Conference for C i v i c WRA and the Justice Department
Unity in 1946, of which she was to the unfriendly communities of
the f i r s t president, Mrs. Ruth the west coast. This entailed trips
Kingman was thé driving force in to Washington, trips between Se
that citizens’ organization that per attle and San Diego, and one to
haps more than any other group Camp Shelby. Mrs. Kingman states
helped create the atmosphere that “Our major objective was to ‘create
enabled the wartime evacuees of a climate of opinion’ which would
1942 to return ¿to their former make possible the return to their
homes and associations on the West homes of all evacuees, if and when
Coast after the exclusion orders the restricting orders were with
were lifted in 1945. drawn.” To this end the fruits of
her endeavors were manifest.
“While refuting the lies and the
fears that led to the evacuation,
she emphasized the demonstrated
loyalty of those of Japanese an
cestry, proven in -the battlefields of
World War II. While fighting the
prejudices and the discriminations
in various areas, she organized
people of good will into community
committees to welcome back the
evacuees and to help them find
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 GILA. RIVER PftOjfeeT1* ARIZONA •

Two thousand American college students of Japanese ancestry are still behind barbed
wire in ten Relocation Camps. The Student Christian Movement, in addition to work
ing with the Student Relocation Council and fostering the W.S.S.F. to increase op
portunities for relocation of these students, has gone into the camps and helped in
the formation of Student Associations.

In the five Relocation Camps in the Asilomar Region, Student Associations are meet
ing the desperate needs of these students and bespeaking the unbreakable bonds of
fellowship in the Student Christian Movement. These student groups hunger for con
tinued contacts with the colleges from which they have come and for new friends in
the colleges beyond the Rockies to which they hope some day to be transferred. In
thoir • isolation, they fear complete detachment from the thought and life
of the student world and the lethargy which destroys all hope of the future.

This is to suggest ways and means in which fellowship and sharing may be a reality
in spite of American Concentration Camps.

MANZANAR, CALIFORNIA - An Intercollegiate Association has been functioning since

October. The most pressing need is contact with the "outside world” as theyare
200 miles from the nearest railroad and feel the pangs of isolation. They want to
know what college students are thinking and doing and how they can share ideas and
common undertakings. They -ore trying to make a College Hall out of a barrack. Books
magazines, lamps, furniture, pennants, anything that will bring a cozy atmosphere
out of a barrackl
President: Henry Ishizuka Adviser: Miss Aki Saito
23-8-4 Student Intercollegiate Ass*n
Manzanar, California College Hall
Manzanar, California

TULE LAKE, NEWELL, CALIFORNIA - A Student Christian Assn with discu ssion group« on
Post War Reconstruction, Philosophy of Life, etc. The colleges across the Rockies
are all unknown to them and yet some day when their turn comes for relocation, what
a difference it will make to have friends and a picture of the life of your college.
There is no space for them to have a College Hr 11 project. Their meetings are in
Mess Halls or Laundry Barracks. They have worked hard on the W.S.S.F. having pro
duced beautiful postors which can be used in your campaign*
Contact person# Miss Elaine Ishikawa Adviser: Mrs. Helen Ritter
3406*«C Tule Lake W.R.A.
Tule Lake W.R.A. Newell, California
Newell, California

GILA RIVER, RIVERS, ARIZONA has two camps, Canal and Butte, four miles apart.

Canal Camp has a University Club dedicated to the keeping alive of the values of
higher education. They have real discussions on current issues. Here, also, a
College Hall or Student Center is in the making*
President: Mr* Ichi Imamura \
16-8-C* Canal Camp
Gila River WRA
Rivers, Arizona

Butte Camp has an Intercollegiate Association* It needs ideas for program and pro
jects and from the depth of their struggle for hope and courage, they can give real
ism to the discussions of the Associations cooperating with them* They have a real
College Hall but would be very interested in receiving college papers, catalog# and
pictures for this is an Intercollegiate Association whose membership will be mi
grating to new university centers.
President: Mr. Earle Yusa Adviser: Mr. Royden Susumago
72-10-D, Butte Camp Butte Camp, Gila River WRA
Gila River WRA Rivers, Arizona
Rivers, Arizona

POSTON, ARIZONA - has three camps with a total population of 25,000. Because of a
recent strike,spirits were so low an active Association had to await a later visit
from the regional secretary. Bob Sakai, Ward 15, Poston WRA, Poston, Arizona, for
merly of the University of California, will welcome any contacts from the outside
world.

TOPAZ, DELTA, UTAH * Here is a large student group chiefly from the University of
California, but 12 difference colleges are represented in the membership. They
have prospects of space for a College Hall. They plan discussion groups on Minori
ties, Post War Reconstruction, Philosophy of Life, and Inside the News. They feel
the need of continuing contacts with the California colleges but eagerly reach out
to know more about colleges beyond the Rockies which must be their future Alma Mater.
Forty students have gone out from Topaz to colleges East of the Rockies. One of
them may be on your campus*
President: Miss Kay Yamashita Adviser: Mr. Joseph Goodman
6-3-E, Topaz WRA Topaz W.R.A.
Delta, Utah Delta, Utah

Our basic commitment, as a Student Christian Movement, is to right this grevious

denial of the right of citizens in a democracy. Interpretation of this racial eva
cuation and the formation of intelligent and receptive public opinion is basic to
resettlement. The World Student Service Fund needs additional support if it is to
meet the scholarship needs of these students.

But while they are waiting, isolated and humiliated, they will be greatly strength
ened by the cooperation of individual Associations and individuals in the Student
Christian Movement.

Write and give them a picture of your college, your Association and your program.
Ask them about their program, the possibility of some of them coming to your col
lege. Suggest sending your college and Association papers. Joint parties and dis
cussion groups have been carried on by correspondence. They will be glad to help
you on your W.S.S.F. Drive, making posters and writing articles for your paper*
You*d be surprised in how distance can be transcended.

Mutual sharing will greatly enrich our Student Christian Movement and indeed make
it t— a

The Student Christian Movement

Asilomar Region - mbr

P.S.: Word has just been received that a Student Association has been started at
Heart Mountain, Wyoming* Mr* Carroll Moon, regional SCM secretary of the Rocky
Mountain region (office; 114 E* Ninth Street, Topeka, Kansas) will be visiting the
Association in March. Miss Emi Kimura, previously president of the YWCA at San
Jose State College, San Jose*Califorhia, is president of this Association and Mrs.
Masami Yoshida, former office secretary in the Asilomar Region office, is adviser*
Grenada, Colorado Project is also in the Rocky Mountain region. Write Mr. Moon
for details of the Student Associations in these two projects.

Miss Jimmie Woodward and Mr. Fred Miller, SCM secretaries in the Southwest Region
(office;1411 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri) have been working with student
groups in the Jerome and Rohwer, Arkansas, projects. T/rite them for news of stu
dents now in these two projects,

Minidoka, Idaho is in the Seabeck Region. Mr. Howard Willits (office: YMCA, Port
land, Oregon) is beginning work in this project.

It has been suggested that Associations in the Asilomar Region follow their students
in whatever Relocation Center they may be, Suggestions for cooperation between
other regions and Associations in the WRA Projects are:

New England Region r Tule Lake and Manzanar

Middle Atlantic -- Topan and Grenada
Geneva Region - Heart Mountain and Minidoka
New York Region - Gila River and Poston
S6uthern Region' « Jerome and Rowher

February 22, 1943

et

VOTE WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday, April 8* elections
will be held for the A.S.u.C. presi
dency* We face once agp,ir the pe r e-
nial problem of getting ¿tudents out
to vote. In years gone by the Nisei
students' traditional lack of inter
est in student government was an ac
ceptable evil. But things now are
not on an Mas usual” basis.
We have heard the attitude ex
pressed that since we aren't going to
be around next semester, why should
we vote. To suit our own immediate
selfish ends, such an attitude is un
derstandable; but we have got to re
member that the welfare of all stu
dents is involved, including other
racial minority students, and very
possibly Nisei in the future. It
should be the concern of all of us to
get out and vote to keep democracy on
a working basis.
Candidates for A.S.U^C. presi
dent ares Ralph Dewey, varsity two-
mil er; Bob Douthitt, manager A.S.U.C.
ski-lodge; Howard Holmes, Dorm Coun
cil churn.; and A1 Stone, ”Y ” Race-
Relations chmn.
STUDENTS ATTENTION
Those students withdrawing from
school before the end of the semester
are advised by the Dean of Students
to file a petition for credit, If you
do not take this step, you will not
receive any credit at all.
In addition, the draft board and
post office must be notified, and your
address left at "I" House.
OF FELLOW AMERICANS
Under the sponsorship of the
Homo Council of Churches, consisting
of all religious denominations, a com
mittee has been organized to assist
evacuees. One of its many functions
is to help re-establish students in
interior colleges, each local church
instructing and advising its respect
ive member churches in college towns
to act towards that end.
Any student wishing advice, in
formation or assistance is urgently
asked to contact Mrs. Topping, Thorn-
wall 8371. Details are being sought
as to the names of those planning to
transfer, their majors, choice of
college, and individual needs.
On Monday, April 6, at the "Y"
Cottage, there will bo an impoftant
meeting of the special committee sot
up by the Intercollegiate Christian
Council. A board cf sponsors will bo
determined and further action taken
„for effecting its program of re-loca
ting student evacuees, Results of
the conference will be released soon*
A \
i* i
si iv
in %
3 ^ / l .
/ill CS\* S\
i.W& OKDSliSSiJ© i s H t 'KV’ Y \
Assembly centers are not perma
nent, but set" up only to gain^time to
equip resettlement>~campsvvmor© com
pletely and comfortably. Thisvmay be
a month; in the meantime, we should
expect hardships in temporary quart
ers of fairgrounds, race-tracks,etc.
Sites for resettlement camps of
not more larger that 5000 population
arc being carefully selected. Hospi
tal and ether facilities will be pre
sided and evacuation carries. in nu—
mane and orderly fashion*
Widespread protests have forced
abandonment of the originally pro
posed $50 to $90 a month scale; the
modified $21 pay, however is in ad
dition to maintenances; therefore, in
real v/agoc equal to or more than the
original proposal.
The War Relocations Authority
contemplating five divisions in their
program? employment, community plan
ning, finance, publicity and business
In the administration of thes^ camps,
democratic procedure will be the gui
ding policy. To us, as college stu
dents, this is a challenge to trans
late our education into a useful and
noaningful reality.
ETERNAL VIGILANCE
Because of cne Negro student,
Kingman/p Hall, women's m£p-cp, was re
fused accomodations at Hotel Clare
mont. The show-down and the semes
ter's biggest issue— an A.S.U.C. boy
cott cf the hotel— is based up^n the
precedent of a case involving two Ni
sei couples two years age. Welfare
Council chmn. Doug North and Race Re
lations choin. A1 Stone are pushirg
the fight to see that A.S.U.C*1s of
ficial policy of racial equality is
uphela and sustained.
ai-dHHHfr
TO RAVE AND TO HOLD
"At its best, Americanism is no
body's monopoly, but a happy concen
trate cf some of the highest aspira
tions and tendencies of humanity at
its best nearly everywhere at one
time or anot he r . As it seerne t o me,
it is the highest body of idealism in
the world tedu.y. It is, among other
things, a movement away from primi
tive racism, fear and nationalism,
anti herd instincts and mentality; a
movement toward free dom,creativeness,
a universal or pan-human culture.”
— Louis Adamic, in From Many Lands
Laugh £
And the world laughs with you.
Weep,
And you weep alone.
KAep ' •o:i Bail tag!
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this-;!cou'ht^’y .
bid> •who 'shh'hhd. this Aiat i;io;\n l i f e p i t h ,
m
:■ s \;
f | | S | f drpi^i:P a s t r y At f e ^ i b h ' |
;%a s; ;.th e i r s o t ^ ^ h p i r - k i ^ h ^ o - t h ^ ^adp^^hp^ h j shir» rM- \
i*;:)r l i f e in-r- deraocryey :a s b - :;=ihta:ils r e s p o n s i b i l i t y 0^ ;o y :V f a lly , l^ r i s S i 'e n t i p i i ^ l y

sh o u ld 0 riS ^ \^ p '■ &,$ jsst

in th e s e ..^ iie c t
m 1
’M r *^ o r i ^ e r jiif|pipan' ¿¿,*thet e w " v
.la n d »j S ^ ^ jj p j ||p ^ c\ M | i2sXL^ni: .ir d n .:;b..^i'kS,
bxperilmcb 3Mfh d h il y t!»hs
s sy f / r h.a le'..-;rned qfX^ *^jj
t. ia re ip Hn Mother ; f cHce|x;b?^dildibr^ i|n [i.^ rc id h ijb s ;
fl , i\, . M P P P H . .
I f But ^hf?; undu|* stood ^ lo o ^ ip f' t h e rA^nj^ t|^ p o h tu ^ i'ti s 1
R y p H P p l i B d - e B I i n s M o , ! j i P f e i t 4 e tiife#
___ _______„ ________ _ ___ _______ ;___________________ Pegs •

liberal, open-minded- America was pulling for him. For inscribed »neath the
hardy, symbolic Statue of Liberty was this inspiring message:

"GITS HE YOUR TIRFD, YOUR POOR,

YOUR MUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE: '
THE HRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR TEEMING SHORES
SEND THESE, THE HOMELESS, THE TEMPEST-TOST TO ME,
I HOLD LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR.*' *
/College beckoned and he followed. Four years at the campus near "the rugged
eastern foothills".made him aware more than ever of his place in this American
democracy. He pitched in with youthful zest in pursuit of the human affairs of
peoples of this broad continent....the dictates df his conscience.

.Names which/are more than mere names take him back poingnantly....to days that
he sought to find out what made this country click...Harry Kingman and Stiles
Hall... Jim Fowle and Asilomar*..Barrington Hall, ••'and Jack Perlee...the Daily
Cal and-Charlie Rosenthal and Charles Be 1.1.. .B b .Stone and Don Eichner ••Tom
Yamashita,..Bob Speed.. .Sherman March and Rejsf Hill and Charles Fender,. .all
these made him realize that there was something essentially vital and alive in
his America of factories, orchards, grain.gfields, hospitals, churches, cities,
dairies, radio, subways, ahcl seif-goverr^tent.

Graduation did not bring the kind of jqb he wanted..*.no employer was willing t{>
risk profits for liberalism. Despondent, he turned homeward...and here his
foreign Mother' stood by...stood stauhunly by to support his failing faith in a
just and equal" America.' / ./

All this was HIS AMERICA. / /

liBnlffWwWilnfiTtii^P^T iruffr ¡Iwlllil! / p fsj£! I
Caine Selective Service and gre/tin^is from the President of the United States.
"Chosen by his friends and neighbors", he changed from civvies to the uniform
of an American soldier. Fast/parsing days of drill, storm and heat of bivouac,
paydays, 'He 'sorts fitted hyregapd he met farmers, city fellas, collegians,
cowboys, mailmen, professops'klftch-diggers. liy didn't make any difference whe
ther their names were Grabia^owdki, Schultz, Yasukochi, Suaste, Pietz, Juliano,I
Howe, Ifegoner, Meeker, L^s^mbprg, Kohler, Bryan, Frydenlund, Bales, or Novae.
You're in the Army, an soldier, and a part of America.
Then.on December 7, 1941 j/.Pearl Harbor treachery.., .war. For: him there was
but one allegianc'ey bdt y^he/loyalty. From his worried, alien Mother came a
heart-warming;letter,-j^For- your America, do not hesitate to give your life."
He tried hard to ca^raA^ie. whirling kaleidoscope, Fpr him, for his ¿lother, "¿hi this
is worth fightingifbr^' was not trite. They wanted ’ sperately to belong with
the .United Nations'. 4o- him, it was gratifying that many fellow soldiers
welcomed him. F o r / W / t / Americanism one of•faith in justice, belief in tolerance
and courage to' stejive/for them-- it has no'"bounds of nationality and color,
■’ v . La JLy/ * . / ,*
*
No place to las, the family is moved to a relocation camp.. .pride and:
humility as he/h^o/s "The Star Sprangle.d Banner" at Retreat,. .the, lonely though
of a soldier a/sGn^ listen to Taps... .fiercely anxious to help as he hears and
reads of the ^plolts of Yanks on many'fronts....thinking of this America,..
of Joe's farmy;..or Bob's garage.....of. Dick* s home in Chicago. ,r,of Ed's wife
and home...qi/Fred's vegetable gardens...of Gil's death on Bataan.

The American soldier of an elienlMdther...will you deny them

the privilege and right.tofight-for YOUR AMERICA?

\m
 t I am an American citizen of Japanese ancestry,
round makes me appreciate more fully the wonder-
antages of%iis nation. I believe in her institutions, ideals, and
^ Ctraditions; lg lo r y in her heritage; I boast of her history; I trust
in her future. She has granted me liberties and opportunities such as
no individual enjoys in this world today. She has given me an educa
tion befitting kings. She has entrusted me with the responsibilities
of the franchise. She has permitted me to build a home, to earn a
livelihood, to worship, think, speak, and act as I please — as a free
man equal to every other man.
Although some individuals may discriminate against me, I shall
never become bitter or lose faith, for I know that such persons are
not representative of the majority of the American people. True, I
shall do all in my power to discourage such practices, but I shall do
it in the American way: above-board, in the open, through courts of
law, by education, by proving myself to be worthy of equal treatment
and consideration. I am firm in my belief that American sportsmanship
and attitude of fair play will judge citizenship and patriotism on the
basis of action and achievement, and not on the basis of physical
characteristics.
Because I believe in America, and I trust she believes in me and
because I have received innumerable benefits from her, I pledge myself
to do honor to her at all times and in all places; to support her Consti
tution ; to obey her laws; to respect her flag; to defend her against
all enemies, foreign or domestic; to actively assume my duties and
obligations as a citizen, cheerfully and without any reservations whatso
ever, in the hope that I may become a better American in a greater
America.

! " ! " # ! $

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# % 2 3 &* 4 $ % 5 4 & , 4 (* - 4 $ 0 - +4 $ $ 8 4
$ ( +4 6+ ( 7 4 " 0 4 -7 0 4 ( 0 3 !

THE CALM BEAUTY OF JAPAN AT ALMOST THE SPEED OF SOUND ( g )

iU

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\
 J.A.C.L. FRIENDS & SUTPORTERS

AIZAWA ASSOCIATES CROCKER-CITIZENS BANK HÖSÖDA BROS..

^33 Turk Street 1560 Fillmore Street I<: Post Street
San Francisco, Ca, at Geary San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca.

AMERICAN PRESIDENT MR. JERRY EN0M0T0 IMPERIAL IMPORTS

LINES ÌO Lake Park Drive Harold Iwamasa
601 California Street Sacramento, Ca. 1640 Post Street
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

BANK OF TOKYO DR. TERRY HAYASHI JAPAN AIR LINES

64 Sutter Street 9:I Geary Strèet 150 Powell Street
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

BENKYODO HEDANI OPTOMETRIST JAPANESE AMERICAN

H. Okamura I;< Fillmore Street REPUBLICANS
1747 Buchanan Street San Francisco, Ca. c/o 109 Gladeview Way
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

BUSH GARDEN RESTAURANT HOKAMP’S BAKERY NORTHERN CALIF. JAPANESE

598 Bush Street Takeo Utsurni CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
San Francisco, Ca. l6l4 Polk Street World Trade Center
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

CENTURY-GOLF CLUB HIURA & HIURA JAPAN FOOD CORP.

c/o 439 - 4th Avenue OPTOMETRISTS 900 Marin Street
San Francisco, Ca. 1418 Polk Street San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca.
 KASUMi' GÒÌF CLUB DR. LARRY NAKAMURA OTAGIRI MERCANTILE CO.
c/o 145-Ì9th Avenue 2340 Sutter Street 1400 Folsom Street
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

KIKKOMAN.INTERNATIONAL N.B. DEPARTMENT STORE PACIFIC FAR EAST LINES

:OO Main Street 1722 Buchanan Street 141 Battery Street
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

K. KIWATA NIKKEI LIONS PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS

Wholesale Florists c/o 2824 Filbèrt 222 Stockton Street
640 Brannan Street San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

DRS. KIYASU - Kunisada RYOTEI NIKKO PEOPLES LAUNDRY

William, Robert = <> Van Ness Ave. Kay Will Tsukamoto
3905 Sacramento Street San Francisco, Ca. I < - =>th Atreet’
San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca.

MARVEL CLEANERS DR. HARRY NOMURA K.' SAKAI CO.

Steven J. Doi ;O - 20th Avenue I < Post Street
1501 California St. San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca.

MÜTÜAL SUFFIT CO. DR.'JERRY OSUMI S.F. FEDERAL SAVINGS &

1090 Sansome Street 9 > Sutter Street L0ÀN ASSOCITION’
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. I Post Street
San Francisco, Ca.

/
SANWA BANK SUMITOMO BANK OF DR. HIMEO TSUMORI
465 California St. CALIFORNIA 9IO Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, Ca. < California St. San Francisco,.. Ca,

MR. YONE SATODA TAKAHASHI»S UPTOWN CLEANERS

IO: Glad evi ew Way Grant Ave Geary Cal Kitazumi,
San Francisco,. Ca¿ San Francisco, Ca. 2840 California St.
San Francisco, Ca.

FIR. M S SATOW TCHO RIG THEATRE V.F.W. Post #9879

Spruce Street. 2240 Union Street Golden Gate Nisei Memorial
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. c/o 15^5 Geary Street
San Francisco, Ca,

SEIKI BROS. BANK OF TOKYO WORDEN PICTURE FRAMES

I 9O Post Street Japan Center Don Iwahashi
San Francisco, Ca. Ì .Buchanan St. ' 99> Fillmore Street
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

S H I M TRANSFER CO. T0Y0MENKA, INC. Y A M T O SUKIYAKI

429 Beale Street 3Í1 California St. = California St.
San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.

T.Z. SHIOTA TOKYO SUKIYAKI YASUTOMO -CO.

Jutaro Shiota 225 Jefferson Street 24 California St.
402 Sutter Street San Francisco, Ca. San Francisco, Ca.
San Francisco, Ca.

Drs. TOGASAJKI- Kàzue

Yoshiye, Teru
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Berkeley, Calif. mittee, were associated with Stiles
The unique role played by just one Hall, while Mrs. Ruth Kingman, who
institution, Stiles Hall, in helping serveddid
as its executive secretary and
notable work in behalf of the
solve the problems of Japanese Amer
icans during the years 1941 to 1948 is evacuees, is the wife of Harry King-
told in a report prepared recently by man.
William J. Davis. Throughout the war Stiles Hall
Stiles Hall, headquarters for the continued a number of projects, both
large and small, to aid Japanese
University of California YMCA was
intimately concerned with students Americans.
and other persons of Japanese an Stiles Hall members sent books and
cestry throughout the war, the evac furniture to WRA centers and col
uation and the later relocation years. lected athletic equipment for young
The Davis report was prepared es sters in the camps. They mailed hun
pecially to assist the San Francisco dreds of letters and copies of the
JACL in soliciting funds for the Stiles Daily Californian, the university
newspaper, to Nisei in relocation cen
Hall Memorial building fund. The
chapter, which voted unanimously ters and in the armed forces.
last year to aid the building project, Student members of the University
will raise funds for a memorial to YM and YWCA provided volunteer
Nisei soldier dead of World War II labor to help the Pacific Coast Com
in the proposed new building. mittee on American Principles and
Fair Play.
A week after the war began, Harry
L. Kingman, general secretary of In December, 1944, four students
Stiles Hall, made a radio appeal for from Stiles Hall, along with five
justice for Japanese Americans. He others, went to Topaz to give special
said, at one point, “At the university counsel to Nisei students wishing help
we have many of these people who in relocating.
are now bewildered and distraught. Stiles Hall also administered a
Most of them are as American in $1000 grant made by the Rosenberg
their hopes, attitudes, and loyalties Foundation for needy Nisei students.
as any of us . . . they will prove their Eleven persons were helped by the
loyalty to this nation.” fund with grants ranging from $50 to
Stiles Hall continued to justify and $130.
interpret this appeal iii the months The body of Davis’ report reprints
that followed and despite criticism, items relative to the Japaness Amer
did not deviate from this policy. icans as they were printed in the
Some of the most forceful work in Stiles Hall weekly, the Y’s Bear.
behalf of the evacuees was done by Hundreds of reports attest to the
persons connected with Stiles Hall. continuous educational campaign
Names of Stiles Hall staff members which the YMCA carried on through
and associates dotted the member out the war and into the postwar
ship rolls of numerous organizations period to present the problems of the
which directly aided the evacuees. Nisei, to show their continued loyalty
and to ease their return to the coast.
Harry Kingman was a co-founder
of the Student Relocation Council, In hundreds of ways Stiles Hall
which helped Nisei students relocate helped the Nisei to readjust to post
to schools in the midwest and the war California. Stiles Hall’s aggres
east. Over twenty per cent, it is esti sive support of the rights of Japanese
mated, of the leaders in the Pacific Americans, Davis says, was a “pri
Coast Committee on American Prin mary factor in giving to Berkeley the
ciples and Fair Play were associated reputation of being a ‘white spot’ in
with Stiles Hall. Galen M. Fisher and the dark picture of evacuation.”
David P. Barrows, two of three per Reprinted from "Pacific Citizen”
sons originating the Fair Play Com April 2, 1949
 W A R D E P A R T M E N T
Office of The A s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y
Washington, D.O.

M a y 24, 1943

Dear Mr. Congressman:

I am in receipt of your letter of M a y 21, on the

subject of Japanese r e t u r n i n g to the West Coast.

While I have followed the Japanese matter on the

C o ast very closely ana o r i g i n a l l y took a d e t a i l e d interest in the
a d o p t i o n of the p o l i c y and the details c o n n e c t e d wit h the movement
of those of Japanese descent from the W e s t e r n Defense C o mmand areas,
I now act m e r e l y as one of the officials in the War Department who
d e a l with War Department, m a t t e r s r e l a t e d to the r e l o c a t i o n of J a p 
a n ese - A m e r i c a n citizens. The act ion *w h i c h p e r m i t t e d A m e r i c a n c i t i 
zens of Japanese descent w ho h a d become soldiers in the Army to r e 
turn on their first furlough after their induction into the A r m y to
the W e s t e r n Defense C o m mand was taken by the Chief of S t a f f and a f 
ter careful c o n s i d e r a t i o n by e number of officials in the Department.

As X have indicated, the War Department and the Army

w as resp o n s i b l e for e v a c u a t i n g the Japanese from the West Coast and
p l a c i n g them in r e l o c a t i o n centers in the first instance. That e~.
v a c u a t i o n from the West Coast was n e ver intended to imply mass d i s 
loyalty, but it was based on m i l i t a r y consid e r a t i o n s ar i s i n g from
the great a nd immediate threat to the West Coast and the lack of time
a v a i l a b l e to examine into individual cases. I notice that the....
C l u b r e s o l u t i o n w h i c h you e n c l o s e d r e c o g n i z e s that there are individ
ual s of Japan e s e an c e s t r y w h o are loyal citizens of the U n i t e d States,
a n d evidence which comes to me from time to time of the loyalty of
many of these citizens is simply too strong to ignore. It does not
seem a p p r o p r i a t e that these loyal c i t izens should receive the p u n i s h 
men t or be s u b j ected to the r e s t r i c t i o n s imposed uoon the disloyal*

The War D epartment has no present plan w h i c h w o u l d

perm i t even those who after very careful inves t i g a t i o n are found to
be loyal to the U n i t e d States to retu r n to their former- holies on tne
W e st Coast. However, it has permitted, after c o n s u l t a t i o n with' G e n 
eral DeWitt, soldiers of Ja p a n e s e extraction, w h e n in u n i f o r m end on
furlough, to visit any lo c a l i t y in the p r o h i b i t e d zone of the West '
Coast'. There may be a few other cases pending where we have no doubt
of the l o y alty of the individual in cases of m i x e d m a r r iages and, where
the War Department is w i l l i n g to raise its restrictions, but apart
f r o m these individual cases, as I say, the War Department has not
c o n s e n t e d to any return.
 As for the soldiers, the War Department h as taken,
in my judgment, the only p o s ition w h i c h it could sensibly a n d f a i r l y
t a k e .Citizens w h o have v o l u n t e e r e d to fight for their country, whose
loyalty has been found s a t i s f a c t o r y by Federal agencies, a n d who
hav e been a c c e p t e d by the Army, must be t r e ated just as any other
s o l diers w h o protect this country. There are r e l a t i v e l y few men in
v o l v e d in any case, and c e r t a i n l y it is rather f a n tastic to say that
the m i l i t a r y security of the W e s t Coast is impaired by this t e m p orary
r é i n t r o d u c t i o n of a few emn of this character into the area.

There has been some s u g g e s t i o n that on this point there

w a s some difference of view between the War Department and general
DeWitt. I have been in the closest touch w ith General DeWitt on all
m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g to the Japanese on the West Coast, and he has been
e n t i r e l y in a c c o r d wit h the p r i n c i p l e s stated by the War Department.
As you k n o w , I believe, the p o l i c i e s of r e l o c a t i o n are no in, the
h a n d s of the Wa r De partment at all. They repose in the War R e l o c a 
t i o n A u t h o r i t y and the W ar Department ha s no r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for the
r e l o c a t i o n of people of Japanese descent except as it involves s t r ictly
m i l i t a r y considerations. There m a y be social, economic, a nd other
factors w h i c h enter into the d e t e r m i n a t i o n of w h e n a nd w h e t h e r these
p e o p l e s h ould retu r n to the West C o ast or a n y where else in the U n ited
States, and in what n u m b e r . The War Department has felt that there
are still m i l i t a r y c o n s i d e r a t i o n s w h i c h make it u n wise to return any
large group to sensitive areas of the West Coast, but its only c o n 
n e c t i o n wit h the matter is on the basis of strictly mi l i t a r y c o n s i d 
erations .

Si n c e r e l y ,

/ e/ John J. M c C l o y

JOHN J. M c C L O Y
A s s i stant S e c r e t a r y of War

H o n o r a b l e W a r d Johnson, M.C.
H o u s e of Rep r e s e n t a t i v e s
Washington, D 0.
 -fc.hi(£f «Jr i'epaaktm ent.. h s u e -ie è tt " k u l i s t Jap an ese
£lj /userleens

{^^13^- 1 ;beah:',enoour ag 1ng.¿i ;:.

•v:;'•'|fie ;
' I c:‘5?.:iev:,t .-in;W&iv iftdust3fif& ¿¿a«.;-.•;■
p , agr 1cu lt ure# I àt prevailingli& gee* of Japaj»# Afòf^i^aaa who jjji
K^feà*# 'been a ttested as
actions.'m ^| oaÌeuX&ted!P’^e^alleviaie t^é:
:pi
"■ .' viiiàHpo^ei^. shortage and te further tue ear ¿iii'tj'rt-;■■ ■ ■ ' . ■ ■ . 1 ■ . :&\
ÌJ^p^FOBB B J f c ^ th a t th e fl*i*# $*$*1"coTOeridtó:theiWar ..j
®fcBèi>nrttient and th è *War jfclèppèeer Ò nfiietseion^ìr^^feei^ ;è i à i g h t i
■ livened end r e a l i s t io a t t i t u d e to^ a ra i lo y a l perfiniri**; off/Bapanee©

In an ILWU Convention held on the West Coast in Jun#» 1943#

the above resolution which I drafted and proposed was approved«
HLK
 <pj^-

C O P Y

I B MACNAUGHTON, PRESIDENT
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PORTLAND
PORTLAND, OREGON

I HAVE YOUR TELEGRAM OF JUNE 8TH IN WHICH YOU REFER TO A PROPOSAL

TO MEMORIALIZE CONGRESS IN FAVOR OF DEPORTATION OF ALL JAPANESE

AMERICANS IRRESPECTIVE OF CITIZENSHIP. THE WAR DEPARTMENT HAS
RECOGNIZED THE LOYALTY OF MANY JAPANESE AMERICANS AND HAS IN

CORPORATED A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF JAPANESE AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS

IN THE ARMY. THE RECORD OF JAPANESE AMERICAN UNITS IN THE ARMY
HAS BEEN EXCELLENT INDEED, A CERTAIN NUMBER HAVE RENDERED SERVICE
AGAINST THE JAPANESE EMPIRE FOR WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN DECORATED.

I FEEL THAT ANY PROPOSITION TO DEPORT ALL JAPANESE AMERICANS IR

RESPECTIVE OF CITIZENSHIP OR LOYALTY WOULD NOT ONLY BE INAPPROPRI

ATE BUT CONTRARY TO OUR EXPERIENCE AND TRADITION AS A NATION. DE

PORTATION OF DISLOYAL ELEMENT IS OF COURSE DESIREABLE BUT THE WAR

DEPARTMENT DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY SUCH SWEEPING PROPOSAL AS
YOU REFER TO IS JUSTIFIED IN MILITARY CONSIDERATIONS.

(FILED WASHINGTON D.O. JUNE $)

Henry L. Stimpson
 ORDER OF WORSHIP
Morning at Eleven

Organ Prelude—
M elody and Intermezzo - - - - Parker
Choral Call to Worship— Let the Words of M y M outh (5 3 8 )
The congregation rises with the choir to sing
***
Hymn 9— A ll People That on Earth Do Dwell
A Prayer of Confession by Minister and People
“God of Peace, we turn aside from an unquiet world, seeking rest
for our spirits anci light for our thoughts. We bring our work to
he sanctified, our wounds to be healed, our sins to be forgiven,
our hopes to be renewed, our better selves to be quickened. In
Thee there is harmony, draw us to Thyself and silence the dis
cords of our wasteful lives. Thou Whose greatness is beyond our
utmost thought, Whose goodness is beyond our highest praise,
lift us above our common littleness, and our daily imperfections;
send visions of the beauty that is in Thy world, of the love that
is in Thee, of the good that may be in us.”
A Choral Response by Choir and People
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of H osts!
Heaven and earth are full of Thee!
Heaven and earth are praising Thee! O Lord most high!”
The congregation is seated
•**
Anthem— Lord is my Shepherd - Smart
♦ **
The Scripture—Psalm 103
Silent Prayer of Intercession
The Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
♦ **
The Offering
The Offertory— Hail, Land of Freedom - Turner
The congregation rises as the offering is brought forward, and sings
The Doxology Offertory Prayer
C

A Statement by Mr. Stowe

Hymn 224— Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
Sermon—MANAGING OUR ANNOYANCES
The Benediction
A Response by Choir and Congregation
“Grant us Thy peace upon our homeward w ay:
With Thee began, with Thee shall end the day.
Guard Thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame,
That in this house have called upon Thy name.”
Organ Postlude— Harvest M arch - - - - - Calkin
* * * At the times thus indicated the ushers will seat those waiting.
 S U N D A Y , O C T O B E R 31, 1943

4 4 '
1874 - 1943

Y ori W ada wrote of the friendly cheers exchanged

when his tram fu ll of Nisei soldiers passed a con
tingent of white troops. I frequently hear that the
best treatment our Japanese Americans get is from
white fellows in uniform. A s for Nisei girls travel
ing in the M idwest, they don't need help from
“redcaps" — soldiers and sailors grab their bag
gage. M y wife has received about thirty letters
from men in the service testifying to the truth in
the generalization I am making.

(From a letter)

A A ) ." $ "
" ( + 1 2 % 34 ! / %
# 5

$ * , . ' 7 * *
," %
 AMERICA’S NEW CROP OF TUMBLE-STEEDS

— by Harry L. Kingman
General Secretary
University YMCA, Berkeley, California

Uprooted from their Pacific Coast homes and vocations more than 70,000 American
•citizens of Japanese ancestry are now, like ’’tumbling tumble-weeds” , being
swirled hither and yon by every wind that blows* One of our most valuable
racial minoritiesr composed in large part of capable, law-abiding, hard-working,
self-respecting and loyal Americans, is in the process of being warped into
another dependent and costly ward of the government.

The University Y.M.C.A. has been' one of the organizations which has felt
unusual concern for these people. Thousands of them are former students of
this University. Some of them have been valuable and popular members of the
Stiles Hall fellowship. We know individuals who are well assimilated into
American life and to whose loyalty to this nation we can testify.

Since both loyal and disloyal persons were congregated indiscriminately in

the relocation centers unfortunate incidents have inevitably occurred. It
is no wonder that morale has ebbed low at times. It may be that enlistments
in the Army will .prove disappointingly few in some of the centers.- The best-
informed authorities apparently hold, however, despite all this, that the
great majority of the evacuees are loyal to this country. The devotion of
most of them to the United States in the face of the rebuffs and discourage
ments that have been theirs is, in fact, inspiring.

Our traditional support at Stiles Hall of democratic freedoms makes it na

tural that we should be keenly disturbed over the unprecedented withdrawal
of citizenship rights from Americans merely because they happened to have
been born with Japanese faces. I wonder whether -those who are agitatirlg
in behalf of the various anti-Japanese legislative measures in Sacramento
and Washington would feel any different if they, too, had happened to be
born Japanese-Americans* I imagine they would feel, under those circum
stances, that racial discrimination is an evil thing.

The fact that the Japanese government has, in the past, claimed citizen
ship rights even over the Nisei is no more to be held against these people
indiscriminately than is Hitler's claim upon the Americans of German an
cestry. Someday, we ”of the land of the free and the home of the brave”
are likely to look back shamefacedly at an episode, born of. our unjusti
fied fears, wherein a little group of Americans, a quarter of them chil
dren (half of them under 21 years of age) were deprived of their freedom
on the sole basis of their racial appearance. Famous Police Chief August
Vollmer told me the other day that he thoroughly disapproved of the way
in which we had treated our Japanese Americans*

As the war against Japan accelerates and becomes more and more sanguinary,
public antagonism to those, of Japanese appearance is likely to increase.
The practice of punishing our citizens of Japanese ancestry not for their
own misdeeds but for the crimes of the Japanese government and military
caste will probably be all too common. Fortunately there will be many
who will stand firm against action so manifestly un-American and unsports
manlike. In the long run, I believe that we will do the square thing, even,
eventually, making governmental financial restitution for property losses
which our Government’s evacuation orders made inevitable.

The ”Y”s have done what they could to mitigate some of the mental suffer
ings of the. evacuees— the Army’s commendable attempt to handle the exodus
with all possible humaneness kept physical hardships at a minimum. We
have helped in the relocating of students in mid-western colleges; some of
the needed books and recreational equipment have been supplied; the at
tempt is being made to ward off discriminatory legislation; by correspon
dence we have sought to keep these dispossessed folks from feeling that
they are entirely forgotten and abandoned.

That these Japanese Americans possess qualities that our nation needs is
re-emphasized by the way some of them are meeting the* blows that have struck
them. Herewith are two rather moving examples:
SERGEANT YORI WADA OF CAMP ROBINSON, ARKANSAS, FORMER MEMBER OF THE STILES
STUDENT CABINET, .WROTE THE FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS EDITORIAL INr HIS CaMP PUBLI-
GATIGN:

HER AMERICA, HIS AMERICA, YOUR AMERICA....

She stepped onto American soil at the time of the tragic San Francisco fire.
Desolation stretched everywhere and the smouldering ruins were a pathetic
welcome to this woman who had left her native land across the Pacific.,*,
left that island country in search of a life of freedom. Not a life of
freedc^n from strife, toil, sweat and tears, but a fuller life of freedom
of conscience, freedom of expression, the great freedom of ideals planted
and nourished by Washington, Jefferson, Paine, Lincoln, and scores of Ameri
cans big and small.

This was America with her stretching plains and towering mountains,••.this
was America with her fertile valleys and smoking chimneys..this was Ameri
ca with her fruited orchards and giant skyscraper^. Yes, this was America,
and .her alien, foreign hands stretched out humbly and thankfully for a newer
better way of living. . , J ’ < _• ^

No, she didnrt leave hard wo.rk and .tears and grief behind.... she knew them
here too as she struck out into the land as bravely as any Pilgrim woman.••
as staunchly as Any pioneer woman crossing the country westward. Memories
of that homeland across the ocean grew fainter, but she forgot them not..,
how could she when it was the land.of her birth and growing up. But in
America, folks look to the horizon ahead, and she was in America.

She found her nook In a town in the San Joaquin valley...America...she liked
it Here and set out to do what every first generation foreigner sets out to
do: make a place for their sons and daughters despite prejudice and discri
mination, Yes,"every family in America has had someone such as she.

All this was HER AMERICA.

Later the children came and with them a more inspiring outlook ir^ America.
a s her sons and daughters grew up, they went to school...to American schools
where they learned of the men with their institutions who contributed un-
stintingly to this country. They also came to know and to like the many
people, young and old, who shared this American life with.them.

These Americans of foreign ancestry, her own, had their roots in this rich
soil..,it was theirs to hold and to love...it was theirs to add their share
for life in a democracy also entails responsibility. Carefully, conscien
tiously this alien Mother turned their sights to America above all. Odd
that this foreign woman from across the sea should take such pains that
her children should grow up as true Americans. But among the peoples of
many nationalities in these United States, this has always been the great,
unwritten creed. '‘< §S§!S S I , J y "if ' y ' '

Her son grew up in the American community. He liked it here...the peoples,

the land, the many institutions. Not only did he learn from books, but
from his experiences in daily living. But the way was not easy for he
learned early that the son of a foreign Mother faces prejudice and hard
ships. But he understood, too, of the many opportunities in this country.
Deep inside, he felt that a liberal, open-minded America was pulling for
him. For inscribed ’neath the hardy, symbolic Statue of Liberty was this
inspiring message: •

«GIVE m YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR,

YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE.
THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR TEEMING SHORES
SEND THESE, THE HOMELESS, THE TEMPEST-TOST TO ME,
I HOLD MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR.«

College beckoned and he followed. Four years at the campus near «the rugged
eastern foothills« made him aware more than ever of his place in this Ameri
can democracy. He pitched1in with youthful zest in pursuit of the human
affairs of peoples of this broad continent...the dictates of his conscience.
Names which are more than mere names take him back poignantly*.to days when
he sought to find out what made this country click...Harry Kingman and Stiles
Hall*..Jim Fowle and Asilomar...Barrington Hall and Jack Perlee...the Daily
Gal and Charlie Rosenthal and Charles Bell...Bob Stone and Don Eichner...
Tom Yamashita...Bob Speed...Sherman March and Red Hill and Charles Fencer,,,
all these made him realize that there was something essentially vital and -
alive in his America of factories, orchards, grain fields, hospitals, churches
cities-^ dairies, radio, subways, and self-government.

Graduation did not bring the kind of job he wanted...no employer was willing
to risk profits for liberalism. Despondent, he turned homeward,..and here
his foreign Mother stood by...stood staunchly by to support his failing-
faith in a just and equal America.

All this was HIS AMERICA

Came Selective Service and greetings from the President of the United States.
Chosen by his friends and neighbors'*, he changed from civvies to the uniform
of an American soldier. Fast passing days of drill, storm and heat of
bivouac, paydays. He sorta fitted here and he met farmers, city fellas,
collegians, cowboys, mailmen, professors, ditch-diggers. It didn't make
any difference whether their names were Brabianowski* Schultz ydfasukochi,
Suaste, Pietz, Juliano, Howe, Wagoner, Meeker, Luksemburg, Kohler, Bryan,
Frydenlund, Bales, or Novae. Youbre in the Army, an American soldier, and
a part of America.

Then on December 7, 1941.,.Pearl Harbor treachery*..war. For him there was

but one allegiance, but one loyalty. From his worried, alien Mother came
a heart-warming letter: "For your America, do not hesitate to give your
life." He tried hard to calm the whirling kaleidoscope. For him, for his
Mother, "this is worth fighting for" was not trite. They wanted desperately
to belong with the United Nations; And to him, it was gratifying that
many fellow soldiers welcomed him. For isn't Americanism one of faith in
justice, belief in tolerance, and courage to strive for them-— it- lias no
bounds of nationality and color.

No place to call home as the family is moved to a relocation camp...pride

and humility as he hears "The Star Spangled Banner" at Retreat...the
lonely thoughts of a soldier as he listens to Taps.,.fiercely anxious to
help as he hears and reads of the exploits of Yanks on many fronts...think
ing of this America...of Joe's farm...or Bob's garage...of Dick's home in
Chicago...of Ed's wife and home...of Fred's vegetable gardens..of Gil's
death on Bataan.

The American soldiers of an alien Mother.¿.will you deny them the privi
lege and right to fight for YOUR AMERICA?

NOTE: When the Secretary of War announced on January 28, 1943, that
Japanose-Americans would be enlisted in a combat unit at Camp Shelby,
Mississippi, Sgt. Wada immediately applied for a transfer from his
hospital job at Camp Robinson to the new unit.

FROM THE RELOCATION CENTER AT MINIDOKA, IDAHO, COMES THIS LETTER FROM A.
CAL ALUMNUS OF 1933. (A generous contribution to the Y's 1943 Finance
campaign was enclosed without comment.)

"Thank you for your letter. It was a real treat to hear how every one
of the Y boys are doing their part, i am under the medical department
here and I am working everyday as an optometrist. It keeps me busy and
I have made a number of ne?/ friends that I never dreamed of meeting.
Minidoka is not bad and all of our family are in good health. We are
thankful...

"I am glad to know that I have so many friends on the coast. This e-
vacuation has made me realize how insignificant one can be and at the
same time how important it is to keep a level head and look at the whole
over-all picture. X am thankful that this is America.

"Idaho is beginning io have a beauty in itself that I will never forget.

 J *, +

"The golden bright orange sunset over snow covered sagebrush, the clear blue
sky, the crisp clean air, the stillness, the quiet and vastness make one
lonely and yet there comes over one a feeling that he is not alone. I feel
that there is someGne to watch over all of us no matter where we are. His
presence gives one comfort and hope that is so welcome.

’’Even if it is for only this thing I am glad that I came out to Idaho. You
may have known for a long time that I was a member of the Buddhist Church.
Our Ancestors for the last 655 years have been Buddhist, and our home in
Japan has a Buddhist Temple on its grounds. My forefathers have been either
priests Or scholars.

"During my childhood I went to the Methodist Church in Oakland and learned

to read and I did read the Bible through twice when I was only thirteen.
Our parents built a Buddhist Church in Oakland in 1927 and at that time my
father made me go to the new Buddhist Church. Buddhism is a fine religion
and I cannot help but agree with a.number of its principles. I cannot find
any fault with my father1s life as a Buddhist, I refused to be baptised as
a Buddhist when the Chief Abbot was in America a few years ago. But I am
still what one would call a believer of Buddhism.

"Out here when I am alone I cannot help but think and realize all of the
fine things that friends like you have done for me. I have begun to wonder
what there is that guides your beliefs and actions. My first contact in a
close way was with the YMCA at Stiles Hall. I can only say that they were
the finest fellows that I have ever met. Then before, during and after
the evacuation...you Christians stepped to the front and took a lead and
gave a helping hand — all that I will never forget. I have started to won
der of God and other things. I am reading the Bible again and I hope to
convince myself that Christianity is something greater than my present con
cepts. I feel that there is a motivating power in life and someOne is al
ways there. I do not know whether I can call Him ...God. It will take
more time and deeper thought for me to find myself¿ I am glad I am started
and maybe it took these so called adverse circumstances to put me on the
right track.

"Minidoka is not bad and no matter how bad it becomes I am not going to
complain, for my bitterness is over and I am glad there is an added ’rich
ness’ in everything.

".Life is coming -to come to a more definite road for me -within a couple of
months. The Army...though I have not yet signed the volunteer papers I
have reserved the right to join when I desire. My father urges me to go.
He is in favor of my joining the army. The only thing that is stopping
me from joining now is the answer from the University of Buffalo School of
Medicine. My father and I agree that it is important that I do the best
y thing to serve the United States in what ever work I can do the most good.
The lack of M.D.’s and the need of them in the army, the fact that I may
be able to go this summer direct to medical school, and since I have been
striving for this goal for the last ten years I feel that it is only wise
to wait for a few months to see if I can get into the Buffalo medical col
lege in Buffalo, II.Y.

"I am doing everything to get admitted— starting to sell my home--trying

to get a quick loan, etc. If the door of the University is closed to me,
I will never be bitter...! know I ’ll go out and pitch in with the combat
^unit and add my bit to get this mess over in a hurry. When it is all over
I may by able to go back to California and enter a dream school of medicine...

'"There is not much more to say. In about three months I will be able to
tell you what happened and where 1 am. Till the next letter— "

Sincerely,

GEORGE
 Deeaabar 2S, 1941

àttera«/ S i s m i farai» Bìddl» today iaaead thè folloaiog atatarat

eoaearning ttw» «epla/nant of »II»»» la privai» iadustry* ?|f
§g#| » * • • # • # ! » # « # • • ft # # • ^
f»a «cebo a$o tha Jiepartiaent of ¿natica iaaotd «a appagi tè «tate «ai locai 1**»
anforeesaent agende» «ai io ih» general jubile io help guari «i ho&e thè fr«edo&a our
country i» aow fighiing io dafand by protecting ih» otvtl libarti«» of our loynl acuì*
cltieon populatio». Ther» «a» « hearteaing reopotiae ì» ibi# appeal— « of fcy
S *tarl« «ad of thè «ntagoalas toa&rd noa-citieens a» a ola«« óftiefc narrad our «arti»# ¡É
record of ivo decade« ago, «ai a villingnass io leav» io ih» qualified federai euthority
tb« probi»» of d«alìag tdih whatever dialo/al or treacharoua elefante, olii»«» «ad
all«« «liba, which aap siili «stai*
fbaro alili raaaln», horover, a »«rione probi«» la «djusting our ntgbta to our
«a* groat ©bjactivaj Ü 1» ih« probi»« of diaoriainatio© agaitiai all««« la privai«
»fsploymaat« f

Io sor» ehorb-sightad, oaatefu l or ua-ànarican p o llo / eould poaeibly b» «dop iti

j i th l» t l s s iban thai o f barrine sos-eitlaan » froa la g iU sa te private «aploysoai.
la tb» tir s i p i«e»# l i i» a k o o ì e ffe c tiv « nathod o f ereaUng d ito n ity , o f braaklng
|f b i t b * ith paopl» »ho bava .eoa«- io ¿ r a io n a» a bar«» o f lib erar aad f a ir p l«y«l i v i
i s « couplai* dioavoaal o f our à s ir ie s a la ttitu tio n a , our fraedon»* « a i ife# principia» |
; upoa ahi oh our danoera#/ ve* fou&dad*

<1 a« »©n*y to »«y ib a i nuoarou» inatancas bava eoa« io ih» attenti©» o f tb« So-
p a r l a s i o f /u t ile » o f «npìoyer» cüschargiag verbera baoausa o f «o¡$» vago» »suapioion# |
ib a i thay is«y b© d ialogal d i e s a 9 «ad i ? t s beoau»« tbey bave ^Foraigu-iounàing1* jsassosl
É|jf «houli; lib a to red ad *uch «isplcy«r» that of osar to ta l noR-oitl®#» popul&tion o f .
«botai fewey than 30QÙ~~*ix otti o f tea Uiousaiid—bava taca regarded «a danger*»
oua io iba paao» «ad safaty- o f thè-Oaitad Stai»«« Tb»«# hav»<f;;be«n tabea ia to custody
by ih« Federai authorìtìea»

É l ehould ala© lik * to point out to ih» e* «Siployor?* tbat aaay o f ih» *forai gR»rsw
thay bava diecfaargad aov hav *- aon» aervtag in «ur áráy «od -SSavy* .Asoag ibo»» vho d i t i
fig b iia g o f f ih» troaohorou» attacks upoo Panila «od la a r l Harbor ver* s ì q nsmwà Wagaar :
«od Faiaraan ^.nd Eoo«»; «od B oaiiai «od kuallar «ad- ìvaaau»aan*|^-i'v^

Sto b»rallen» fra ©»pleymaat i» boti abort-ol^iiad «ai va«l«ful« Our country
aaada tb» «Mili« mai torvi««» of «vary abl»«bodi«d «od loyal paxvoa« eiilaan or aliaa9
«od io depriva it of aucb sarviee» la «a eooiaoaio aaat» «ad a «tupid «rror* 1

fbara appaara to ba aooa confualc«, la ib is eeanaoiioa, «a io tb« p olicy o f tba

f«é»rml <krr«m&af!t and a » 1io thè roquireaaat« o f foderai »tatui«» eonearning tb» m**
pleyaant o f aliane A* io thè f i r s t , l i l a iba a i a i ^ p olicy o f thè fadarei Oovars^É
sa n i ib a i ibera «hall b* no diecriaiaftiiou in thè aaploysvnt of. vorbare; in dafanta ~
. induoiriaa bocaua» ©f rae«f eread9 color or satioaal frigia«

is i o ih» la v , ibara 1« ov.-lv <ma r e itr ic tio m In tha c«^# of a«crot9 co ^ fid a a ü a lÉ
or reciriqfUd Qoveruirai contraeia 9 and in thè caso .of eontraot« fo r a lr c r a fi parta or
accaaaori«« iba «aployar auai aaoura pex^laelon f r a iba haad o f tha Foderai Deportata!
.ooocamai fer iba o&plofaeni of allana« ) fba tar and lavy Daparteanta bava aatabllabad
r«.gular proeadura»-for handling snob applicatioca and. beva paaaad itpoe tbouaand»
tba«« |lt;;abould ba noisd tbat ih» paraaaiaga of oaaaa in ahiab parsdaalon bea noi baan
granici io aaploy aliane arai co «neh confidenti«! vork io nagllgibla»
 Th*r» i n no o th ir f t é i n i l Ia w i tê s tr lc tln g tb i w p loysiD t o1 aliena by priwt®
CSplOJtrt ili ayttaaâl diftSS® la4u®tPήS» SBÄ ther# SrS 00 *■ XâtéS.,W*^^fSO®V#r ■ ■
r e str ic tin g ihm m p m ^m n t o f foreign-born American c i tisana o f any particular na
tio n a l origin* .•-': ÿ; -
Thon* io sto reaaon M tb i world why lo y a l porcene, >■.■■
o f foreign b irth , should not be employed by A strictn industry; and there ■ $$ ao
p ossib le ju s tific a tio n for discharging such employes. The Federal Goverrusent eon-
i’lm nn such d is s r iiio s t io a and urges a l l employers not to adopt such a PSO*®y*
fa r threatens a l l e l v i l r ig h isi and although we bare fought wars before, and
our personal fTeedooa hawe eurvivèd» there haws been perioda o f groas abuse, when
hysteria and hate and fear ran high» and when m inorities were unlawfully and cru elly
abused. Every man who oarea about freedom, about a governassi by law * and a l l
freedow I t baaed oa f a ir administration o f the law - nuat fig h t for i t for the other
wan with who» be disagrees, for the righ t o f the « in e r iij> for the chanee for t e i
underprivileged with the sane pesatori o f in sisten ce as he claims for Ms own rights*
I f we sure about democracy, ve must care about i t as & r e a lity for others as s o i l
as for ourselves; yes,:- for a llo n s, for Gemens, fo r I ta lia n s , for Japanese, for
those who ere with us as w ell i t those who are against U9» iheJP-ill o f Eights
protects not only imbrican c itise n e but a l l hissas beings who liv e ©a our American
s o i l l under our American flag* The right« o f Anglo-Saxons, o f Jews, o f C atholics,
o f negroes, o f S lavs, Indians * a l l are Alike before the law* And in i* we i w t
remember nn^ sustain * that i s I f wo r c e lly love j u s tic e » s j k í - ifetn. tñ@ ■ _
bayonet and the whip and the gun, and the whole Gestapo method as-a way o f
husan b singa*-'«
 , ,
Dr. K. Kiyasu,
Victor Abe, San Francisco, Calif.
Bob Akaniatsu, Madison, Wisconsin
Masuji Fujii, Berkeley, California
Bill Fujita, Berkeley, California
Dr. Akio Hayashi, Sacramento, Calif.
Fred Hoshiyama, San Francisco
Dr. Harvey Itano, Pasadena, Calif.
David Kurihara, Livingston, Calif.
Dr. Norman Kobayashi, Los Angeles
Joe Masaoka, San Francisco, Calif.
Seichi Mikami, Fresno, California
Yoshiaki Moriwaki, Berkeley, Calif.
Harry Naka, Japan
Susumu Nakamura, Berkeley, Calif.
Mits Nakashima, San Leandro, Calif.
Rev. Nobu Nishimoto, Chicago, 111.
Kiyo Nobusada, Monterey, California
Chiura Obata, Berkeley, California
Hachiro Yuasa,
-' '' .)' ( )
Francisco, chmn.
Ted Ohashi, Los Angeles, Calif.
Eugene Okada, Sacramento, Calif.
Dr. Mas Sakata, Chicago, Illinois
Ben Sanematsu, San Francisco
Peter Shinoda, Los Angeles, Calif.
Goro Suzuki, Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Henry Takahashi, Berkeley
Dr. William Takahashi, Berkeley
Yosh Takakuwa, San Francisco
Eichi Tsuchida, Berkeley, Calif.
Dr. Kahn Uyeyama, Berkeley
Yori Wada, San Francisco, Calif.
George Yamamoto, San Leandro
Rev. John Yamashita, Oakland
Tom Yamashita, Chicago, Illinois
George Yasukochi, Berkeley, Calif.
Dr. Chitose Yanaga, Yale University
Mas Yonemura, Berkeley, Calif,
dand, California
) # %- . /+ %
! "0 -
Berkeley, Calif.
The unique role played by just one
institution, Stiles Hall, in helping
solve the problems of Japanese Amer
icans during the years 1941 to 1948 is
told in a report prepared recently by
William J. Davis.
Stiles Hall, headquarters for the
University of California YMCA was
intimately concerned with students
and other persons of Japanese an
cestry throughout the war, the evac
uation and the later relocation years.
The Davis report was prepared es
pecially to assist the San Francisco
JACL in soliciting funds for the Stiles
Hall Memorial building fund. The
chapter, which voted unanimously
last year to aid the building project,
will raise funds for a memorial to
Nisei soldier dead of World War II
in the proposed new building.
A week after the war began, Harry
L. Kingman, general secretary of
Stiles Hall, made a radio appeal for
justice for Japanese Americans. He
said, at one point, “At the university
we have many of these people who
are now bewildered and distraught.
Most of them are as American in
their hopes, attitudes, and loyalties
as any of us . . . they will prove their
loyalty to this nation.”
Stiles Hall continued to justify and
interpret this appeal in the months
that followed and despite criticism,
did not deviate from this policy.
Some of the most forceful work in
behalf of the evacuees was done by
persons connected with Stiles Hall.
Names of Stiles Hall staff members
and associates dotted the member
ship rolls of numerous organizations
which directly aided the evacuees.
Harry Kingman was a co-founder
of the Student Relocation Council,
which helped Nisei students relocate
to schools in the midwest and the
east. Over twenty per cent, it is esti
mated, of the leaders in the Pacific
Coast Committee on American Prin
ciples and Fair Play were associated
with Stiles Hall. Galen M. Fisher and
David P. Barrows, two of three per
sons originating the Fair Play Com
mittee, were associated with Stiles
Hall, while Mrs. Ruth Kingman, who
served as its executive secretary and
did notable work in behalf of the
evacuees, is the wife of Harry King-
man.
Throughout the war Stiles Hall
continued a number of projects, both
large and small, to aid Japanese
Americans.
Stiles Hall members sent books and
furniture to WRA centers and col
lected athletic equipment for young
sters in the camps. They, mailed hun
dreds of letters and copies of the
Daily Californian, the university
newspaper, to Nisei in relocation cen
ters and in the armed forces.
Student members of the University
YM and YWCA provided volunteer
labor to help the Pacific Coast Com
mittee on American Principles and
Fair Play.
In December, 1944, four students
from Stiles Hall, along with five
others, went to Topaz to give special
counsel to Nisei students wishing help
in relocating.
Stiles Hall also administered a
$1000 grant made by the Rosenberg
Foundation for needy Nisei students.
Eleven persons were helped by the
fund with grants ranging from $50 to
$130.
The body of Davis’ report reprints
items relative to the Japaness Amer
icans as they were printed in the
Stiles Hall weekly, the Y’s Bear.
Hundreds of reports attest to the
continuous educational campaign
which the YMCA carried on through
out the war and into the postwar
period to present the problems of the
Nisei, to show their continued loyalty
and to ease their return to the coast.
In hundreds of ways Stiles Hail
helped the Nisei to readjust to post
war California. Stiles Hall’s aggres
sive support of the rights of Japanese
Americans, Davis says, was a “pri
mary factor in giving to Berkeley the
reputation of being a ‘white spot’ in
the dark picture of evacuation.”
Reprinted from "Pacific Citizen”
April 2, 1949
 THE BASIS OF OUR CONCERN

A great many N isei have d irectly participated in the University YMCA, more common»
ly known as STILES HALL, L itera lly a l l of the California N isei were in d irectly
aided by S t ile s Hall when, during the hysteria o f the war, evacuation f e l l upon
us with a l l that which i t en ta iled .

At the peak of war hysteria and evacuation, Harry Kingman, General Secretary at
S t ile s Hall went on the a ir to observe and to prophesy, “At the University of
C alifornia I have known many of these people who are now bewildered and d is
traught, Most of them are as American in th eir hopes, attitu d es and lo y a ltie s
as any of u s ,,, they w ill prove th eir lo y a lty to th is n ation ,w This was not a
popular position to take a t the time i t was taken, but reveals the in sigh ts
and basic attitu d es which S t ile s Hall endeavored to make known when the tid e of
opinion was in the opposite direction for the N ise i,

I t was not within the power of S t ile s Hall to prevent evacuation, but i t did
what i t could to ligh ten the im plications of evacuation and to get as many
students as p o ssib le. The Student Relocation Council, formed in March, 1942
with the strong support of S t ile s H all, assisted in relocating 3,200 students
to Mid-West colleg es and u n iv e r sitie s, and nearly $125,000 in scholarship was
made available from many schools, churches, e tc , as a consequence of the concern
of the Student Relocation Council,

I t i s probably no sheer coincidence that of the three “founding fathers“ of the

P a cific Coast Committee on American Principles and Fair Play two were c lo se ly
a part o f the S t ile s trad itio n , Mr, Galen Fisher was a former student president
of S t ile s Hall,and U,C, President Emeritus, David P, Barrows, was the f i r s t
General Secretary at S t ile s Hall in 1895*

S ig n ifica n t too, was the appointment of Harry Kingman, General Secretary at

S t ile s H all, to be Director o f Region XII (San Francisco Headquarters) of the FEPC
(Fair Employment Practices Committee), While N isei were not the only benefactors
o f th is service, many were able to obtain jobs, or to retain them, because of the
FEPC,

But the N isei were there, too. Bob Akamatsu, Yori Wada, Toshi Yonemura, Maru
Hiratzka, Joe Kamiya are some who have served in important s t a ff positions at
S t ile s H all, not to mention many more who have been active in the student program
and members o f the Student Cabinet at S t i l e s ,

Our point i s this* S t ile s Hall must find a new home. We are organizing a N isei
Committee for the S t ile s Hall Memorial Building Fund, Our motivations are three:
(1) We can indicate our appreciation of the deep sense of f a ir play which has
always been synonymous with S t ile s Hall* (2) We would lik e to memorialize our
fellow N isei who f e l l in the la te war, (3) We would lik e to construct a per
manent reminder, for oncoming college generations, of the fundamental importance
o f democratic liv in g and fa ir play.

Our hope i s to provide the co st of the Library Alcove provided for in the plans
of the new S t ile s Hall* I t is estimated that th is cost w ill run to $2,000,00#
This, then becomes our N isei Committee^ goal.

We cord ially in v ite you to join with us in helping eith er through your sponsor
ship or active part on our Committee to top our goal in the S t ile s Hall Memorial
Building Fund Drive,

N isei Committee for the

April 1949 S t ile s Hhll Memorial Building Fund
 !!

5! !
6 ,
Editor: It was good to read
your March editorial, “Human
Rights,” in which you deplore
a death threat made against a
man in San Leandro who wanted
to sell to a non-Caucasian.
While approving your general
position, may I ppint out that
you have really missed a major
point, i.e., that the non-Cauca
sian in question is not, as you
say, a “Japanese,” but rather an
i American oi Japanese ancestry.
| In speaking of Dr. Saturu
ILarry Haikawa, an Army vet-,
leran, as “a completely respecta-l
Ible Oriental whose merit is re-F
Ifleeted in the fact that he is ant
¡instructor at the University of
¡California dental school,” you
¡recognize iur, Haikawa as an ed
ucated, respectable member of
| society. This is good.
However, to describe him as
Ian “Oriental” is far removed
from a clear acceptance of the
Haikawa family as Americans
[who happen to have Japanese
ancestors, but who are, never
theless, Americans, deserving
of full rights and privileges of
all persons so identified.
—MRU H. L. KINGMAN.
Berkeley.
 ' ,
0% " Letters to The Forum must be
Editor: I would like to com
mend an editorial appearing in
your issue of March 18 on
“Human Rights.*' This article
had to do with the threats'in
the case of a Japanese-Ameri-
can who wished to get a place
to live in San Leandro.
You are genuinely to be con
gratulated on your stand in
such cases—those of the rights
of people with either Oriental
Or maybe Negro backgrounds to
find places to live in freedom
and unrestraint. Many of these
people are second and third*
even fourth generation Ameri
cans. That is a longer American
ancestry than many of those
who may protest their presence
in the neighborhood or State.
Admitted that the problems
of assimilating peoples of varied
racial backgrounds in fairness,
equity kindness and social ad
justment is not. easy. Yet we
in our United States are in a
great and interesting process of
working out those problems for
a better day . . . for all con
cerned. . . . Thank you for being
on the constructive side of lead
ership in this kind of thing. For
myself,» I am neiffier Oriental
nor Negro in racial bacKground.
That just for the record here.
But I do feel that the way of
best progress in our civilization
is the kindly human wajr of
quiet and constant readjust
ment.
—T. M. ATKINSON.
Berkeley.
Editor: May I compliment
Mrs. H. L Kingman who wrote
“. . . that the non-Caucasian in
question >is not, as you say, a
*Japanese,’ but rather an Amer
ican of Japanese ancestry . . .
However, to describe him as an
‘Oriental’, is far removed from
a clear acceptance of the Aikawa
family as Americans who hap
pen to have Japanese ancestors,
but who are, nevertheless,
Americans} deserving of full
rights and privileges of all per
sons so identified.”
Your expressions on this mat
ter comfort me, Mrs. Kingman,
for I am an American of Chi
nese ancestry.
D. S. LEE.
Oakland.
7 for you. As God keeps peace
Editor: I have just completed
the reading *pf an article; “Nisei
Intimidated on West Coast,”
which appeared in our evening
newspaper. It reveals that cer
tain inhabitants of a community
named San Leandro have or
ganized hearts of greed, selfish-,
ness and prejudiceness in a
move to denounce Dr./ Satoru
I
signed and contain full street
address to allow verification.
Names will be withheld on re
quest. The Tribune disclaims
responsibility for opinions ex
pressed.
Larry Aikawa, an American cit
izen, the privilege of providing
for his family a home of com
fort and convenience. The au
thor of this article used the
"term “neighbors” when refer
ring to these individuals, but
surely he only implied it to
specify that these characters
live in Dr. Aikawa’s desired lo
cality. #
It is evident that these par
ticipants are not of a Christian
belief, nor advocators of Chris
tian principles. Certainly they
do not claim citizenship of a
country as great as America
because true Americans frown
upon such actions. Naturally
they cannot be “neighbors,” for
good neighbors strive to uphold
the previous named character
istics. /
So, in h a b ita n ts, remember
that this man, whom you choose
to condemn, accepted the call of
his nation—the nation that you
dare to claim. He took upon
himself the same responsibili
ties,-'the same dangers and the
same attitudes of loyalty as did
some of your sons and, like
thousands of loyal Americans,
vowed to die that America
might live. Now that he wishes
to advance himself in an hon
orable profession, you dare to
deny him his rightful American
heritage.
Dr. Aikawa, my wife and I
personally welcome you as our
neighbor and fellow American.
—E. J. BECK.
Salisbury, N.C.
( '! +8 "5
Editor: Reading about the
Aikawa family last night in
your paper, I think that family
has a right in San Leandro. I
live in Hayward and have two
Japanese families as neighbors
and you couldn’t ask for more
wonderful neighbors. They
keep their homes and gardens/
neat and always have a smile
in our country, let’s keep it that
way as neighbors.
The people in San Leandro
should welcome the Aikawa
family. If he is good enough
to serve our country he is good
enough as a neighbor. Good
luck to the Aikawa family.
—A TRIBUNE READER
Hayward.
 )" 9 #!
S f-F air andjman, general »“ retary oi the Uni-
of evacu^ted Jap- Versity of California Y.M.CA.,.
— ------- ^ ± _ d by Harry L. King-1 speaking at the annual meeting of
the organization’s advisory hoard.
The meeting honored-Dr. Robert
Gordon Sproul, president of the
University, who exactly 30 years ago
concluded a term as student head
of the campus' ”3?”
Kingman, stressing leadership ta
ken by Stiles Hall, the University
YM.CA. in the Japanese situation,
declared that'the "question is ojkey
importance because .it w

fundamental to Aitierican P
C‘? S t t e Hall has bean tasteomenW
in providing ■ -.jr-
relocation of Japanes^ttudents m
Midwestern colleges,” £ingman r “
^ rte d T W n g f e ^ ^ Y e a ^ ih ^
also acted as treasurer for , ^ e
National Student Relocation¿Cgjj
mittee Students at Stiles Hall nav
actively interested themselves in the j
nlieht of their fellow students m
relocatibn centers by sending books
and eV pm ent ^ I n ^ a n ^ g
Christian Associations. They nave
also helped through correspondence
? | S i n their faith in W -
^Tribute was paid President Sproul
for the part h e'has played.asWest
Coast chairman of the National S
dent Relocation Committee and also
as honorary chairman of th W-
cific Coast Committee on American
Principles F a i r Play .th e latter
body organized* to defend .the co
stitutional rights of Japanese Amer
icans and to support the p ^ cie s o
tiie War Department and War Re
location Authority, , d
President Sproul characterised
activities of the University Y M C A.
“as Christianity in action and de
clared that the organization had
exercised a “deep. mfluence on my
life and the lives of hnany students
before and after me.”
Anson S. 'Blake, actively, asso
ciated with Stiles Hall, for 58 years
presided at the meeting. ^
Davis, associate: secretary, reported
plans of the “Y” and other campus
religious agencies to serve new
Army and Navy trainees assigned to
the University. ._. .
In addition to President Sproul
and Chairman Blake, other advisory
board members at the annual dinner
included:* Ralph T. Fisher, ©wm Le
Tendre, Donalo Mackay, Weller
Noble, Charles Gulick, WaUer Gor-
don Brooke Petray, Herman Spmdt,
[Clifford Pettygrove, Dr. I^on J-
Richardson, B. R- Bowron, George
Adams, Mayor Frank S. Gainey
Frederick Ching, Charles Moore and
Professor Ewald T. Grether.
 DEAR READER
Thank you f o r your l e t t e r a d d ressed to
th e P u lse o f th e P u b lic , We hope to make
u se o f i t , but i f we do n o t , we hope you
w i l l u n derstand th a t sp a ce l i m i t s th e
•number o f l e t t e r s we can p rin t;; and th a t
f a i l u r e to u se yours does n o t im ply la c k
o f a p p r e c ia tio n o f i t s t im e lin e s s or
m erit..

FRANK A. CLARVOE
E d ito r .
SAN FRANCISCO NEWS
812 M issio n S t r e e t
San F r a n c isc o 1 , C al.
 _____________\o /QíAV H
( T H IS S ID E O F CA RD ISTFQW A D D R E S S )

Mr. W illia m J . D a v is
Y.M.C .A . S t i l e s H a ll
— t f m v e r x ít y o r C a l i f o r n ia
B e r k e le y , C a l i f oraler
. '#
Editor—Thisjis in answer to the
letter of December »15 under the
caption: “Return of »Japanese.” It
may be of interest to William J.
Davis, Y. M. C. A., ^University of
California, that the people of Cal
ifornia are overwhelmingly op
posed to the return pf any Japa
nese to the CoasUf'and in order
to get a cross-section of the true
sentiment of what the people re
ally thought of the “Return of
Japanese,” Sam Hayes, news an
alyst, put this question over the
air: “All those not in favor, vote
No; all those in favor, vote Yes.
Out of 15,570 replies, here is the
tabulation, and Mr. Davis can’t
laugh this off: 97 per cent No, 3
per cent Yes. So you see Mr. Davis
represents a very small clique.
Oakland. H. C. BLAKE.
 Aa Address by Sergeant Ben Xhroki, U.S« Army Air force
Comaonwealth Club, San'Francisco, Calif«
February 4 , 1944

X want to thetAk you gentlezoen, esp ecia lly Mr« Deutsch and Mr» Ward, for
in v itin g me to speak to you today* This i s a great honor, and X. r e a lly ap
preciate it« I just hope that 1 won’t disappoint you« People who are going
to make speeches usually start out by saying that they don’t know how to ,
but in my case i t ’s r e a lly true« A so ld ier’ s job i s to fig h t, not ta lk , but
I ’l l do the best I can«
I ’ve spent most of ny l i f e in Hershey, Nebraska, which is n ’t where they
make Hershey candy bars« Hershey i s so small that probably none of you has
ever heard of it# Before the war the population was about 500; now X guess
f t ' s about 300«
I didn’t even liv e in Hershey; my father had a farm a mile north of
town» I remember the farmers used to go to town every Saturday night and
stand in groans on the street com ers talking about th e ir cows and horses«
We*vo liv ed on that farm since 1928, and a fter I finish ed high school I
helped my father work i t u n til the war came along«
The la st two years are what r e a lly matter, though, and maybe I can t e l l
you somethi ng about them, even i f I don't'know much about making speeches«
That’ s'one thing the Army didn’t teach me, though i t taught me a lo t of other
th in gs, and the experience I went through as a resu lt of being in the Array
taught me even more,
I learned more about democracy, fo r one thing, than you’l l find in a l l
the books, because I saw i t in action . When you liv e with men under QpiQr
bat conditions fo r 15 months, you begin to understand what brotherhood,
equality, tolerance and unselfishness r e a lly mean. They’ re no longer just
words.
Under f i r e , a man’s ancestry, what he did before the war, or even h is
present rank, don’t matter at a l l . You’re fig h tin g as a team—th a t’s the
only way a bomber crew can fig h t—you’re fig h tin g fo r each other’ s l i f e and
for your country, and whether you r e a liz e i t at the time or not, you’re
liv in g and proving democracy.
Something happened on my f i r s t mission that might give you an idea of
what X mean. We were in a fla k zone—«the a n ti-a irc ra ft was terrib ly accurate
—and we had a flo c k of fig h te rs attacking u s,
A s h e ll burst right above the t a i l , and fla k poured down. Our t a i l
gunner was a young kid named Dawley, from New Jersey* The piece that got him
was so big i t tore a four-inch hole through a quarter of an inch of alumi
num and double-welded 6teel« I t oaught him ju st abovo the ear* I t went
through h is fur helmet, and in so far we couldn’ t even see i t when we got
to him«
I was fir in g the right waist gun on our Liberator that day« A ll of a
sudden I heard him y e ll over the interphone; uI*m h it in .th e head, l e t ’ s
get the h e ll out of hereV*
We couldn’t leave the guns u n til we’d shaken the Messerschmitts that
were a fter u s^ -it would have been suicide—but in a few minutes the tunnel
 %
"•*"*

gunner and X wer© able to get back to the ta il«

Hh pulled Dawley back into the-fuselage, so that we could work on him
and at the sama time watch out for more fighters. Then we took off our fur
jackets and covered him up. It was about 10 below zero and we were about
freezing to death.

He was in terrible shape; I can’t even begin to describe the look of

pain on his face. He was semi-conscious, but he couldn’t open his mouth to
speak. His lips seemed to be parched, as though he was dying of thirst,
Wb couldn’t understand how he was still alive.

X called the radio operator, because he ’s the one who is supposed to

administer'first aid on a liberator, but instead the co-pilot, a first
Lieutenant, came back. He was going to give Dawley a morphine injection,
but I stopped him. They’d taught us in gunnery school not to give morphine
for head injuries; it might kill the man instantly. The co-pilot had either
forgotten or was so excited he could think only of stopping the pain.

Anyway, I motioned to himr— we couldn’t hear each other above the roar
of the motors— I pointed to my head and shook it. The co-pilot evidently
understood, because he didn’t give Dawley the morphine.

That tail gunner lived to fly and fight a&ain, and the last I heard
he had completed his tour of duty. Whether or not X was instrumental in
saving his life by stopping that morphine injection isn’t important— it was
just that we had to work together regardless of rank or ancestry.

The‘tunnel gunner that helped me with him was Jewish, I ’m a Japanese-

American, the bombardier of our crew was a German, the left waist gunner was
an Irishman, Later I flew with an American Indian pilot and a Polish tunnel
gunner. Uhat difference did it malo? We had a job to do, and vie did it
with a kind of comradeship that was the finest thing in the world.

That first mission was over Biaerte; it was the 13th of December, 194&,
and we’d just arrived in French North Africa from England two days before.
Bien I say «we” I ’m talking about the outfit I was serving with; it was Brig,
Gen, Ted Timberlake’s Liberator bomber group, which everybody over there
called «Ted’s Traveling Circus” because it got around so much back and forth
between England and Africa. Ih fact, it got around so much it kept German ^
military intelligence guessing, trying to figure out where it was xrom week
to week.

It was a funny thing— I ’ d just been assigned to a crew the day before
we left England, although the group had been based there for About four
months. I ’d finished gunnery school more than a month before, and ever since
I ’d been trying to get assigned to a crew. It wasn’t easy; I ’d talk to the
pilot whenever I knew there was going to be an opening in a crew, and eacn
pilot would assign me temporarily and then replace me when the time came for
permanent assignment,

I understood well enough how they felt; and they knew I was as good as
any man they did assign, but still they were uneasy. But I wanted to get
into combat more than anything in the world, so I kept after it.
 In fact, it had been one continual struggle from the beginning of my
Army career, and I felt that I had done pretty well to get overseas and to
gunnery school#

Two days after Pearl Harbor,
Grand Island, Nebraska, to enlist
for nearly a month because of’ all
Army camps at that time# For the
prejudice was#
my brother Fred and I drove 150 miles to
in the Army Air Forces# We were held up
the confusion and misunderstanding in
first time in our lives we found out what-

I began to realize right then that I had a couple of strikes on me to

begin with, and that I was going to be fighting two battles instead of one—
against the Axis and against intolerance among my fellow-AmericanSi

Finally, after two more trips to Grand Island and three telephone calls,
Fred and I viere accepted at the recruiting station at North Platte, and sent
to Sheppard Field, Texas, for basic training.

There was so much prejudice among the recruits there, that I wondered
if it would always be like that; if I would ever be able to overcome it#
Hven now I would rather go through my bombing missions again than face that
kind of prejudice,

IBy kid brother Fred could hardly stand it. He ’d come back to the bar
racks at night and bury his head in his pillow and actually cry• We were
not only away from home for the first time; but because of this discrimina
tion, we were the loneliest two soldiers in the Army.

After basic I was sent to clerical'school at Fort Logan, Colorado,and

then to Barksdale Field near Shreveport, Louisiana, for permanent assign
ment. Of the 40 clerks sent to Barksdale, I was the last one assigned. I
spent about a month at Barksdale, most of it on K.P. You’ve all heard the
Air Forces motto, «Keep ’Ha Flying.** Well, my motto was “Keep ’Em Peeling” ;
they called me "Keep ’Em Peeling5* Kuroki in those days#

The mostdiscouraging thing about that was the fact that X had no
assurance that I ever would be assigned# About the only thing that kept me
going were the wonderful letters of encouragement I received from home# My
sister would'write me that I had to realize that Americans were shocked by
Pearl Harbor, and that many of them were unable to distinguish between.
ese and Americans of Japanese descent# I still was without a friend in the
Army, though, and that made it bad. There was only one boy who was kind to
me at all— he used to get my mail for me when I was on K#P# and couldn’t
got away#

I vías finally assigned to a squadron in General Timberlake’s bomber

group; whieh had boon formed at Barksdale and was ready to move to Fort*
ivfy-ors, Florida, for final training. A fow days before we wore to leave,
the commanding officer of my squadron called me in and told me X wasn’t
going; and that I was to be transferred to another outfit#

That was about the worst news I had ever heard# I asked him why, and
he said that he had nothing to do. with it. He started asking me questions
then— how I liked the Army, and so forth# I told him pretty bluntly about
 4-
the prejudice X was encountering» and that I didn’t even go into town because
I couldn’t enjoy a minute of it when X did« He seemed sympathetic enough,
but he said there was nothing he could do to stop my being transferred«

But, my words must have had some effect, beoause the'day before the
group left, he called me back and told me to pack my bags, that I was going
with them*

At Fort ftfrers I did clerical work'for about three months* I gradually

began to win over some of the soldiers, and the boy who used to get my mail
for me at Barksdale became a good friend of mine* We were in a truck acci
dent one day, and X was able to help him* ifter that we were inseparable*
4
When the group had finished training and wee ready to go overseas, I
was given orders, as I had been at Barksdale, transferring me out of my
squadron* This was even worse than the time at Barksdale, because I really
wanted to go overseas and had been counting on it for three months*

General Timber3.ake--*he was then a colonel— was already up north with

the air echelon of the group, sfc I couldn’t see him* X went to see'the
squadron adjutant and begged him, with tears streaming down my-face, to
take me along. He said there was nothing he could do about it, that it
wasn’t because I was of Japanese descent* But he did agree to talk it over
with the group adjutant, and in about an hour he came back with the good
news that I would remain with the outfit* J was about the happiest guy in
the world just then,
/
We shipped north right after that and sailed from New York on the last
day of August 1942,* Ours was the first Liberator group sent to the European
theater. As soon as we had our base'set up in England, I applied for com
bat duty. I had to beg for that too, but at least I was sent to gunnery
school. i

It wasn’t much schooling— about a .week, X guess— a lot different from^

the way it is now, when every crew member goes to school for months in this
country, I really learned to shoot the hard way, in combat.

As a result of the recommendations of the armament officer, I was ac- ’

cepted on Major J. B. Epting’s crew as an auxiliary member; we were to go
out on a raid the next day, but it was cancelled because of the weather*
About a week later I was permanently assigned to his crew. The next day we ♦
flew to Africa and my tour of duty began* Once again I ’d received a break
just in the nick of time,

• We were glad to get away from the cold» fog, rain and mud of England#
Boy, Africa seemed like heaven for the first'two days. It was dry and warm
and the sun was shining. It was interesting, too, at first, I met my first
live Arab. The Arabs used to come out to the base peddling tangerines and
oranges and eggs, foods via hadn’t seen for months in England* X remember in
London they were asking 18 shillings— about ^3*50— for a pound of grapes;
one of our boys even asked the vendor if they had golden seeds in them*

One of our gunners made a deal with an Arab— a filthy barefoot old man
dressed in something that looked like grandma’s nightgown* The gunner told
 -him Jie would trade the plane for.six eggs delivered every day for six
months, !o every day the Arab would bring him six eggs. Then he would go
over to the plane and pat it and smile, thinking of the day when it would
be his. We wondered what he thought when we took off one day and didn’t
•%cbme bapk, ’ ■ -•
•i 4. M ; •. . .‘ *
After the second night in Africa we weren’t so sure it was an improve
ment on England. It started to rain and kept on raining until we finally
'couldn’t operate at all,. We had no tents or barracks or any place to sleep#
Some of_ the boys slept under the plane until it got too muddy. I picked
the' flight deck inside for myself, but gave it up so that Major Epting could
•sleep there. I slept in the- top turret.

If you have any idea of the size of a top turret on a Liberator, you
can: imagine, how comfortable I was,. I had- to sit up, and all night I would
bump info switches which would snap on and wake me up. One night .of that
was enough for me.

We’d left England in such a hurry that we didn’t have mess kits. All
the -time we were in French North Africa we ate our canned hash and hardtack
but Of sardine cans. "

'And the mud— I ’ve never seen such gooey mud. Our group flew about
threq or.four missions from that base and then the planes couldn’t even get
off tho ground. They'd start, to take off and sink into'the mud a 1,1 the
-up to the.belly, and then w e ’d have to unload the bombs,.dig the'”ship but,
reload and try again. It Vías a messi After about 18 days we'gave upland
moved out cf there. . * ' • •

From French North Africa we went to the Libyan desert, near Tobruk,
not long after the Germans had surrendered it. Tobruk was.the’most desolate
place I have ever seen; it was full of abandoned tanks and'guns and broken
buildings# Only ;a churchihad escaped complete destruction, and no living
.person dwelt in th$t icity, ... , .

But.as far as we were concerned, we were glad to get out of our mud-
hole in North'Africa, but not for. long. We were in Libya three months. In
all that time, we were able to take a bath only once, and that was when we
were,given leave to f j.y to .an Egyptian city for that specific purpose. That
was the only time we shaved, ts> :;. we must have looked like a convention of
Rip Van Winkles befofe we left•'

• There were no Laundry facilities; we were allowed only a pint of water

a day for everything. This water we drew’from a well, which we had- to
abandon after a whilb when we found some* dead Germans in it.

We were at; least 300 miles from any town, excepting the dead city of
Tobruk. We had no entertainment, of any kind out ’there on the desert; when
we weren’t on raids we just lay around in our tents, or took walks in the
desert.

- The most dismal Christmas eve of my life I spent on the Libyan desert.
It was cold, and we didn’t even have tenté to sleep under# We slept in our
clothes and didn’t even take off our shoes. Our morale was certainly low
 +-

tliat night, as we thought of the fun we could be having in the States, and
of our families and, friends báck there» But it , ! things like thatj as well
as actually fighting together, that bring men close to one another, as close
as brothers.

Our group was going on raids about every other day while we were in the
desert, and they were all pretty rough. We bombed Rommel’s shipping lines
over and over at Rizerte, Tunis, Sfax, Sousse and Tripoli in Africa. Then
we started in on Sicily and Italy,

We had some boys of Italian parentage flying with us, and whenever we
took off to bomb Naples or Rome I ’d kid them about bombing their honorable
aneestoret ’’W e ’re really going to make the spaghetti fly today % -- I ’d say,
and they’d retort that they couldn’t wait to knock the rice out of my dis- ,
honorab le arc est ors»

Naples was always a rough target. It was the wflak city” of the
Italian theater* The flak burst so thick and black.you couldn’t even see
the planes a. hundred yards behind you. Yet our raids over there were
called spectacular examples of precision bombing.

We participated in the first American raid on Rome last July, It was

the biggest surprise I ’d had so far; we thought we were going to run into
heavy opposition, end we were almost disappointed when we found hardly any#

We bombed Sicily and Southern Italy at altitudes of about 25,000 feet,

and it really gets cold at that height. One time over Palermo it was 42 be
low zero. X froze two oxygen masks; after that I had to suck on the hose
to get any oxygen.

Even at that height we could see our bombs breaking exactly on their
targets, and as much as an hour after we had left the targets we could see
the smoke rising from the fires we had caused.

It gave you a funny feeling; you couldn’t help but think of the péople
being hurt down there,- I wasn’t particularly religious before the war, but
X always saicl a prayer,'and 1 know for sure that my pal Kettering, the
radio operator, did too, for the innocent people we were destroying on
raids like that.

But we were in no position to be sentimental about it. The péople

knew they were in danger, and they could have gotten out. Besides, we f
weren’t fighting against individual people, but against ideas. It was
Hitlerism or democracy, and we couldn’t afford to let it be Hitlerism, And
so, unfortunately, it was German and Italian lives or ours. That was the * *
only way you could look at it.

It was a happy day when after three months of Libya, we received orders
to return to England, We took off from Tobruk at midnight. There was no
formation; the planes left at twO-minute intervals, and each was on its own.

The next morning, instead of seeing daylight, we looked out over s

blanket of clouds without any opening. We had had to go up to'about 10,000
feet to get over the clouds, and now we couldn’t go under them, for fear of
crashing into mountains.
 We were lost. The navigator could do nothing, and the radio operator,
though he was working like mad, couldn't get his messages through because
of the weather. Finally he got a message, but by that time we didn’t have
enough gas to get to the air field that had ansviered us. W e ’d already been
up 11 hours and 20 minutes with a 10-hours* supply of gas. We expected to
go down any minute.

The pilot called back that anyone who wanted to bail out could do so.
hlobody did; I know I had so much faith in Major Epting’s flying ability
that I wouldn’t leave until he did. All of a sudden; and it seemed like a
miraele to us who were tensely waiting for the crash, there was a tiny rift
in the clouds. Epting didn’t wait one second; he just dove right into it,
and made-a perfect landing in a valley that wasn*t big enough to land a cub
in safely,

We had just gotten out of the plane when a swarm of Arabs surrounded
us. There must have been a hundred of them, and the!^ were armed with rifles
spears, and some with clubs. When we saw them coming we debated whether'we
should shoot at them or try to talk to them, vie decided to talk to them,
but we couldn’t understand them and they couldn’t understand us.

They..didn't hurt us, but'they certainly weren’t friendly. They took

everything away from us— guns, wallets and everything we had in our pockets
— and they wouldn’t let us near the plane.

lie had no idea where we were, but in a few minutes a Spanish officer
came up and arrested us, and we found out that we had landed in'Spanish
Morocco. The officer marched all of us, our crew and the Arabs, into a
native village about two miles away. The procession we made caused more
excitement, X guess, than that village had had in its entire history.

The natives all thought I was Chinese, but Kettering, our radio opera*-
tor, explained to the Spanish soldiers that I was Japanese American. That
created quite a stir when it got around. Most of the people, both Spanish
and Arabs, flatly refused to believe it, and later it took the American
embassy to prove it to them.

a. few days we were flown to Spain in a German plane and interned in

a mountain village* We thought we ’d be there for the duration, but within
two months, through methods I can’t reveal, we were in England.

From England we bombed targets in Germany and began preparations for

the raid on the Roumanian oil fields at Ploesti, preparations that were to
last three months and take us back to the Libyan desert. In England our
group practiced low-level bombing. We practice-bombed our own airfields,
each plane having its own specific target. That way our bombardiers got
accustomed to finding targets at low altitude.

After nearly a month in England we returned to Africa. This time our

base was set up near the city of Bengasi in Libya. Here we had a complete
dummy target of what we later learned were the Ploesti refineries,

Up to this time I had been a tail gunner, but now X was assigned to
the top turret, the position I held throughout the rest of my missions* To
celebrate the event, Kettering painted in big red letters across the glass
douse of the turret these words: ''Top Turret Gunner Most Honorable Son Sgt#
Ben K u r o k i " M o s t Honorable Son” was what* they usually called me— that or
“Hara-kiri.” They were a great bunch over there.

Every day that we weren’t on missions, 175 Liberators loaded with prac
tice bombs would take off in groups at regular intervals and bomb duplicates
of the real target, ¿n these'practice raids, each group rather than each
plane had its specific target, so that it was really a dress rehearsal of
the actual raid. Some of the planes flew so low that they came back with
their bomb-bay doors torn off. And we sure scared the daylights out of the
natives; wo had to dodge groups of Arabs and their camels all over that desert

Despite the heat wo had to do double work, becauso we had only a-skele
ton ground crew— our real base was still in England. Wo’d go up into 10 to
SO-below-zero temperatures and then come back into 110-above heat, it was
no wonder that a lot of the boys came down with colds.

We had fewer sandstorms and they didn’t last as long as when we had
been stationed near Tobruk. What really worried us were the poisonous sand-
viper snakes and scorpions. The scorpions especially— big two-inch long
devils with curving tails were thick as flies. We’d find them in our blan
kets and everywhere else. If you got stung by one of them, you really knew
it; you’d be sick as a dog for at least a day.

The month'preceding the PlOesti raid we were taking part in the inva
sion of Sicily, bombing Massina, Palermo and various airfields. It*s unusual
for heavy bombers to bomb airfields, but we were assigned that job so that it
would be impossible for enemy fighter planes to take off from those fields
and strafe our ground troops as they landed. .

During all our practice for Ploesti we were intensely curious as'to
what our target was going to be. Humors of all kinds floating around, but
no one thought it would be ploesti because no one could imagine how we could
carry, enough gas to get there and hack.

Our base was guarded by British anti-aircraft gunners, and we used to

ask them what they thought about our flying so low. They said it was an ad
vantage from the point of view of escaping the heavy anti-aircraft fire-, but
that we would be dead ducks for anything smaller than 40 millimeter cannon.
Right then we began to think of the approaching raid as a “ suicide” mission.

The last week in July every crew member in every group was restricted
to the base until after the mission, but it was not until the day before
we left that vie were told the target was the Roumanian oil fields’. That was
news all right. You hardly ever hear of an oil field being bombed— the only
other one I know of was in Burn». We were really surprised. There had been
a couple of rumors that our target was to be Ploesti, but nobody had put any
stock in them— it seemed too improbable.

We were briefed all that day and into the night. The American engineer
who had constructed the Ploesti refineries talked to us; he knew the exact
location of every refinery and every cracking and distilling plant. The
information, he gave us jjgpovSd invaluable the next day* They showed us motion
pictures which gave details of the individual targets of each group«

In the afternoon Major General Brereton, commanding general of the

Ninth Air Force, came around in a staff car and talked to us for almost an
hour« He said we were going op. the most important and one of the most dan
gerous missions in the history of heavy bombardment, that it had been plan
ned in Washington months before. He told us that ploesti supplied one-third
of all Germany* s oil and nearly all of Italy*s, that it was* timed, further
more, to cut Hitler's fuel supply as his divisions rushed to defend it
against the coming Allied invasion*

When he finished, our group commander— -not General Timberlake, who had
just been promoted from colonel and was now a wing commander, but the new
grcui> commander--briefed us again, and went into minute details of the
takeoff the next morning. He tried to encourage us as much as possible.

"-& -- get my damn ship over the target if it falls apart,” he said*

He got his ship over the target all right— we were close behind him*
And we saw it when it fell apart, flaming to the earth*

That afternoon before the raid he emphasized that nobody had to go who
didn't want to; it was really a volunteer mission« No one declined, but we
were all very tense. Someone had mentioned that even if all planes were
lose it would be worth the price, and that started more talk about its being
a suicide mission.

' Wfe didn't sleep very much that night, and there was none of the joking
that usually went on among our crew. We tried hard to slOep, because we
knew it would be a long trip and we had to be at our best, but you can
imagine how easy it was*

The first sergeant blew the whistle at four in the morning. While we
ate breakfast'the ground crews, who had been working on the planes for the
la st two cays, gave them a final checking over. Those planes were beautiful
parked wing to wing in a long line on the runway.

We took off at the crack of dawn. If. was a perfect summer day, warm
and balmy, The lead plane of the group started out, and the others followed
a t precise intervals until finally the 'whole group was in the sky in per
fect format-!on* Our group joined other groups from nearby fields at pre
arranged p3.aces. It was all split-second timing*

Ws wore keyed up* Wo knew it was going tc be the biggest thing we had
ever done, anu we were determined it would be the best. It Vías the same
with the ground crews; they had always taken great pride in the ships, but
this fine th e y had gone overboard"r-o get them in perfect condition. They
shared our excitement and anxiety, too*

From Bengasi we flew straight over the Mediterranean. It was very

calm and blue chat day. We were going along at about 5*000 feet when sud
denly we saw one of the planes ahead take a straight nose—diva*, It wsnt
down" like a bullet, crashed in the water and exploded. For half an hour
we could see the smeke from it. It gave us a haunting feeling, as of ap
proaching disaster— we could see that not a man on that plane had a chance
 ao-

to escape.

A couple of hours after we left Bengasi, we were crossing the mountains

of Italy, going up sometimes as high as 10,000 feet to get oyer them. Then
the Adriatic and into Jugoslavia, through Bulgaria and across the Danube
into Roumania.

Over the Danube valley, in Roumania, we went down to about 300 feet,
so low that we could easily see people in the streets of Roumanian towns
waving at us as we went over. They must have thought vie were
bombers because vie were flying so low. Or maybe they recognized the wnite
star on our wings and were glad that we were coming.

About 10 miles from the target, we dropped to 50 feet, following

contours of the land, up over hills and down into valleys. Our pilot would
head straight for those hills, and every time I thought sure vie'd crash
riaht into them, but he would pull us up just in timo, and just enough to
get over the ridge, and then down into the next valley. Coming back we were
flying part of the way at five and - feet off the ground, and some of the
planes returned to base with tree tops and even cornstalks in tneir bomb-
bays.
We had a very good pilot. He was our squadron leader, Lt. Col. K. 0.
Dessert, and his copilot was our regular pilot, Major Epting.

■ This was the 24th mission I had flown with Major Epting and the same
crew, except for Dawley, the tail gunner who was hurt during
Our ship was named In Major Epting»s honor; his home town is Tupelo, Mississ
ippi> an(i w © called the plane '»Tupelo Lass."

The major, who is 23 years old, is one of the best pilots I*ve © ^
seen. He pulled us out of a lot of tough spots when we thought we were gone.

And between Major Epting and Col. Dessert they got us through Ploesti
without a scratch, but it was a miracle that they did.

Vie came into the oil fields at about 50 feet and went up to about 75
to bomb. The plane I was on was leading the last squadron of the secon
™ evert Five miles from the target, heavy anti-aircraft started pound-
f L u s , when we saw the red flash of those guns we thought we*d never make
Itl We really started praying then. We figured that if they started
shooting et us with the big guns at that distance, they would surely get us
with smaller and more maneuverable batteries. We remembered the British
anti-aircraft man who had said we»d be dead ducks for anything uncer a
miHimetor cannon. At our height you could have brought a Liberator down
with a shotgun.
ploesti wa ! wrapped in a smoke’screen which made it very difficult to
find the targets. When we got over, the refineries were already blazing
from the bombs and guns of the planes ahead of us.

Red tracers from the small ground guns had been zig-zagging all around
us for half a mile or more, and the guns themselves were sending up terrific
bafrages. Just as vra hit the target, gas tanka■ started exploding. _tae
- % gallon tank blew up right in front of us, shooting pillars of flaming
 gas 500 fe e t in the a ir . I t was lik e a nightmare. We couldn’t b elieve out
eyes when we saw that blazing tank high above u s. The p ilo t had t o swerve
sharply to the right to avoid what was r e a lly a cloud of f i r e . I t was so
hot i t f e l t as though we were fly in g through a furnace.
The worst I saw /though, was the plane to the right of us. Light flak
must have hit the gas, because all of a sudden it was burning ircci one end
to the other. It sank right down, as though no power on earth could hold
it in the air for even a second. When it hit the ground it exploded.

» Every m en on that ship was a friend of mine t and I knew the position
each was flying. I ’d seen planes go down before, but always from a high
altitude, and then you don’t see the crash. Thife way it seemed I could
* reach out and touch those men.

The most pitiful thing was that ship’s co-pilot. He was an 16-year-old
kid who’d lied about his age to get into aviation cadet training. We always
. called him Junior.- Ylhen our regular co-pilot, who was firing the aright
waist gun that day, saw Junior’s ship go down, he let loose with his gun
like a crazy man. Junior was his best friend.

Then we saw flak hit our group commander’s plane. In a second it was
burning from the bomb-bay’s back. He pulled it up as high as he could get
it; it was fantastic to see that blazing liberator'climbing etraight up.
As*soon as he started climbing, one man jumped out, and when he could get
it no higher, two more came out. Every one of us knew he had pulled it up
in order to give those men a chance. Then, knowing he was done for, he
deliberately dove it into the highest building in Ploesti. The instant he
hit, his ship exploded.

Wb left Ploesti a ruin. Huge clouds of smoke and fire billowed from
the ground as we pulled away from the target.- It was like a war movie, see
ing those masses of flames rolling toward you, and white flashes of * -mil
limeter cannon-fire bursting alongside of you.

We got back to ©amp 15 hours a fte r we had taken o f f » I t was the longest
bombing m ission ever flown, and that explains why i t was necessary to do it .
at low a ltitu d e . If we had bombed at the usual le v e l, we would never have
* had enough gas to get back.

'It was also the most dangerous mission in the history of heavy bombard-
* ment, ranking as a battle in itself. It is officially regarded not as the
Ploesti raid but as "the battle of Ploesti.1®

There was no line at the mess hall that night. Even though we were
starved, we couldn’t eat when we thought of the men that should have been
standing in line and weren’t.

And even though we were dead tired, we couldn’t sleep. I know I didn’t
sleep for several nights after that. The ground creviL kept the runway
lights on all night, and many of them stayed up until morning, though they
knew the planes they had worked so hard on and their friends, the men who
flew them, weren’t coming back,

The next morning was rough, too* We always got up at s ix o’clock, and
there was always a. lot of yelling hack and forth between the tents— sometimes
we’d throw rocks at each other’s tents. The only yelling we heard that morn
ing was our co-pilot calling for his friend Junior, although he had seen him
go down in flames the day before.

Ploesti was my 24th mission. For most of the crew it was the 25th; in
other words, it completed their tour of duty for them. I was assigned to
another crew for my last mission.

For a long time I had been thinking about volunteering for an extra,
five missions. I wanted to do that for my kid brother; he wasn’t overseas
then. The day after my 25th, I asked my commanding officer if X could go
on five more. He said I should go home; in fact, there were orders out al
ready for me to do so, and a plane ticket to the States waiting for me. But
he finally gave me permission, and I stayed with the crew I had flown with
on what was supposed to be my last raid.

It took me three months to get those five missions in, the weather was
so bad* And then when I came home it was by banana boat and not airplane.
I was sure burned up about that.

It was at this time that I flew with the only full-blooded American
Indian pilot in the European theater; everybody called him uChiefu , but his
npTnpt was Homer Moran, and he was from South Dakota. Four of those extra
five missions I flew from England over Germany.

I nearly got it on the 30th mission, my last one. We were over Munster,
in Germany, and a shell exploded right above the glass dome of my top tur
ret. It smashed the dome, ripped my helmet off, smashed my goggles and
interphone. The concussion threw me back against the seat, but I didn’t get
a scratch. I thought the ship had blown apart, the noise of that explosion •
was so loud. I passed out, because my oxygen mask had been torn off, but
the radio operator and the engineer pulled me out of the turret and fixed
me up with an emergency mack.

Things like that aren’t explained just by luck, I must have'had a

guardian angel flying with me that time and on the other missions, too.
They say there are no atheists in foxholes; I can tell you for sure there
are none in heavy bombers either.

I left England the first of December. They wanted me to stay over

there, with my outfit, as chief clerk in operations, but from the beginning
I have felt my combat career would not be over until I had fought in the
South pacific, and so I asked to come home for a brief rest and then be
assigned to a Liberator group in the South Pacific.

It was December 7, two years to the day after pearl Harbor \ when our
ship reached New York. I thought I was a pretty j;ough sergeant, but when
I saw the Statue of Liberty and the sunlight catching those tali buildings,
I damn near cried. I knew I had come home, and I felt so lucky to have got
ten through all those bombing missions without a scratch that I said a prayer
of thankfulness as I leaned against the rail. J only wished that all iny
buddies could have come home too.

I spoke earlier of having two battles to fight— against the Axis and
against intolerance. They are really the same battle, I think, for we id 11
have lost the war if our military victory is not followed by a better un
derstanding among peoples*

I certainly don’t propose to defend Japan. When I visit Tokyo it will

be in a Liberator bomber. But I do believe that loyal Americans of Japanese
descent are entitled to the democratic rights which Jefferson propounded,
Washington fought for and Lincoln died for.

In my own case, I have almost won the battle against'intolerance; I

have many close friends, in the Army now*--my best friends, as I am theirs—
where two years ago I had none. But I have by no means completely won that
battle. Especially now, after the ividespread publicity given the recent
atrocity stories, I find prejudice once again directed against me, and
neither my uniform nor the medals which are visible proof of what I have
been through, have been able to stop it. I don’t know for sure that it is
safe for me to walk the streets of my own country*

All this is disappointing, not so much to me personally any more, but

rather with reference to my fight against intolerance. I had thought that
after Ploesti and &9 other missions so rough it was just short of a miracle
I got through them, I wouldn’t have to fight for acceptance among my own
people all over again.

In most cases, X don’t, and to'those few who help breed fascism in
America by spreading such.prejudice, I can only reply in the words of the
Japanese American creed; "Although some individuals may discriminate against
me, I shall never become bitter or lose faith, for I know that such persons
are not representative of the majority of the American people."

The people who wrote that creed are the thousands of Japanese Americans
whom certain groups want deported immediately. These Japanese Americans
have spent their lives proving their loyalty to the United States, as their
sons and brothers are proving it now on the bloody battlefield of Italy. It
i ! for them, in the solemn hop© that they will be treated justly rather than
with hysterical passion, that I speak today.

— O —

8030044
 Concentration Camp: U. S. Style
in this land of liberty, I was
n fo r t una t el y
■ born of J apanese parents; bom in Seattle of a
mother and father who have been in this
country since 1901. Fine parents, who brought up their
children in the best American way of life. M y mother
served with the Volunteer Red Cross Service in the
last war—my father, an editor, has spoken and written
Americanism for forty years.
Our family is almost typical of the other unfortu
nates here at the camp. T he oldest son, a licensed
architect, was educated at the University of Washing
ton, has a master’s degree from the Massachustts
I nstitute of Technology and is a scholarship graduate
of the American School of Fine Arts in Fontainebleau,
France. H e is now in camp in Oregon with his wife
and three1months1old child. H e had just completed
designing a much needed defense housing project at
Vancouver, Washington.
T he second son is an M .D . H e served his interne1
ship in a N ew Y ork hospital, is married and has two
fine sons. T he folks banked on him, because he was the
smartest of us three boys. T he army took him a month
after he opened his office. H e is now a lieutenant in
the M edical Corps, somewhere in the South.
I am the third son, the dumbest of the lot, but still
smart enough to hold down a job as an architectural
draftsman. I have just finished building, a new home
and had lived in it three weeks. M y desk was just
cleared of work done for the Army Engineers, another
stack of 391 defense houses was waiting (a rush job),
when the order came to pack up and leave for this
resettlement center called “Camp H armony.”
M ary, the only girl in the family, and her year1old
son, “Butch,” are with our parents—interned in the
stables of the Livestock Exposition Buildings in
Portland.
N ow that you can picture our thoroughly American
background, let me describe our new home.
■T he resettlement center is actually a penitentiary—
armed guards in towers with spotlights and deadly
tommy guns, fifteen feet of barbed1wire fences, every
one confined to quarters at nine, lights out at ten
o’clock. T he guards are ordered to shoot anyone who
approaches within twenty feet of the fences. No one is
allowed to take the two1block1long hike to the latrines
after nine, under any circumstances.
with our own hands. I left a life, highballs with our
American friends on week1ends, a carpenter, laundry1
truck driver, architect, airlines pilot—good friends,
friends who would swear by us. I don’t have enough
of that J apanese heritage ”—a code of silent
suffering and ability to stand pain.
Oddly enough I still have a bit of faith in army
promises of good treatment and M rs. Roosevelt’s
pledge of a future worthy of good American citizens.
I ’m banking another $67 of income tax on the future.
T he apartments, as the army calls them, are two1
block1long stables, with windows on one side. Floors
are shiplaps on two1by1fours laid directly on the mud,
which is everywhere. T he stalls are about eighteen by
twenty1one feet} some contain families of six or seven
persons. Partitions are seven feet high, leaving a four1
foot opening above. T he rooms aren’t too bad, almost
fit to live in for a short while.
T he food and sanitation problems are the worst. W e
have had absolutely no fresh meat, vegetables or butter
since we came here. M ealtime queues extend for blocks;
standing in a rainswept line, feet in the mud, waiting for
the scant portions of canned wieners and boiled pota
toes, hash for breakfast or canned wieners and beans for
dinner. M ilk only for the kids. Coffee or tea dosed
with saltpeter and stale bread are the adults’ staples.
Dirty, unwiped dishes, greasy silver, a starchy diet, no
butter, no milk, bawling kids, mud, wet mud that stinks
when it dries, no vegetables—a sad thing for the people
who raised them in such abundance. M emories of a
crisp head of lettuce with our special olive oil, vinegar,
garlic and cheese dressing.
Today one of the surface sewage1disposal pipes
broke and the sewage flowed down the streets. Kids
play in the water. Shower baths without hot water.
Stinking mud and slops everywhere.
Can this be the same America we left a few weeks
ago?
As I write, I can remember our little bathroom—
light coral walls. M y wife painting them, and the
spilled paint in her hair. T he open towel shelving and
the pretty shower curtains which we put up the day be
fore we left. H ow sanitary and clean we left it for
the airlines pilot and his young wife who are now en
joying the fruits of our labor.
I t all seems so futile, struggling, trying to live our
old lives under this useless, regimented life. T he sense
lessness of all the inactive manpower. Electricians,
plumbers, draftsmen, mechanics, carpenters, painters,
farmers—every trade—men who are able and willing to
do all they can to lick the Axis. Thousands of men and
women in these camps, energetic, quick, alert, eager for
hard, constructive work, waiting for the army to do
something for us, an army that won’t give us butter.
I can’t take it! I have 391 defense houses to be
drawn. I left a fine American home which we built
Sometimes I want to spend the money I have set aside
for income tax on a bit of butter or ice cream or some
thing good that I might have smuggled through the
gates, but I can’t do it when I think that every dollar
I can put into “the fight to lick the J aps,” the sooner
I will be home again. I must forget my stomach.
What really hurts most is the constant reference to
us évacués as “J aps.” “J aps” are the guys we are fight
ing. W e’re on this side and we want to help.
W hy won’t America let us? t e d n a k a s h im a

these ends. But the chains of the ages have snapped.
T he one thing they won’t do is to take “no” for a final
answer to their cry for full employment. Not after all
this suffering j not when they see themselves sur
rounded later on by too much of what they need most
and yet might not be able to get. I dleness, be it of men
or money or machines, will be the one unforgivable
sin of the post1war world.
“But,” some people ask, are we going to do
all this?” T he question sounds reasonable enough at
first glance. Actually, however, only the timid ask it.
T he courageous ask, method do you think will
work best?” I n the first case, the questioner really
doubts that much be done to make the world work
any better in the future than it worked in the past. I n
the second case, that hurdle has already been cleared,
and the concern is with the most efficient and business
like ways of getting the job done. I t makes an enor
mous difference. T he “how” people are afraid of the
future. T he “which” people welcome it! And make no
mistake about it, the future belongs to them.
I could talk to you about ways of financing housing
in the post1war world. I could talk to you about an
imaginative use of long1term credits to industrialize
the backward areas of three continents. I could tell you
that if the peoples of Asia alone earned an extra penny
a day it would open up a new market of four billion
dollars a year for somebody. I could talk to you about
what a decent diet for everybody would mean to farm
income throughout every country. W e could talk for
hours about these things. As soon as the political shape
of things to come in this world gets clearer, workable
methods and programs must be considered in detail.
But there will be time for that. H undreds of pre
liminary blueprints for economic readjustments in the
post1war world already have been drawn. W e are not
short on blueprints. What we are short on is faith in
the future of our own country. L et’s not put the cart
before the horse. What we need first is a new buoyancy
which comes only to those who know there is a solid
basis upon which to welcome tomorrow with a sense
of adventure.
Once that is reawakened in us as a whole people, a
thousand and one individuals will come forward with
a thousand and one businesslike projects for making a
;9
halt to the N azi machinations. T he attitude generally
taken by men in a position to do something was, “This,
is a free country and we can’t curtail the rights even
of individuals like these to say and write whatever
they wish.” One can observe this same attitude at work
in the United States in the case of the native fascists.
I t was an attitude that enabled the Nazis to become
still bolder and more impudent. T hey displayed the
swastika wherever they pleased and high1pressured
many South African citizens into joining the move
ment. When un^J ^tc^vir^hem oyer with propa1
pTcM^iedicated to one goal no obstacle on
earth can stand against the singleness of purpose
These áre times of great crisis but we needn’t be terri
fied by them. T he Chinese write the word crisis with
two characters, one of which means “danger” and the
other “opportunity.” T hat’s worth remembering.
When the history of this period is written a couple
of centuries from now, the present war may be treated
as an incident of adjustment to the scientific realities
of our times. I n every civilization of the past, bar none,
if men took the most that it was possible to produce
and divided it among all who were alive to share it,
the answer was always a miserable standard of living.
Within your lifetime and mine, however, men have
entered an era dominated by the machine and the test1
tube. I f we take all that can be produced at the end
of this war and divide it among the people who will
then be alive to share it, we shall be within reach of a
very good standard of living for the first time in all
history. That will be the most important material thing
that’s happened to the human race since the discovery
of fire and the invention of the wheel.
T he job of the future will be to build up a mass
consumption great enough to use this mass production.
That will require a bold and daring use of long1term
credits by every enlightened government of the world.
Governments must enter fields where private finance
cannot enter without assuming risks that are too great
to take with other people’s money. By that very act,
however, the area of private investment will be broader
and safer than it was in the last two decades. A world
at work at decent wages is a world of economic sta
bility. I dleness is the greatest of all threats to confi
dence.
O f course there are changes ahead, but this evolu
tionary progress need not destroy our system of private
enterprise. On the contrary, those changes can provide
an environment in which industrial capitalism can be
strengthened enormously. W e have it in us to measure
up to this job of maintaining full employment. T he
war is toughening us for the greatest conquest men
have ever faced—the conquest of backwardness and
unnecessary poverty.
What does all this mean to us as individuals? I t
means that our personal fortunes will be tied to what
happens to groups of other men in this world as those
THE NEW R EPU BLIC J
training and was then sent back as a paid N azi agent.
« Berlin has never for a single moment relaxed its
iron grip on this movement. As soon as the South
African penetration showed signs of developing into
a wave of purposeless incidents and brawls, Zapp ar
rived in the role of Chief Coordinator. H e got to work
immediately on the task of fusing German and Dutch
sections of the movement into a united N azi front, by
a campaign for the return of Germany’s colonies.
Among the Dutch there were many who had never
forgotten the Boer W ar and who nursed an old bitter1
 ./ 0 1 23 4 5650 7 51
D e c e m b e r 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attack.
D e c e m b e r 8: Declaration of War by the United States.
F ebr u a r y 13, 1942: Letter of Pacific Coast Congressional Dele
gation to the President, recommending “the immediate evacua
tion of all persons of Japanese lineage and all others, aliens
and citizens alike, whose presence shall be deemed dangerous
or inimical to the defense of the United States, from all
strategic areas.”
Febr u a r y 19: Executive Order of the President, authorizing the
Secretary of War to prescribe military areas from which he
and the military commanders whom he may designate may ex
clude any or all persons.
F ebr u a r y 21: The Select Committee investigating National
Defense Migration, House of Representatives (The Tolan
Committee), began its hearings on the Pacific Coast, at San
Francisco. Similar hearings were held within the next ten
days at Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. The reports of the
Committee form the mos.t comprehensive source on the Jap
anese Evacuation. It is felt by some students of the subject
that the Committee’s conclusions show a bias against the Jap
anese, especially in that it recommended hearing boards for
German and Italian aliens, but not for Japanese, either aliens
or citizens. “
F ebr u a r y 23: Telegram sent by Tolan Committee to Secretary
of the Treasury recommending establishment of a regional
alien-property custodian office for the Pacific Coast. On March
9 the Treasury announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of
San Francisco had been directed to work out a comprehensive
plan.
802 9 : 0575 56 .; 8 0
M a r c h 2: Lieut. General John L. DeWitt issued Proclamation
No. 1 defining Military Area No. 1, from which any or all
persons may be excluded. Official press release made clear
that all Japanese were liable to be evacuated.
M a r c h 15: Wartime Civilian Control Administration created
by General DeWitt.
M a r c h 16 : General DeWitt issued Proclamation No. 2, extend
ing the alien control program to include Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, and Utah.
M a r c h 17 : Act of Congress providing penalties for violation of
restrictions on persons imposed under authority of Executive
Order of February 19.
M a r c h 18: Presidential Executive Order establishing the War
Relocation Authority.
M a r c h 19: Inquiry by Tolan Committee addressed to Governors
of 15 Western States as to attitude of respective States on
receiving Japanese evacuees, the replies being unfavorable ex
cept in case of Colorado.
M a r c h 24: Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1 issued by General
DeWitt, affecting “all persons of Japanese ancestry” in Bain-
bridge Island, Washington.
M a r c h 29: Further voluntary evacuation by Japanese from
Military Area No. 1 prohibited by General DeWitt.
J u n e 1 : Evacuation of all Japanese from Military Area No. 1 to
Assembly Centers or Relocation Areas practically completed.
J u n e 2 : General DeWitt issued Proclamation No. 6, imposing
an 8 :00 p.m. - 6 :00 a.m. curfew and 10-mile-travel restrictions
on all persons of Japanese ancestry in Military Area No. 2, in
California. This is the Eastern Section.
 n

gonTRiRffioifs or psbsobb associated ì h h stubs hill

4 other individuals who were associated with Stilo» Sail aro worthy Of
poaH om hemme of work that they 41d as Individualo or 1a connection with
organisations which affooted the welfare of Japaneoe-Aaerieaas.
lall w»o espeelolly proud hut saddened with the granting in iltntl*
ad the June oanmencenent, 1942, of the ttalvoreitj leda) to Barvsy Itane, a
**** ff>? f ^ t ü of the Stile» lall Student Cabinet until the tine of evacuation*
Bar* las fedo, Tico President of Stiles Ball In 1956-37, woo head of the
seepmat!** oorvieoc at Mansanar from 1942-44* Since February, 1946, ho hoc
hems doting incociate Canora! Secretary at Silice HOU*
S**. lomqr Sellino, a Stile» Ball staff umber in 1957-80 and no* a;neniar Of
:rf i^o áfhrtocsy Beard, Joined the »taff of the H i in 1942 as one of It» field
for cooperative service». B» subsequently Joined the Bod Croco, end
was dddaoho4 to the now fsaouo 442nd Division.
Bowden, Executive Director of tho Son Ibandoco Owunoil for Civic
*-va» a Stil»» Ball leader in hie student days and wo» ?lee-freeident
» B f W r w f i A<

" # $ A» a amber of the Osoaoisrealth Club ef Son Francisco

hw denoted the reporte of the lenigration and inerioanlaatlon Section*
Thorn are donhtleoe naay other St1lee Ball nen who have or »are —king u»e-
fr»l rib**ions in novenonta affecting ih» welfare «f Capano»e-InoriPoni
about «mon wo do not knew. Those are »aae who cono volily to alad who
haw# m* ham motioned previously.
Finally, Stilo» Ball taha» what aay ho the p&rdoaahle liberty of imlaliag
in this m o t i o n mention of the contributions of the wires of the Of its
stall ambers* Mr»« luth V. Hainan, wife of the Oenatal Secretary; sad
Aêmm j h a o Darla/ wife ojTtEe Associate S e m e m i Secretary «nA Director ef
t H e m i l e s Ball Memorial Building Tend*

the werfe of both of those women 1» known to aaqy hundreds, perhaps thaaaoafei,
o f Japanese Aaerioano. It soon» proper to revio» it boro not bótame the
iXaiooreity DSU as an institution w i s h e s to toko credit for it, but because
It ar*%ftlly was an integral part of a sot of e&titudce end o omannU y frana
of wtm which Stilo» Ball did have a considerable part in creating.
Ma* «¡tagaan did notable work prlaarlly with the Pacific Coast Omnlttoo on
&&KrUm*i Prlaolploa and Fair Plug of which oho woo the Í5Í5EirTi^S%¡w*
VhSrn eä«wi).tt*e enlisted the ‘»apport of loading citisene throughout the
sta te m mitigate the evils of tho evacuation and t c inauro, under the drown-
st«B#*-r ef the tine, the fairest possible treatment of the cvaouooo.

- - -
 Is **tlasted that under her direction the Committee distributed over 100,000
pM loseof literature alued at Injuring the purposes of the Cosedttee. Haw*
& m«|.vent to Washington on tavern! ocoaslons to "lobby" for fair pity fop
(< = iji tnwneets She wet in constant communication with national tad local repre-
;i?- Mkakits* of the War Relocation Authority, the State Department, the War he**
S3? liliMli and the Bepartmeat of Interior» and wee responsible for trinfisf
Meteettiwe pressures to hoar on public offiolalo «1 strategic tian and

r s4-t $&
^¡1» ^figmart spent Christmas week of IMS at the topes Relocation center pro-
In# the Christmas pageant that wao held there that year*
PQ
hr- '. ?ii V ?i ..J fj '£} divested the food raising efforts neeeesaxy te cany on the work of the
b- #«** edr Play Sennittee.

*T~. la tern* of public policy, the Fair Floy Committee wee peshaps the most inr
n:V. tif1 IlMetial private organisation working on tho problems of the Japansie-Ammri-
■ ^has&s ten*« and Mrs* Kingman wao without question Its "spark-plug."
ti%M %Pr&
Slnea the dissolution of the Fair Play Cosamittee is IMS» eh# wee Instrumental
*«rt ha ov^aadKlag the local councils of civic unity throughout the state Into the
dhlifoxnia Federation for Civie Unity of whieh eho ess the first Presidsnt.
■ fhe federation has continued the work of the Fair Flay Comsdttse insofar as
•*J> ®f? ■ ft seamed necessary. ■ V ♦ '

ezttrf*? Xrt* H qgmeui Is continuing her interest in civil nffslrs through membership
s Xstt fh the leard of Diractors of the Worthem California Bramah* American Civil
£&$€& hihertloo Colon, and the Board of Birectors of the Sertoelay leogtio of Went
&T*Ui fetese.

Perhaps one of tho moot inportant single tillage which lit. Klsgmen did wee
to suggest te Br. Monroe X* Deutsch, then preeidtt of the Cowacawsalth Wish,
*hai Sgt* Ben furoki he invited to speak before tho Club. Whig spaach, la
January, 1944» is credited by «toy ss being the turning point in the attitude
of the West Coast toward Japanese-Americans • (Sgt* Karekl was brought to
Berkeley that sane day by the University TO3A and TWCA, to speak to an nr
thuslastio student audience.}
A-
the contributions of Kro» Jans Baris to the welfare of Japanese-Americana
M were localised in the Sastbay Area and were consented primarily with lamed**
ii& ¿3 late problems of rsorttlemmat*
As Executive Secretary of the Berkeley Interracial Committee la 1945-44, aha
directed the extensive work of that organisation on behalf of returnees*
Who work of the Committee consisted primarily of meeting returnees ad the
railrosd stations, providing and taking them to temporary shelter» securing
permanent housing where possible, assisting students In securing board sal
w m
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- 83 *•
 Release For A«M Papers, Sunday, November 14, 1943

OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION

7
WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY

Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation Authority, today issued

the following statement regarding the events that occurred between November .1
and November 4 at the Tule Lake Center in northern California:

1.' Tule Lake is the only center maintained by the War Relocation
• Authority for segregation purposes. It was established originally
in 1942 as one of 10 relocation centers, for persons of Japanese
ancestry who were evacuated from the West Coast military area. In
September of this year, however, it was made the focal point in a
segregation program carried out by the War Relocation Authority and
since that time has occupied a peculiar status among WRA centers.

During February and Ms-**ch of this year, a registration program

was conducted at all relocation centers for the purpose of accumulating
information on the background and attitudes of all adult residents.
As part of this program, citizen evacuees at the centers were ques
tioned concerning their allegiance to the United States, and alien
evacuees were questioned about their willingness to abide by the Nation’s
laws. After the results of registration were compiled and analyzed,..____
WRA began a program to separate from the bulk of the population at re
location centers, those evacuees who have indicated byword or action
that their loyalties lie with Japan.

Four major groups were designated for segregation:

(l) Those who requested- repatriation or expatriation to

Jap an;

(2) Citizens who refused during registration to state- un

qualified allegiance to the United States and aliens
who refused to agree to abide by the laws of the United
States;
 (3) Those with intelligence records or other records
indicating that they might endanger the national
security or interfere with the war effort?

(4) Close relatives of persons in the above three

groups who expressed a preference to remain with
the segregants rather than disrupt family ties. ---

The major movement of segregants into Tule Lake from other WRA
centers and of non-segregants from Tule Lake to other TTRA centers was
started in early September and completed about the middle of October.
The process, which was carried out jointly by and the Army, entirely
without incident, involved the movement of approximately :4>>> evacuees
from other centers into Tule Lake and the removal from Tule Lake to
other centers of approximately the same number. Slightly more than
6,000 residents of Tule Lake who had been designated for segregation or
who wished to remain with segregated relatives were retained there. At
the'present time, there are at the Manzanar Relocation Center in Cali
fornia approximately 1,900 evacuees who are awaiting transfer to Tule
Lake* They will be transferred as soon as necessary housing can be
completed, probably in the early part of 1944.

The Army has the responsibility of providing full protection of the area
surrounding the Tule Lake Center. A man-proof fence surrounds the ex
ternal boundaries the center? troops patrol that fence? other neces-
sary facilities are at all times in readiness* In September, when Tulp
Lake was transformed into a segregation center, the Army substantially
increased the number of troops assigned to guard duty at the center and
built the present man-proof fence around the external=boundary outside
the ordinary wire fence was erected at the time of the center’s
establishment* At this time also additional military equipment was
provided•

During the recent disturbance at the Tule Lake Center, the "Var
Relocation Authority and the Army have been in constant contact.rer
garding necessary safety measures. .Special arrangements were made for
prompt communication between the WRA staff and the officer commanding
the troops at- Tule Lake*

Like all 1TRA centers, Tule Lake has been operated, ever since the
time of its establishment in 1942, under the terms of an agreement be
tween 1VRA and the ’
.Tar Department. lliRA is responsible for all phases of
internal administration of the center. The Army, from the beginning,
has been responsible for guarding the external boundaries of the center,
and for controlling the entry and departure of all persons of Japanese
descent.

WRA maintains order within the center thrpugh civilian guards

assisted by a staff of evacuees. The understanding with the Army pro«*
vides that when a show of greater force is necessary to maintain order
within the center, WRA will call upon the Army to move inside the center
and take full control.
3. Immediately following the..segregation movement, some of the_evacuees
at the Tale Lake Center began’to create difficulties. All available
evidence, indicates that a small, well-organized group — composed
chiefly of persons transferred to Tule Lake from the other centers
— was attempting to gain control of the community and disrupt the
orderly process of administration. Against this background, a
serious accident occurred at the center on October 15. A truck,
carrying 29 evacuee workers and driven by an evacuee, was over-turned
-while»attempting to pass another truck on the road from the center
to the WRa farm. All occupants of- the truck were injured and one
of them subsequently died. On_the day following the accident, no
evacuee workers reported for duty at the farm.

• For a period of approximately 10 days thereafter, work on

the harvesting of crops stopped, but ho formal representations were
made to 1VRA by evacuee workers. Then on October 25, a group of
evacuees v/ho claimed to represent the community met with Project
Director Ray Best and submitted a series of questions and demands*
Among other things, this committee asked whether the residents of
Tale were regarded by the United States government as prisoners 5f
war and stated that the residents would not engage in the harvesting
* of crops for use at other «IRA ^enters. Project Director Best told
the committee: (1) that the residents of Tule Lake were regarded as
segregants and not as prisoners of war, (2) that WRA does not operate
on the basis of demands, and (3) that if the residents of Tule Lake
were unwilling to harvest the crops, some other method of.harvesting
then would be found.

Faced with the onset p£ winter and the possibility of losing

approximately $5C(0,000 worth of vegetables, WRa immediately'began
recruiting loyal evacuees from other centers to carry out the
harvesting work at Tule Lake. A crew of 234 was recruited and is
still engaged in harvesting work on the Tule’Lake farm. These
«evacuees are quartered outside.the boundaries of the center, wholly
apart from the population of the center.

4. On the morning of Monday, November 1, D. S, Myer, National Director

of the War Relocation Authority, and Robert B. Cozzens, Assistant
Director of the Authority in San Francisco, arrived at the Tule Lake
center for an inspection and consultation with key WRA staff 'members
and with evacuee representatives. The original arrangement called
for. Kr. Myer and Mr. Cozzens to meet with evacuee representatives
on the. day following their arrival. However, during the lunch' hour,
a report was received by Project. Director Best that certain evacuees
were making unauthorized announcements in the evacuee messhalls.
Residents were being told, according to this report, that Mr. Myer
was to make a speech from the main administration building shortly
after lunch. On receiving this report, Mr, Myer and Mr. Best imme
diately made a quick.automobile inspection trip through the evacuee
section of the center. They observed that large numbers of men,
women and children were proceeding in an orderly manner from the
evacuee barracks in the direction of the administration building.
 By 1:30 p.m., Mr, Myer and Mr. Best had returned to the
administration building and a crowd estimated between 3,500 and
4,000 had congregated immediately outside. One young man from the.
evacuee group then entered the administration building and asked
whether a committee of 17 evacuees might have a conference with'. Mr.
Myer. This request was granted, and-Mr. Myer, Mr. Cozzens, Mr.
Best and other staff members met with the committee. The committee
presented a series of demands including the resignation of project
director Best and several other WRA staff members at the center.

While the discussion was going on, word was received that a
group of about a dozen evacuees had entered the center hospital and
beaten the Chief Medical Officer, Dr...Reece M. Pedicord. The con
ference -was interrupted while one WRA staff member left the adminis
tration building, passed through the crowd, and went to the hospital
for a check-up on the situation there. After this man had returned—
wholly unmolested — with the report that Dr. Pedicord had been
badly battered but was receiving adequate medical attention and that
order prevailed in the hospital, the conference was resumed. Mean
while, a small group of evacuees had gone into the administration
building and installed a public address system with WRA permission.
I. \. '•' $ ' \ R ■ v. •
At the conclusion of the conference, Director Myer was asked
to address the crowd briefly over the address system and agreed to
do so., .Mr. Myer told the crowd substantially what he had told the
committee : (=) that. WHA would consider requests made by the evac
uee population provided they Were-in the framework of national
policy; (2) that WRA would nat accede to demands, (3) that was
under the impression that the m&jerity of residents at Tule Lake
wanted to live in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere; (4) that if
the residents of the center could not deal peacefully with WRA they
would have to deal with someone else; and (<) that once the segre
gation process was 'wholly completed with the movement from. Manz&nar*
the community at Tule Lake should attempt to select a committee .
more directly representative of its wishes than the current one —
to deal with the liar Relocation Authority. After Mr, Myer had con
cluded his remarks, two members of the evacuee committee addressed
the crowd briefly in Japanese. Immediately following the completion
of these speeches, at about 4:30 p.m,, the crowd broke up quickly
and peacefully and returned to family living quarters. During the
entire conference and the time vdion committee members wore address
ing the crowd, a member of the War Relocation Authority staff who
is fully competent in the Japanese language was present and was
able to indicate to Mr, Miyer and Mr. Best thé nature of all remarks
made in Japanese.
 'Whi.le the meeting was in progress in the administration building
a number of automobiles at the center were slightly damaged* Some
of these automobiles belonged to visitors and some to WRA person
nel, One vi-sitof reported that a window of his car was broken and
a sun visor removed, (This statement has not been verified by^...„.„
other evidence.) A door handle was broken off one car* Radio '
aerials were removed from two cars and windshield wipers from about
twelve cars. Air was released from tires of several cars* The
paint.on two cars was scratched*

In the struggle during which Dr, Pedicord was beaten, a

wooden railing in the hospital ofiice was knocked down. A careful
investigation has revealed no reliable evidence of any property
damage during this incident other than that listed here.

Several TIRA employees and visitors to the center who were

in the area outside thé administration »building at the time the
crowd was forming were approached by some of the evacuees direct
ing the movements of the crowd and told to go' inside the building.
Aside from Dr, Pedicord, however, no WRA employees or visitors
were beaten or injured during this incident. The evacuee employees
in the administration office left their work, A few individuals
reported they saw knives and clubs in the hands of some of the
evacuees. The great majority of WRA personnel reported following
the meeting that they had seen no weapons of any kind,
1 i "H !| 11v/ ' . | 1 « § V';' H I I S i f I f fill v';•' ':v | v~;j-'-V j$fs ' ®|§§pf|Ji||| j Ê I Wf ikm■
After dispersal of the crowd on Monday afternoon, a oalm marked
by some evidence of sub—surface tension prevailed in the evacuee
community for approximately three days, irders were sent out fol-
lowing the Monday meeting forbidding any meetings or assembly of
evacuees in the administrative area. The internal security force
was strengthened and authority was given for any member of the in
ternal security staff, under Gertain specified conditions, to sum
mon the Army directly without consultation with the Project
Director or any other superior officer,

On Thursday afternoon, November 4, work was started on a

fence separating the evacuee community from the section of the
center where the administrative buildings are located and WRA staff
members are housed. That evening a crowd of about 400 evacuees,
mainly young men many of thorn armed with clubs —— entered the
administration area* Most of the crowd entered the warehouse area,
A^ few entered the motor pool area, and some surrounded the Project
Director’s residence. The advance of this crowd was resisted by
several WRA internal security officers, one of whom tripped, struck
his head on a stone, and was then struck by evacuees with clubs,
No other persons were injured. As the crowd closed in around Mr*
Best’s home, he telephoned Lt, Col, Verne Austin, commanding of
ficer of the military unit outside the center, and asked the Army
to assume full control of the project area. Troops entered the
Center at once.
 - + -

7. During and immediately following the evacuee meeting on Monday,

a number of the »<RA staff became apprehensive concerning their
personal* safety. Most of them remained calm but a few became
almost hysterical. All were offered the opportunity to leave
the center until they felt secure in returning there, and a
number of them did so. Since the incident on Monday, twelve
people have resigned voluntarily, and two have resigned or were
separated at the request of the Authority.

;. A large number of the evacuees at Tule Lake are citizens of the

United States, with the constitutional rights of citizens. 'Many
of them are children under 17, and they, together with a very
large number of the adults, have no responsible part in the recent
events.

In presenting this factual statement, the '»far Relocation

Authority wants to emphasize that reports of the events at Tule
.Lake are being watched in Tokyo, already some of the recent
newspaper accounts have been used by the Japanese Government for
propaganda purposes. There is every possibility that they may be
used as a pretext for retaliatoiy action against American civilians
and prisoners of v/ar under Japanese control. Under those circum
stances, it is imperative that the situation at Tule Lake be
handled with a scrupulous regard for accuracy,

9. In viev>r of the ‘serious international implications in the situation

at Tule Lake, the ! Relocation Authority has been particularly
careful in preparing the ion contained in this statement.
There have been so many exaggerated, even hysterical,-reports that
the staff at Tule Lake, confronted with an otherwise complicated
and difficult situation, has been able to verify conclusively only
the information presented in this statement. As this is written,
further investigation is being made to check the accuracy of many 'f
of the allegations that have appeared in the press and to complete
this story in, all its pertinent details. The major events, how
ever, have now been fully documented and can for the first time be
presented to the public in an official statement.
*
 MINORITY' REPORT OF THE HONORABLE HERMAN P . EB2R1IARTER

It is not possible for me to agree with the findings and conclusions

of the other two members of our subcommittee, who constitute the majority»

After careful consideration, I cannot avoid the conclusion that the

report of the majority is prejudiced, and that most of its statements are
not proven.

The majority report has stressed a few shortcomings that they have
found in the work of the War Relocation Authority without mentioning the many
good points that our investigation has disclosed or the magnitude of the
job with which the Authority is dealing»

Since the close of our hearings I have made some inquiries in order
to clear up some points about which I was in doubt and on which the testi
mony did not seem to be sufficiently clear, the results of which inquiries
have not been communicated to the other members of the subcommittee, because
the subcommittee has never met to discuss the contents of a report.

There are a few basic matters tpat ought to be kept clearly in mind,
which I wish to summarize here at the beginning before dealing with the body
of the majority report of the subcommittee. It should be remembered that the
relocation centers administered by the bar Relocation Authority have been
intended from the very beginning to be only temporary expedients. These
relocation centers are not supposed to be internment camps. Dangerous aliens
are placed in internment camps, but those camps are administered by the
Department of Justice and should not be confused with the relocation centers.
I»Tien the Japanese population was removed from the west coast they were at
first free to go anywhere they wanted within the United States so long as
they stayed out of the evacuated area. The first plan contemplated merely
free movement and did not provide for any kind of relocation centers. For
about a month thousands of evacuees were permitted to leave the west coast
voluntarily for other parts of the country. Most of them have since con
tinued to live anywhere they-wanted to.

It was soon found not feasible to permit such voluntary movement t*j
continue because trouble began to develop in places where people were not
ready to receive these Japanese who had been ordered to move. It was then
that the plan was changed to establish relocation centers in which the
Japanese could live until it was feasible for them to get reestablished ¿.ft
normal life.

The dangerous aliens among the Japanese population on the west coast
were picked up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies in
the first few days after pearl Harbor. Practically all the rest were presumed
to be loyal and safe. It was necessary to evacuate the whole group, even
after the dangerous aliens had been picked up and interned, because there
was danger that the west coast would be invaded by the Japanese Army. But
once removed from the west coast it was believed these people presented no
further danger.

Dillon S. Myer, Director of the authority, has told this subcommittee

that about two-thirds of the people removed from the west coast are American
citizens. Such a proposition as this, of moving approximately 70,000

C-0458-PI-of 13-BU-COS-WP
 - 2 -

American citizens away from their'homes, has never been attempted before.
Our Constitution does not distinguish between citizens of Japanese ancestry,
or of German or Italian ancestry and citizens of English, Scotch, Russian,
or Norwegian' ancestry. Loyal American citizens of Japanese ancestry have
the same rights as any other loyal American citizens. I believe the Govern
ment was entirely right, therefore, in permitting free movement from the
west coast so long as that was possible, and then in providing relocation
centers when that proved necessary. The whole point of the program is to .
help the loyal American citizens of Japanese ancestry, and the law-abiding
aliens, to leave the relocation centers after investigation, and become
established in normal life.

The rights of citizens to live as free men are part of the "four
freedoms== for which we are fighting this war.

The testimony produced before this subcommittee shows that large

numbers of the Japanese-American evacuees are working in war plants and in
agriculture, and doing a good job. The army has found that many of then .
are so trustworthy that they are being used in Military Intelligence and
other secret work of high military importance. The evidence shows there
were something like 5,000 loyal American citizens of Japanese ancestry in
the Army before the evacuation. Early this year the Army organized a
special combat team of Japanese-Americans which is now in training at Camp
Shelby, and which, is made up entirely of volunteers.

Life in the relocation centers is not a bed of roses. The houses are
of plain barrack style. The food is adequate but plain. The great majority
of the relocation center residents are working at necessary jobs in connec
tion with running.the camps. They are raising much of their own food. For
this work they get paid, in addition to their keep, only #12, #16, or #19
a month. Even loyal American citizens in the relocation centers are working
for these low wages.

Because of these facts I am disturbed about some of the ridiculous

charges that were made early In our investigation. Stories about the
Japanese people hiding food in the desert and storing contraband in holes
under their houses, were shown to be ridiculous when a project was visited.
However, the majority's report fails to withdraw these charges.

The report of the majority makes a big point about 25.persons, who were
released from the camps and who are found to be members of Butoku-kai, a
Japanese fencing organization. This is 25 people out of 16,000 released.
Even in the case of these .25 neither the majority report nor the hearings
offer any evidence that any of the 25 were subversive.

I, for one, want to emphasize that just because a person is a member

of an organization alleged to be subversive, I do not ipso facto conclude
that the particular person is subversive.. Certainly, mere proof of member
ship in an organization alleged to be subversive does not provide legal
.grounds for arresting or detaining such a person. Proper investigation may
determine such a person to be intensely loyal to the United States.

C-0458-P2-BU-C0S-WP
 After all the wind and the fury of a long report that creates the
impression that War Relocation Authority is doing a very bad job, the
comments of the majority members are climaxed by three feeble, meaningless
recommendations.

These recommendations hardly support the prejudiced tone of the

report. I shall discuss them later. At this point X want to take up some
of the specific matters discussed in the majority’s report.

The Report of the Majority

Administration of relocation centers.

In the majority’s report the following language appears:

This committee does not consider it necessary to discuss

in detail the administrative errors and deficiencies of the War
Relocation Authority which were indicated by voluminous evidence
received in the course of the subcommittee hearings. The Director
of the War' Relocation authority, Mr. Dillon 3. Myer, was frank in
admitting that many mistakes had been made. Only those administra
tive, errors'which bear directly or indirectly upon the subject of
subversive and un-American activities come within the special
interest of this committee.

The implication of this paragraph is that the administration of the

War Relocation Authority program has been lacking in competency and efficiency,
that many mistakes have been made, and that Director Myer acknowledged that
this was true.

Actually, Director Myer expressed the judgment before the subcommittee

that a good job is being done in administration of the relocation centers
and of the program, as a whole and. that such mistakes as were made, particularly
in the early months of operation, were largely such as would inevitably occur
in the development of a new and unprecedented program. There was nothing in
the evidence heard by the subcommittee that would bear out the implication
that the program was being incompetently or inefficiently administered. All
things considered the preponderance of evidence indicates that the War Relo
cation Authority is doing a good job in handling an extremely difficult problem.

Fitness of War Relocation Authority personnel.

The majority's report states that much of the personnel in the War
Relocation Authority is manifestly unfit for the job. The only specific
evidence which is referred to in the report or which was presented before
the subcommittee to substantiate this conclusion was the assertion that few
of the administrative personnel had a prior knowledge of Japanese culture,
language, and habits. Director Myer, in his testimony, states that the War
Relocation Authority staff included some persons who were especially chosen
because of their acquaintance with Japanese culture and language and that
these persons had served as advisers to other members of the staff. A
considerable number of the staff were formerly residents of California and

C».OA<;-P<-BU-COS-WP
 - 4 -

other Western States who in the past had a great deal of contact with persons
of Japanese ancestry living in this country.

The fact that apart from these two groups most of the War Relocation
Authority staff had no previous close contact with Japanese or Japanese-
Americans seems not particularly significant. For one thing, there are
comparatively few people in the United States who understand the Japanese
language or are well acquainted ?ri.th Japanese culture. Apart from that,.
it would have been unfortunate had the War Relocation authority sought to
employ a large number of such persons when actually the^ would have been
and are more usefully employed by other agencies of the Government engaged
directly in the war against Japan. Furthermore., the War Relocation Author
ity would be subject to severe criticism were it dominated by people who
have previously been intimate with the Japanese or Japanese-Americans and
therefore subject to the accusation of beingunduly sympathetic toward them.

Americanization.

Anyone genuinely interested in the problem cf continuing the American

ization of the Japanese-American population of this country must acknowledge
that the greatest force for Americanization is free, friendly, and continuous
contact with non-Japanese-Americans in normal communities. The evacuation
and isolation of the Japanese population in relocation centers away from
normal contacts is an almost overwhelming obstacle to the assimilation of
the Japane se-Americans., as it would be to any immigrant population. To say,
as the majority’s report does, that—

the War Relocation Authority had before it an almost unparalleled

opportunity to inaugurate a vigorous educational program for posi
tive Americanism—

is an almost complete inversion of the true situation. Americanization is

best accomplished not by formal programs of education, but. by the con'tinuous
day-to-day mingling of the immigrant group among the general American popu
lation. By way of illustration, the story is told of an educated, loyal
Nisei during the very early days of evacuation when his family was still in
an assemply center, who protested bitterly that his children, who had always
spoken good English, were learning broken English from their less well
Americanized companions.

Far from having an unparalleled opportunity in the relocation centers

to effect Americanization, the War Relocation Authority is confronted with
the very difficult problem, under such artificial circumstances, of prevent
ing the development of a distinct relocation center culture which is mostly
American but partly Japanese. Anyone sincerely interested in the American
ization of the loyal Japanese must see that the best Americanization program
is found in the relocation of evacuees in normal American communities.

The majority’s report bases a strong criticism of the Authority on

the fact that the Authority ..has carried on the evacuee pay roll at each
center certain recreational supervisors who were especially concerned with
sports and recreational activities of Japanese origin. Particularly,
criticism has been directed against the teaching of Judo. Reference is

C-OtbG-?b-BU-CG3-WP
 ~ 5 -

made to the employment of 90 Judo instructors at one center. Director "

explained that this ove remphasis on Judo at that particular center,had long
since been corrected by the Authority. He also explained that such instruc
tion in Judo as still continues at the centers is carried on under a program
formulated after consultation with competent intelligence officers of the
military service. It is a matter of common knovdledge that Judo is taught
to soldiers in the United States Army and that Japanese-Americans from the
relocation centers are often used as instructors in Judo classes outside
the centers.

It was a3_so brought out in Director Ijyer’s testimony that the teach
ing of the Japanese language in the centers, originally prohibited, is now
conducted largely 'for the benefit of persons who will become Japanese
language teachers for the United States military and naval services.

As to Americanized recreational activities, the evidence indicates

that baseball is the most popular sport among the evacuees at the relocation
centers. Basketball and football are also very popular. Boy Scout work,
Girl Scout work, arid the like have a following multiplied many times over
that accorded to similar activities of Japanese cultural origin. Among
the evacuees there are many thousands of members of such organizations as
the Young Men’s Christian Association, Young 'Women’s Christian Association,
Girl Reserves, Hi-Y, Camp Fire Girls, and Future Farmers of America'. A
large proportion of the adult population belongs to parent-teacher associa
tions, the American Red Cross, and similar organizations.

Evacuee food. '

Among the complaints listed as reasons for this subcommittee’s in

vestigation is the charge that—

the Japanese evacuees were being supplied food through the Quarter
master Corps of the Army in greater variety and quantity than was
available to the average American consumer..(

This charge is repeated in the report of the majority members but it is not
brought out that the evidence received before the subcommittee completely
rebutted the charge. The facts which the- subcommittee’s investigators
established and which were borne out by other testimony received by the
subcommittee are these:

1. All rationing restrictions applicable to the general public are •

strictly applied' in relocation centers.

2. Food costs have averaged about 40 cents per day per person and
are subject to a top limit of 45 cents per day per person on an annual basis

3. Director Myer testified, without contradiction, to the effect

that the centers are instructed to refrain from purchasing commodities of
which there are general or local shortages.

. Within the limitations set by rationing and the 45-cent daily

cash allowance, the Authority has provided an adequate diet meeting reason
able wartime standards.

c-o458-Pp~Btr-cos-¥P
 - + -

Discipline in relocation centers.

Another of the complaints listed as reasons for the subcommittee's

investigation was the charge that—

the discipline in the various relocation centers was very lax and
that considerable Government property had been destroyed by some
of the Japanese.

No specific comment is made concerning this complaint in the majority's

reports.

actually,, the evidence produced before the subcommittee indicated

that there was much less crime of any kind in the relocation centers than
in the average American community of the same size. By and large the
evacuees have cooperated with the administration of the centers in main
taining order and discipline. Considering the emotional and social demorali
zation involved in evacuation, the conduct of the evacuees has been exemplary.
The evidence indicate S uilct■ t OP dinary crime at the centers has been negligible.

Manzanar gangs.

In the majority's report considerable space is given to certain

activities attributed to the Blood Brothers Corps at Manzanar. Two state
ments are necessary in reference to this discussion. In the first place,
it should be pointed out that the War Relocation Authority did, according
to the evidence presented to the subcommittee, take rather effective action
in handling these gangs, an isolation center was established and the gang
leaders 'were transferred to that place. At present it appears that activities
such as those of the Manzanar gangs have been eliminated. Secondly, the
evidence concerning existence of the Blood Brothers Corps is very indefinite.
No, one has been discovered who belonged to the supposed organization and the
only evidence of its existence consists of certain apparently anonymous
letters purporting to be written by a member of the corps. The point is that
very little worth-while evidence is actually available on the existence of
a Blood Brothers Corps. The evidence indicates that Manzanar probably had
more troubles than any of the other relocation centers but the evidence also
indicates that the sources of trouble there have now been eliminated.

Segregation.

In the rnajority's report the War Relocation Authority is severely

criticized for not having entered upon a program of segregating disloyal
evacuees from the great majority who are loyal before public hearings before
this subcommittee had revealed the urgent need for segregation. Actually
the facts are that on May 14, 1943, at a press conference in Washington,
Director Myer announced the program of segregation and the announcement
was given newspaper publicity. This was before the hearings of this sub
committee were begun and long before the United States Senate adopted the
resolution referred to in the majority's-report. Furthermore, Director
Myer had in April written a letter to Senator B. Chandler, chairman of
the Subcommittee on Japanese .War Relocation Centers of the Senate Committee

O O A <;-P -BU-COSJ/P
 - 7 -

on Military Affairs, in which letter he stated that a program for such

segregation was being worked out. Senator Chandler gave this letter to
the press shortly afterward.

Had it been physically possible to make a fair determination im

mediately at the outset of the establishment of the relocation centers as
to t-ne loyaity or disloyalty of each evacuee, many of the difficulties of
the Relocation Authority would have been eliminated.

Nevertheless, I believe that the ! Relocation authority could' and

should have speeded up the plan for segregation more than it did. I feel
that the actual movement of segregants should have been ’initiated more
quickly. It is true that intelligent determinations on the loyalty of more
than 100,000 peopie cannot be made in a week or a month and the Vifar Reloca
tion Authority’s efforts to be fairly certain in its determinations are
commendable. However, many of the evacuees who were known to be disloyal
cculd have been moved out of the regular relocation centers sooner than was
done. A certain amount of criticism on this point is therefore justified.

The legal aspects of the relocation program.

The constitutional difficulty of confining citizens not charged with

any crime is not discussed in the majority’s report. Legality of such
detention becomes increasingly difficult to sustain when it involves citizens
of the United otates against whom no charges of disloyalty or subversiveness
have been made,, particularly, if the detention continues for a period longer
than the .minimum time necessary for ascertainment of the facts. The princi
pal justification for detaining citizen evacuees in relocation centers is
that^ suen detention is merely a temporary and qualified detention. They are
detained unt_ = they carr be sifted with regard to their sympathies in the
war and unti_ jobs can be iound for them in communities where they will be
accepted.

Such action may be sustained as an incident to an orderly relocation

program, but any unqualified detention for the duration of the war of loyal
citizens would be so vulnerable to attack in court as to imperil the entire
relocation and detention program. That the leave regulations are legally
necessary is emphasized by a recent decision of the Federal court for the
northern district of California which dismissed a petition for writ of habeas
corpus brougnt by an evacuee, on the ground that petitioner had not exhausted
her administrative remedies by applying to the bar Relocation Authority for
leave (In re Endo) . _

In Hirabayashi v. United States, decided on June 1, 1945, the United

States Supreme Court heard an appeal by a citizen of Japanese descent who
had been sentenced concurrently on two Countsr First, for violation of
curfew regulations, and secondly, for failure to report for evacuation.
The Court sustained the conviction solely upon the basis of the curfew count
and avoided consideration of the conviction on the evacuation count. The
natural inference that the Court found it comparatively easy to uphold the
curfew, while encountering comparative difficulty in determining the legality
of the evacuation, is reenforced by passages in concurring opinions by #

C-Ok5Q-P7-BU-COS-WP
 r

Justice Murphy and Mr. Justice Douglas. Mr. Justice Murphy, in his con
curring opinion, said of the curfew orders:

In my opinion this goes to the very brink of constitutional power.

Since the detention accompanying the evacuation is a more drastic

restriction of liberty than the mere evacuation itself, there is even more
reason for the opinion that such detention is to be justified under the
Constitution only if it is carefully limited with all possible respect to
the rights of citizens in the current emergency. The legal problems of
detaining citizens cannot be disregarded by the governmental agency respon
sible for administering the leave program.

It is apparent that the leave program of the' War Relocation Authority

has been formulated with a thoughtful view toward assuring the legality of
the Authority's program as a whole,, and it is probable that without the
leave program the. whole detention plan might well be subjected to successful
legal attack. That this protection against such attack has been set up and
put into effective operation, thus giving greater assurance of the continued
detention of those who under the program are not entitled to leave, is a
fact for which the Authority is definitely to be commended.

Leave program, for the War Relocation Authority. .

A principal object of the liar Relocation Authority’s leave program,

it seems, is the separation of evacuees believed to be loyal to Japan from
those loyal to the United States. This is the same thing substantially as
the Segregation program. The best way to segregate the disloyal from the
loyal is to relocate the loyal in normal life. That is what the leave
program is designed to achieve. This takes time, however. It seems unfair
to the loyal, m the meantime, to allow them to be confused in the public
mind with the disloyal, therefore, segregation should be and is being under
taken as a separate program, as soon as segregation is completed it seems
that the leave program itself for the loyal evacuees should be substantially
speeded up.

Administration of leave program.

On October 1, 1942, the present basic leave regulations of the War

Relocation Authority became effective, on publication in the Federal
Register. They provide that any evacuee citizen or alien may request
indefinite leave from a relocation center. .To support the request, the
evacuee must show that he has a job or can take care of himself, must
agree to report changes of address to the liar Relocation Authority, and
must have a record indicating that he will not endanger the national
security. In addition, the War Relocation Authority must satisfy itself
that the community in Y/hich the evacuee proposes to relocate will accept
him without difficulty.

Much of the substance of the majority's report is concerned with

the problems of releasing evacuees from relocation centers. The essential
question raised by the report is whether or not the War Relocation Authority

-#> <;#.;#/ #-01#2.

 9 —

has exercised reasonable precautions and careful judgment in determining

which evacuees shall be granted leave. The majority’« report concludes
that it has not. as evidence for its conclusion, it relies chiefly upon
two arguments; (=) 23 evacuees who have been given leave from the centers
may be dangerous because they had some connection with an allegedly sub
versive organization known as Butoku-kai; (2) the present procedures of
the Authority do not provide sufficient checks on the record of individuals
released.

as to the first of these arguments, the majority’s report does not

allege that these 23 members of the Butoku-kai are subversive or dangerous,
but does state that—

file release of these 23 Japanese is evidence of the incompetence

of the vaiy Relocation authority to exercise proper safeguards both
for the national security and for the thousands of loyal Japanese
as well.

In a letter dated July 16, 1943, to this subcommittee, Director Myer

gave specific information concerning the circumstances under which leave
was granted to these 23 persons. It was brought out that, as to 16 of the
23, the Federal Bureau of Investigation had records ¥ihich disclosed no
report or derogatory information, as to 5 of them, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation had no records whatever. One was released for school work
under an agreement with military intelligence. One, an alien, was paroled,
under the regular sponsor parolee agreement prescribed by the Immigration
and Naturalization Servi.ee of the Department of Justice. That accounts for
all 23 of them. Director Myer states that no evidence ?\ras given to the
Authority either from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other
agency that any one. of these 23 persons was dangerous or subversive.

Leave clearance procedure.

The second major argument advanced in the majority’s report in

support of its strong condemnation of the leave clearance procedures
followed by the War Relocation authority is that procedures have recently
been so liberalized as to remove certain essential safeguards. It is
stated that while originally the authority made what is called a home
check'and a name check and all leave clearance was granted by the Director
in Washington, since April 1943 project directors have been authorized to
"make their own determination (with certain limitations)" as to the release
for indefinite leave of an evacuee -and that the home check and the name
check have been eliminated. ("Name check" is the term used by the sub
committee to describe the process of securing such information as is avail
able in the records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation before granting
leave to an individual.)

This statement is misleading in three respects. In the first place,

"the certain limitations" are extremely important in that they withhold the
right of the- project director to grant leave to the folio-wing categories
of people:

C-OA58-P9-BU-COS-WP
 10 -

1. Evacuees who answered no or gave a qualified answer to the loyalty

question during the .army registration.

2. Repatriates andexpatriates.

3. Paroled aliens.

4. Shinto priests.

5. Those whose leave clearance has -been suspended by the Director.

These categories include all evacuees about whom there is generally reason
to have doubt. That these "certain limitations" are in force is established
both by the provisions of the administrative Instruction (No. 22) given in
evidence, and by the direct testimony of Director Myer before the subcommittee.

In the second place, in discussing checks made on loyalty of evacuees

applying for indefinite leave, the majority’s report mentions a home check
and a name check, but does not mention the check-up made at the project.
Director Myer testified that such a check-up is regularly made. The project
staff is in a position to know a good deal about the evacuees.

In the third place, the statement is made in the majority’s report

that on April 2, the War Relocation Authority further liberalized its
release program by eliminating the Federal Bureau of Investigation name
check. The evidence indicates that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
name check ha’s not been eliminated, but rather that all names of evacuee
adults are being submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and that
the Federal Bureau of Investigation has almost completed its check on all
the evacuees. As soon as a derogatory report is received from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation on one of the individuals, the project director is
notified and is instructed not to grant leave to the individual in question.

Japanese-Americans in the civil service. ,

The majority’s report intimates that the War Relocation Authority

has set up a plan to place hundreds of Nisei in civil service employment
of the Federal Government and it describes, under the heading "An Indefensible
Release Procedure," one case in which an attempt was made to secure civil
service rating for a Nisei. In response to my inquiry, the following letter
was received:
War Relocation Authority,
Office of the Director,
Washington, August 18, 1943.
Hon. Herman p. Eberharter,
House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

Dear Mr. Eberharter: I am glad to respond to your telephone request for

information concerning the investigation made by the War Relocation Authority
before issuing indefinite leave to the person named in a letter sent by Mr.
Elmer L. Shirrell, a relocation supervisor of the Authority, to the director
of the seventh region of the United States Civil Service'Commission on

C-0A58-P10-BTJ-C0S-WP
 11

• 1943. The person referred to in the letter is Mary Nakasuji.

i'iary Nakasuji applied to the war Relocation authority for leave

clearance in November 1942. A check of the records of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation was made on December -* , 1942, which indicated that the
records contained no information on the applicant. Reports were secured
by the project internal security officer and by the evacuee's immediate
employment supervisor at the center. Both reports were strongly favor
able.

A letter received from a Mr. George M. Osborne, 4693 Alice Street,

San Diego, Calif., dated December 31, 1942, states.*

MI have known Mary and members of her family for several years. I
sincerely believe her to be a very good American citizen. Vie know she is
of Christian faith and has demonstrated to the utmost her democratic views
regarding American ideals and our American standard of living. I highly
recommend her as to character.”

After considering the results of the name check, results of the check
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation record, project report, and this
letter of endorsement, this applicant was .granted leave clearance on January
20, 1943. She left the Granada relocation center on March 13, worked as a
secretary and bookkeeper in the ibung Men's Christian Association at 19 South
LaSalle Street, Chicago, and on June + ?,rent to work with the Roberts Manu
facturing Co. at an increased salary. She is still employed there. Reports
on her work are favorable. She has not yet taken a civil-service examination,
but has filled out Standard Form 57 in order that her eligibility for civil
service may be determined.

On July 2, 1943, the Japanese-American Joint Board concurred in the

granting of indefinite leave to Miss Nakasuji.

If you would like any further information concerning this case, or

any other aspect of our work, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
D. S. Myer, Director.

view °f the facts, I believe the letter written by the relocation super
visor seems fully justified in this case.

It is unfortunate that the majority's report should have relied so

heavily upon a mistaken interpretation of the facts in this case v/hen the
true facts would have been readily available.

Conduct of evacuees who have been granted leave.

It is worthy of note that of all the evacuees who have been released
on both seasonax and indefinite leave by the Mar Relocation Authority,
numbering more than 16,000, no report of disloyal or subversive activity
has been made to the Authority or to this subcommittee.

C -0458-Pll~BU~ COS-WP
 Moreover, among the Japanese-American.population numbering 290,000
in the continental United States and Hawaii, only 52 percent of ■ whom are
in relocation centers, there have been no established cases of sabotage
while there are thousands of cases of loyal workers in industry, agriculture,
and in the armed forces of the United States.

When, proper weight is given to the importance of preserving demo

cratic and constitutional principles in the treatment of the Japanese-
American population with, at the same time, proper regard for national
security, it is evident that the relocation centers and the outside relo
cation program are being administered efficiently and well.

The recommendations of the majority report.

I have already commented on how mild the recommendations of the

majority report seem after the severe language of its findings.

I agree fully with the first recommendation, that segregation-of the

disloyal should be put into effect at once, as I have said, I believe the
War Relocation authority should have moved faster on this than they did,
although it is not an easy thing to distinguish the loyal from the disloyal
among =>>4>>> persons.

The subcommittee’s second recommendation is that a new board be

established, made up of representatives of the War Relocation Authority
and the various Intelligence agencies of the Federal Government to investi
gate evacuees who apply for release from the centers and to pass finally
upon their aj)plications. The subcommittee rs investigations have ma^e clear
that there has always been.close cooperation between Army Intelligence,
Naval -Intelligence, and the War Relocation Authority. Hie War Relocation
Authority has always had access to the records of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. I do not see any necessity for establishing still another
board. I do not see that the results would be any different than they
are now since the records of all these Intelligence agencies are now
available to the War Relocation Authority. Such a board would simply
divide responsibility among a number of agencies, and then no one person
or agency could be held responsible for results.

There is nothing in the record of l€?ave clearance granted by the War

Relocation Authority that justifies the setting up of a board to take over
this function. Moreover, it seems pretty clear that the agency of the
Government charged with the detention of citizens, particularly those to
whom leave is denied, should be the agency which makes the actual deter
mination to grant or deny leave in individual cases. In short, the granting
of leave is an essential part of the legal basis for detention and shguld
not be separated from the administration of relocation centers.

No recommendation for the establishment of such a board as is

recommended by the subcommittee majority was made by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, the Office of Naval Intelligence, or the Military
Intelligence Division of the War Department.

C- AD@ -PI*-BU-COS-W?
 - 13 -

The third and last recommendation of the majority's report is in favor

of a thoroughgoing program of Americanization for Japanese who remain in
centers. Of course I am in favor of that; everybody is in favor of American
isation just as everybody is against sin. Of course I am sure the majority
members of the subcommittee would not want to push this idea so far that
they will turn these camps into a "social experiment."

Mr. Myer testified that there is a great deal of Americanization work

going on in the centers. The schools are active in this work, and many of
the younger people are members of Future farmers of America, The Red Cross,
the Boy and Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, and similar agencies. Adult
English classes are provided for hundreds of aliens.

Certainly, we would need an extraordinarily intensive ¿imericaniza-

tion program for loyal American citizens who are detained in seeming contra
diction of American principles and the "four freedoms." Certainly, also,
the best ?fay to push Americanization of this group is for the War Relocation
Authority to go ahead with its program of restoring full freedom of movement
to the loyal American citizens of Japanese ancestry and the law-abiding-' aliens
who are now in relocation centers.

I believe the War Relocation Authority should complete its segrega

tion program, should continue its Americanization program, and should, by
all means, go ahead with its resettlement program.

Summation.

It is my conclusion that, considering the magnitude of its job, the

difficulty of the legal Issues involved, and the complexity and delicacy
of the problem of resettling a large group of people in the midst of a war,
the War Relocation Authority has acted, by and large, efficiently and
capably, and has carried out the spirit and intent of the President’s
Executive order under which it was established. X think it is better to
let the War Relocation Authority carry on unhampered by unfair criticism.

Respectfully submitted.

Herman P . Eberharter

C~0kS8~P13-Final-BOBU-COS-WP
% P o s s i b le p o in t s o f i n t e r e s t from S h id le r S tu d y ,
j * - - i n d i c a t e s em phasis
f De c i s io n t o o r g a n iz e 1 2 / 2 9 / 4 1 • • • • • • • • » • » » • • • • • • • • • • • * . . . . . • • • • • p . 59

No p r e c i s e *a b s o l u t i s t position......».»...*....******»*»»***« 60
P u b lic o p in io n and p u b lic p o l i c y as t a r g e t s o f F.P.Comm.......... ••» 65*
(aim ed a t a l l segm en ts o f community and g o v ' t . )
Concern f o r r i g h t s o f a l l m i n o r it i e s • • • • • • • • « . « . . • . . . . . . • • * • • • 70
C u lt iv a t io n o f r e l a t i o n s h i p s w ith governm ent a g e n c i e s ............... 73*

A ccep ta n ce o f War Departm ent a c t i o n s . . * • * • * . # » * • • • • • • • » • • • • • • • » 76

P ragm atic approach t o e v a c u a tio n and e v e n tu a l • • • » • • • • • • * • • • • • » 77

r e tu r n o f e v a c u e e s
P am phlets e t c u sed t o c o u n te r a c t r i s i n g o p p o s it io n , •••••••••» 96
and t o whom s e n t
Lundberg Warren c o r r e s p o n d e n c e . . * • ♦ • * * * * » • * * * * * • • • • • . • * • * * • * • » • 99# 1003
th ru 102
More pam p h lets . * .*'■ .'*..»■ '»*...*»••■ •.•■ • f ♦ -•■ v* »'.*■ • • j»».#■ • .\* *■ *.•,»•.•••■ *.*■ • •■ * 103

D i l lo n Myer r e F • P » Comm 105 and

184*
Kingman r e WRA 107

B id d le Speech ( a t r e q u e s t o f F. P. Comm. ) . . . • • • • • • • • * » • • • • • • • • • » • 109 -

P . P • C om m .policy re T ule Lake r i o t s e t c . • • * * • * • » • * • • • • • • • • • • • • » • 119-120

D i l lo n Myer r e Tule Lake • ♦ • • * . • • . • * » • » • * . • ♦ • « • • • • * • • ♦ • * • * • • • • • • 121

P asadena Branch v s . P. P. Oomm. . . . . . • . • • • * • • • • • • » • • • • • • • • • • • • • » • • 123

T urning P o in t Ben K uroki sp ea k s to Commonwealth Club 2 / 4 / 4 4 . . . 135

P r e ss and r a d io r e a c t io n t o Kuroki s p e e c h . • • • * • • » . . • • • • • * * • • • * •
R obert G. S p ro u l sp ea k s in Los A n g e le s 6 / 2 9 / 4 4 . • • • . . . » . . . » » » » . . 143

P.P.Oomm. d i s c u s s e s p ro s and cons o f c a l l i n g f o r an . . • • • » » » • * • 1 4 9 -1 5 0 *

I n j u n c t io n a g a in s t War D ep t, f o r e x c lu s io n p o l i c y
( S h id le r p o s s i b l y m ista k e n in d a ta u s e d ) • • • • • • » • • • • • • • • • • • • • • * • 151

P.P.Oomm. r e p ly t o W ashington r e r e tu r n o f e v a c u e e s . • • • • • • • • * • • 154*

I c k e s m ee tin g in S . P . r e W R A . *• *

Su c c e s s . . ......................... • • • • • • • ................................................. 157

"Pouring on" p a m p h le te e r in g e t c . • » • » » « . » . . » . 1 5 8 -1 5 9

Com m ittee p r e s s u r e on WRA and War D ep t, t o ta k e . . » » . » . » » « » . « * • 160 - 61-62

r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r d e v e lo p in g a t t i t u d e s ( p o s i t i v e )
D angers in h e r e n t in r e tu r n o f e v a c u e e s r e c o g n i z e d . . . . . . . . . .......... 1 6 3 - 164

Pam phlet p rep ared by G alen F is h e r g iv e n w id e s t d i s t r i b u t i o n . .» • 1 6 4 - 5 -6

and e f f e c t s o f same tt , , .
S h i f t a p p ea rs in m a il r e c e iv e d by Comm, and in W a s h i n g t o n • • • • • • 166
P r e p a r in g p u b lic o p in io n f o r r e tu r n .......... 1 7 0 -1 7 1 *
M a ilin g s ............... ............................................... .......... 1 7 3 * -1 7 4
San F r a n c isc o C on feren ce o f a g e n c ie s , c a ll e d b y . • • • • • • • 193',<’-1 9 4 * - 1 9 5 ‘,f
p.P.Comm.
R. K. t o W ashington t o p le a f o r c o o p e r a tio n o f a l l * . . * * . 208
a g e n c ie s
M yer-Cozzens^Kingman d i s c u s s i o n s . . . . . . . . ............... .. 211*

D i l lo n Myer v s . F a ir P la y Comm. (RWK) r e Ho us i n g * • • • • • • 212* th r u 226*

o f r e t u r n e e s t o f o l lo w f i n a l c l o s i n g o f c e n t e r s
FPComm v s War D ep t, r e Dep’t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ( p u b l i c .......... 2 2 8 * -2 2 9 * -2 3 0 *
o p in io n , h o u s in g , ;)obs e t c ) f o r r e tu r n e e s
R e la t io n s w ith American C o u n c il on Race R e la t io n s and **233
C iv ic U n ity movement
D i s s o lu t i o n o f F a ir P la y Co mmi t t e e . • • • • • • • ............ .... 233 and 2 3 4 .
 REMARKS OF REPRESENTATIVE fERMAN P. EBERHARTER
March of Time, August 26, 1943.

ANNOUNCER:
Last June, in Los Angeles, a three-man congressional subcommittee,,
completed an investigation of western evacuee centers for alien and U.S.-
born Japanese. One high, spot was the testimony of a former official of the
Poston, Arizona, Japanese relocation center, Harold H. Townsend:

VOICE 1:
The Japanese are hoarding food, bread, and other supplies for Japanese
parachute troops and invasion forces.

ANNOUNCER: •
This week, the subcommittee published its report. Said chairman
John M. Costello of California:

VOICE 2:
Japanese are being released without adequate checks on their loyalty
to the United States. Among the Japanese set free are 23 member» of the
Butoku-kai, a subversive youth section of the Black Dragon socie^i

ANNOUNCER:
But Chairman Costello was speaking only for himself and South Dakota's
Representative Karl E, Mundt. Hearing the same testimony, the third member
of that subcommittee disagreed with his colleagues- conclusions, disputed
their statements, had recommendations of his own to make. Tonight, that
congressman, Herman P. Eberharter of Pennsylvania, is at our March of Time
microphone in Washington, D. C. Mr. Eberharter.

EBERHa RTER:
After careful consideration, I cannot avoid the conclusion that the
report of the majority of the investigating subcommittee is prejudiced.
Most of its statements are not proven. The stories of Japanese hiding food,
bread, and other supplies for an enemy invasion force were shown ridiculous
when projects were visited, bo far 16,000 evacuees have been released, yet
the report seeks to make a great deal of the release of 23 who were members
of Butoku-kai— a Japanese fencing society. Neither the report nor the
hearings offered any evidence that any of the 23 were subversive.

After wind and fury, the report implies the War Relocation Authority
is doing a very bad job, stressing a few shortcomings and ignoring the many
good points our investigation disclosed. The evidence showed the WRA is
doing a good job in handling an extremely difficult problem. The majority
report repeats the charge that the Japanese evacuees were supplied with
food in greater variety and quantity than to the average U.S. citizen.
Evidence completely rebutted,that charge. All rationing restrictions are
strictly applied, and food costs have averaged about 40 cents a day per
person.

Contrary to the majority report of the Dies subcommittee, evidence

indicates there is much less crime of any kind in the relocation centers
than in an American community of the same size. The climax of the majority
report is three feeble, meaningless recommendations. I agree fully with
the first: that segregation of the disloyal Japanese be Effected at once.

OM-247
 - z -

But this program was announced by WRA months ago. Intelligent determination
of the loyalty of more than - % people cannot be made in a week or a
month, and the WR a 's efforts te-be fairly certain in its actions-is commend
able. The second recommendation of the majority is that a new board be made
up representing the vilRA and the intelligence agencies of the government, to
pass on applications for release. But there has always been close coopera
tion between the War Relocation Authority and army and navy intelligence
and the FBI. One more board is unnecessary and would simply divide respon
sibility. The third and last recommendation favors a thorough-going program
of Americanization for Japanese who remain in the centers. Of course I
favor that, just as I'm against sin. Considering the magnitude of the job,
the difficulty of the legal issues involved— that is, the constitutionality
of confining citizens not charged with any crime— and considering the
complexity and delicacy of the problem of resettling such a large number
of people in the midst of' a war, the WR a has acted efficiently and capably.
I think it is better to let the WR a carry on, unhampered by unfair criticism.

— O —

OM-247
 WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY

Washington

June 2, 1945

Hon. Martin Dies

Chairman, Special Committee to
Investigate Un-American Activities
Washington, D. C.

Dear Mr. Dies:

I have noted in the press,recently a number of statements by-

representatives of the Committee on Un-American Activities which have a
direct bearing on the work of the WTar Relocation Authority, and have the
effect of.seriously interfering with the program which this'agency has been
instructed by the President of the Congress to carry out. The statements
have been so misleading to the public, and so fraught with errors and half-
truths that I am impelled to record my comments for your information.

Several of the statements have dwelt upon the presence of organized

and dangerous pro—Japanese elements in the West Coast population prior to ^
the outbreak of war. No mention is niade of the fact that the federal
intelligence agencies apprehended several thousand suspects immediately
after Pearl Harbor, and that those found guilty upon hearings have been
incarcerated in internment camps. Instead the implication is strongly made
that all such subversive individuals are to be found in the population of
the relocation centers.

On May 29, Mr. Robert E. Stripling, identified as Chief Investigator

of your Committee, was quotetrTrTthe press as saying that spies and saboteurs
are being released from the relocation centers. The charges were not sup
ported, but nevertheless they unquestionably would have the effect of
arousing mistrust of all persons of Japanese ancestry who are seeking to
relocate. Since the War Relocation Authority grants leave from its centers
with the provision that an individual may be #alled back at any time for
sufficient reason, I am only discharging my responsibilities when I request
that I be supplied with the names of any persons released from relocation
centers who are spies or saboteurs or who have been trained in saboteur
schools. I suggest also that the names and evidence be made available
immediately to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In a statement to the press on May 31, which I understand also w/as

made by Mr. Stripling, it was charged that evacuees in relocation centers
are provided with foods of kinds and quantities not available to the
general public. Except for the amounts of food on hand at the Manzanar
Relocation Center which presumably were accurately reported, the state
ment was erroneous and consequently misleading. The statement was made
that ’’prime” beef was provided for the evacuees. The beef ordered for

OM-240
relocation centers is third grade. The Committee spokesman completely ig
nored the fact’that rationing restrictions of the OPA are in force at relo
cation centers, that the actual cost of food is approximately 40 cents a
day per person, and the ViRA has deliberately refrained from purchasing cer
tain kinds of food known to be scarce. These facts were made known to the
committee's investigators who visited the Manzanar Relocation Center, and
could have been quickly and readily confirmed by a telephone call to this
office.

The Office of the President has just referred to me the telegram of

May 19 from Representative J. Parnell Thomas, a member of your committee,
urging Presidential action in stopping further release of people of Japanese
ancestry until section II of your committee's report on Axis activities
can be issued, a n d ’the Committee's investigation of .the relocation centers
can be completed. In the absence of any supporting facts, we must regard
Mr. Thomas' request as purely personal, and insufficient to warrant a
change in the policies of this agency.

We have our own records on all persons above 1 7 .years of age in the
relocation centers, and we also have available to us information from the
records of the federal investigative agencies. In the interest of national
security we do not release any evacuee if his record indicates any reason
why it would not be advisable for him to live outside a relocation center.
On the other hand,, the manpower situation plus the constitutional guarantees
demand that loyal American citizens and law-abiding aliens be given every
opportunity'to contribute to .the war ef'for.t-by productive work in normal
Communities.

Investigators for.your Committee have visited a number of the

relocation centers, and. have received complete collaboration of the staff
there. We in the national office will be glad to cooperate fully in pro
viding facts which your committee may desire concerning the-policies and
procedures of this agency. To date no member or representative of the
Committee has asked me for any information or has been in touch with any
member of the Washington;staff.'

In the meantime, I hope it will be possible for representatives of

your Committee to refrain from making public statements concerning the War
Relocation Authority on the basis of incomplete information. Continuance
of this practice of issuing irresponsible statements can only lead to the
conclusion that the Committee has abandoned its assignment of fact-finding
and in this instance is devoting itself lo the oppression of a minority.
Such a course can contribute only to national disunity and hinder the war
effort.

Sincerely

Director
0M-240
 Statement by Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation
- Authority, before the Costello Committee of the House Committee
on Un-American Activities, July + , 1943.

The manner in which the War Relocation Authority conducts its

program is of concern to all the people in the United States, and it
has a significance which goes far beyond the geographic boundaries of
this country. Undoubtedly, the WRA program is being watched in Japan,
where thousands of American soldiers and civilians are held as prisoners
or internees; in China, India, Thailand, Burma, and many other countries
whose collaboration we need if we are to defeat our enemies with a
minimum loss of life.

The manner, in which the problem is treated has a direct bearing

on relations with our allies in winning the war, and on the position of
this nation in establishing the terms of peace.

The grave international implications of this program demand that

it be approached thoughtfully, soberly, and with maturity, and that
public statements concerning it be made only after thorough understanding
of the facts.

'The program of the War Relocation ¿s-uthority has been under in
vestigation for the past eight ireelis in such a manner as to achieve
maximum publicity of sensational statements based on half-truths,
exaggerations, and falsehood; statements of witnesses have been released
to the public without verification of their accuracy, thus giving nation
wide currency to many distortions and downright untruths.

This practice has fostered a public feeling of mistrust, suspicion,

and hatred that has had the effect of

Providing the enemy with material vfhich can be used to convince

the proples of the Orient that the United States is undemocratic
and is fighting a racial war.

Undermining the unity of the American people.

Betraying the democratic objectives which this nation and its

allies are fighting to preserve.

It may lead to further mal-treatment of our citizens who are

prisoners or who are interned.

C-0323-N0BU-WP
 SEGREGATION OE EtTACUKES

While the great majority of the residents of the reloca

tion centers are loyal to the TJhited States and sympathetic to
its war aims, the presence of some who refuse to pledge loyalty
or good behavior made it more difficult for the War Relocation
Authority to fulfill its responsibility to the evacuated people.
Accordingly, in May 1943 public announcement was made of plans
to segregate the residents of relocation centers on the basis of
national loyalty.

The Tule Lake center in northern California was designated

as the sogregation center, to be the place of residence for those
persons who indicate their unwillingness to support the war aims
of the United States. All persons found after careful study and
investigation to be disloyal to the United States or unsympathetic
to the war aims of this nation were designated for removal to the
Tule Lake center. Those residents of the Tule Lake center who
were loyal or sympathetic to the United States have been removed
to other centers. The movement took place in September and
October, 1943, and was carried out with the cooperation of the War
Department.

Included among the segregants in the Tule Lake center are

persons who have requested repatriation or expatriation to Japan,
those who refused to pledge loyalty to the United States or (in
the case of aliens) good behavior and persons who, because of un
favorable intelligence reports or other records of un-American
behavior in the past, are found to he ineligible for leave under
’TRA pro ce dure s ,

The population of segregants in Tule Lake, including

fami -y members who voluntarily went to the segregation center,
is approximately 18,000.

Residents of the relocation centers will be eligible to

relocate into ordinary communities, under leave regulations of
the War Relocation Authority, but the privilege of leave will
be denied segreganta.
 June 4, 1943

Dear Mr. Merchant;

The Secretary of War has asked, me to acknowledge your

letter to him of May 26, on the question of the return of certain
Japanese evacuees to the West Coast. This will also acknowledge your
letter to General Marshall on the same subject.

In.view of your expressions I feel it only fair to give you

some information as to the War Department’s policies in regard to the
people.of Japanese descent in California and elsewhere on the West
C oast.

The War Department participated in and is responsible for the

decision to move the Japanese descended people of the West Coast on
military grounds and the suggestion that the views of the Department
and of General DeWitt are at variance on any important particulars
is entirely.false. The War Department is aware that many of the
evacuees, both citizens and aliens, are disloyal and in some instances
even potentially'dangerous. On the other hand, it is just as clear
even after the experiences they have gone through that many of these
people are entirely loyal to the United States. These people are
still going through a rather severe test of their loyalty, and steps '
are being taken which should give us far greater information on this
subject than we have ever had in the past* It seems entirely unnecessary
and unjust to retain loyal citizens and others in restrictive custody
when they could do their part toward the war effort. The War Depart
ment policy, therefore, is to afford to loyal Japanese every opportunity
to make their contribution. •This they have asked for, and it is not
proposed, when they have «demonstrated loyalty and adherence to this
country, to prohibit them from doing their part. In line with this
policy the War Department on January 28 announced its plan to or
ganize a Japanese American unit for combat service. The personnel
of this unit are all volunteers, and each individual has been care
fully scrutinized as to loyalty and cleared for service in the Army.
I think they will pro%re to be a real military asset to the country.
Once they have taken the oath of a soldier and have been placed in
uniform, these soldiers are to be accorded the privileges extended to
any other soldier in the Army. This includes the privilege of returning
on furlough to any part of the United States he desires. Certainly
your organisation would not feel that these people who have volunteered
to face the enemy in battle should not be accorded this privilege and
opportunity. There are very few individuals who will be covered by
such regulations but the Army in any case, must and will afford its
soldiers equal treatment. Such steps have been taken after consideration

C-0289-P5-BU-C0S-WP
 - 2 -

by the Army and in the light of advice from many officers who are en
tirely familiar with the Japanese, their language and their country.

I am no expert on Japanese matters but I am in a position

where, from time to time, I see absolutely unmistakable evidence of
loyalty to this country and hatred for the Japanese military system
on the part of many of those of Japanese descent in this country.
Such loyalty has been evidenced in many cases in the face of physical
beatings and other duress. The Department is aware of the attitude of
many people on the West Coast; the danger to the Japanese themselves,
etc. which might result from a sudden letting down of the bars, but the
War Department is merely charged with the military security of the country.
The relocation of the Japanese is a social and national problem and
only to the extent that it really affects our military security does
the War Department presume to express any opinions on the subject. It
is my hope that organizations similar to yours will give careful thought
to the problem and lend their efforts to a sensible and fair solution
of it. California and the other Western Defense States must certainly
share in the solution.

While the War Department does support a recognition of the

loyalty of many Japanese Americans," it retains its prime consideration
for the security of not only our coasts but of all expeditionary forces.
There is no immediate plan to return for residence on the Coast of any
large number of evacuees. There are certain mixed marriage, cases that
after proper screening probably will be handled on an individual basis
with a view of correcting an unnecessary separation of man and wife.
There may be certain other steps taken to alleviate hardships in in
dividual cases or to recognize the full responsibility of the country
to a soldier in uniform, but this is all for the moment we are con
sidering so far as réintroduction of Japanese American citizens into
the Western Defense Command is concerned. *

I hope these facts will give you an understanding of the War

Departments attitude in the matter and will afford to you an opportunity
to explore the matter further if you sô desire.

Sincerely,

(signed)

JOHN J. McOLOY
. Assistant Secretary of V/ar

Mr. William G, Merchant, President .

Down Town Association
85 Post Street
San Francisco, California

C-0289-P6-BU-C0S-WP
 July 17, 1943

Justice Byrnes, Director of War Mobilization, has issued the following

statement, which was prepared at the President’s request by the iN&r Department
and the War Relocation Authority in response to Senate'Resolution 166 relative
to the treatment of persons of Japanese ancestry in relocation centers:

The West Coast Evacuation

Following the attack at Pearl Harbor, the Secretary of War after con
sultation with the Commanding General of the Western Defense Command, as well
as other officials and agencies of the government, authorized the evacuation
of citizens and aliens of Japanese descent from the West Coast areas under the
'authority of Executive Order 9066# The objective was toevacuate the entire
Japanese population from a sensitive and threatened military area. It was a
precautionary measure and carried no implications of individual disloyalty#
The indications were, however, that there were a number of unidentified
persons of Japanese descent, both citizen and alien, who, by reason of their
attachment to Japan, constituted a potential threat to our security« The Army
effected the original moves in connection with the. evacuation and set up th©
assembly centers into Which the evacuees were first gathered* A detailed re
port on the evacuation and the part played by the Army has been prepared by the
Commanding General, Western Defense Command. It will shortly be made available
to the President and the Congress.

The Relocation Centers

The Army has not, however, attempted to deal with the problem of
relocation and resettlement of t;he evacuated people* Shortly after the evac
uation was decided upon, the War Relocation Authority was set up in order to
relieve the Army of non-military burdens and to assist the evacuees in re
establishing themselves away from the coastal zone* The first- step was the
establishment at widely separated inland points of ten large relocation c enters
which were built by the Army but have been managed from the beginning by the
War Relocation Authority*

The great bulk of the evacuated people are still living in these centers*
They are quartered in barrack-type buildings of frame construction and take
their maals in mess-halls, each accommodating upwards of 250 people* They are
not allowed at any time to leave the center without a permit and after dark are
restricted to the limits of the barracks area. Preservation of law and order
within the centers is a responsibility of the.War Relocation Authority. How
ever, the external boundaries of each project area are guarded by a detachment
of military police who are available for duty within the. center in the event
of disorder. Thus far, they have been summoned to quell a disturbance on only
one occasion.

Evacuees at the centers are provided by th government with food,

housing, and medical care. Schools are maintained for the children* A portion
of the food is produced by the evacuees themselves on government-owned or
government-leased land within the project area; some perishable commodities are
purchased locally; and practically all other food is bought through the Quarter
master Depots of the Army. All rationing restrictions applicable to the civilian

C-0533-PI of 3-BU-COS-WP
 B B

population are strictly followed and two meatless days are observed each week*
In areas wthere local milk supplies are short, milk is provided only to small
children, nursing or expectant mothers, and special dietary cases* Beef served
at the centers is third grade and no fancy meats of any kind are furnished* In
general, the food is nourishing but definitely below Army standards* The cost
of feeding at the centers over the past several months has ranged from 34 to
42 cents per person per day*

In order to hold down, the costs of operating the centers, the War Relo
cation Authority has utilized evacuee labor to the fullest possible extent in
the production of foodstuffs and the development of agricultural land, and in
providing the necessary community services. Top positions in each line of work,
however, are occupied by non-Japanese Civil Service employees. Those evacuees
who work are paid at the rate of $12, .$>16, or $>19 a month and are provided, in
addition, with clothing allowances for themselves and their dependents* The
clothing allowances range from $24 a year for small children in the southerly
centers to $45 a year for adults in centers where winters are severe* Approx
imately 90 percent of the employable evacuees at the centers are engaged in some
Tine of work at the present time.

Leave Procedures

The second step in the YiRA program for the evacuated people is to help
the loyal American citizens and the law-abiding aliens in resettling outside
the relocation centers and away from the evacuated coastal zone. Present
regulations provide that any resident of a center — citizen or alien — may
apply for permission to leave the center in order to take a job in agriculture
or industry and establish residence in a normal American community* Before
permission is granted, however, the evacuee’s background and record of behavior
are carefully checked, and the attitude of the community toward receiving '
evacuees is ascertained,

.The War Relocation Authority has acquired extensive information con

cerning the past history, affiliations, and attitudes of evacuees past the
age of 17 years* On the basis of these records, leave permits are granted*
As a further precaution, names of more than 85 percent of the evacuees have
been checked against records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,. and these
checks will be continued until the list of adult evacuees has been completely
covered. If there is evidence from any source that the evacuee might endanger
the internal security of the Ration or interfere with the war effort, permis
sion for leave is denied.

In addition, there has been established a Joint Board, composed of

representatives of the War and Navy Departments and the War Relocation Authority*
This board maintains liaison with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Approval of the board is required for evacuees who desire to work in war indus
tries or wish to relocate from- relocation centers into the Eastern Military Area,
Such approval is given only after all pertinent information available from the
cooperating agencies has been examined and evaluated.

Segregation of the Disloyal

The.War Relocation Authority is now undertaking to segregate those evacuees

whose loyalties lie with Japan, The Segregated group will be quartered in a
center by themselves and will not be eligible for leave. The other people, how
ever, will continue to be eligible for leave and will be encouraged by the War
C -0533-P2-BU-COS-WP
Relocation Authority to take useful employment m normal communities outside
the evacuated area.

West Coast Restrictions Continued

The evacuation was the result of militarycons: derations, and decisions

of the War Department in the matter were based, and will continue to be based,
only on such considerations» The original restrictions have been modified
slightly, particularly with respect to soldiers of Japanese ancestry in the
United States Army, In a few mixed-marriage cases and in emergency situations,
individual permits to enter evacuated areas have been, and will continue to be,
issued by the Commanding General of the Western Defense Command*

In all other respects the original restrictions remain in force. There

is no present intention to alter them, nor is any relaxation under contempla
tion. From the beginning the War Department and the Commanding General of the
Western Defense Command have been in close and continuing consultation and
agreement on all matters relating to evacuation and security of the West Coast
areas. The present restrictions against persons of Japanese ancestry will
remain in force as long as the military situation so requires.

Japanese-Americans in the Army

Prior to the outbreak of war there were a number of American citizens

of Japanese descent in the Army. Since the outbreak, a combat team of soldiers
of Japanese ancestry has also been inducted from Hawaii and the Mainland, Thes
men in the combat team have been screened; they are all citizens of the United
States; end they have all volunteered for service. Thus far their record has
been excellent. Other American soldiers of Japanese descent have performed
useful and hazardous services in connection with our operations in the Pacific
and a number have already been decorated for meritorious service. It is the
policy of the War Department and the Army in all respects to accord American
soldiers of Japanese ancestry the rights and privileges of all other American
soldier s.

A more complete report in accordance with the terms of Resolution

166 will be prepared and will be made available shortly.

C-0533-P3-Final-NOBU-COS-WP
 # &/&? (
A& @&068?

An Address Delivered Before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco

on May 20, 1942, by

. 1 051 1 < 50=5 750% 2<7<.<

U N IT E D STATES ARMY

A SSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF

WESTERN DEFENSE C O M M A N D AND
FOURTH ARMY
 T he problem of evacuation of all persons of J apanese ancestry
from the P acific coastal frontier is one that interests the people of
the U nited States. E specially is it one that interests members of the
Commonwealth Club, as well as all persons resident in this coastal
area.
F irst, I should like to tell you something of the reasoning behind
the evacuation of all persons of J apanese ancestry from this coastal
frontier.
T here are three principal dangers— hence, three principal prob
lems bearing upon internal security in time of war. T hese problems,
and the methods used to combat them, are described, ordinarily, in
these term s: Anti1sabotage, counter1espionage and counter1fifth
column. B y the latter is meant action in concert by well1organized
groups under raid or invasion conditions.
T he relationship of the J apanese population to these dangers,
following the outbreak of war, became a problem peculiar to the
W est Coast. T he J apanese community presented a group with a
high potential for action against the national interest— I will com
ment more fully on this in a moment. To approach the problem as
one involving only alien enemies would be to suggest, first, that the
danger, i f any, would emanate from alien J apanese alone, a group
of persons whose average age is well above sixty years. Also, it
would be to suggest that every alien J apanese is a potential sabo
teur or espionage agent; and, perforce, to suggest the converse.
B y design, or by accident, substantial numbers of the J apanese
coastal frontier communities were deployed through very sensitive
and very vital areas.
N ow, i f you and I had settled in J apan, raised our families there
and i f our children and grandchildren were raised there, it is most
improbable that during a period of war between J apan and the
U nited States, i f we were not interned, that we would commit any
overt acts of sabotage acting individually. Doubtless, in the main,
and irrespective of our inner emotions, you and I would be law
abiding.
But when the final test of loyalty came, i f U nited States forces
were engaged in launching an attack on J apan, I believe it is ex
tremely doubtful whether we could withstand the ties of race and
the affinity for the land of our forebears, and stand with the J ap
anese against U nited States forces.
T o withstand such pressure seems too much to expect of any
national group, almost wholly unassimilated and which has pre
served in large measure to itself, its customs and traditions— a
group characterized by strong filial piety.
I t is doubtless true that many persons of J apanese ancestry are
loyal to the U nited States. I t is also true that many are not loyal.
W e know this. Contrary to other national or racial groups, the be1
havior of J apanese nas been such tnat m not one single mstancb
any J apanese reported disloyalty on the part of another specific
individual o f th e^ame race.
T here has been” noTsubstantial evidence of manifestation of
nationalistic fervor exhibited by any J apanese group in the U nited
States since the outbreak of the war. E ven on the E mperor’s birth
day there was no visible evidence that the day was remembered
in evacuee centers.
T his attitude— well illustrated, I think, by the fact that there
has been a single instance when any J apanese has reported dis
loyalty on the part of another of the same race— may be, and can
be a most ominous thing. Chasing specters of fear is merely ex
hausting. I t accomplishes nothing. T he A rm y least of all will ex
pend its energies in that direction. But it must be realistic— the
nation must be realistic. T he real contingencies must be taken into
account. T he contingency that under raid or invasion conditions
there might be widespread action in concert— well1regulated,
well1disciplined and controlled— a fifth column, is a real one. A s
such, it presented a threat to the national security and therefore a
problem which required solution.
H ere, in brief, is a timetable of how that problem was met.
On F ebruary 19th the P resident of the U nited States delegated
to the Secretary of W ar the power to exclude any person, alien or
citizen, from any area which might be required on the grounds of
military necessity. T his delegation of power included the authority
to carry out an evacuation program.
T he following day these powers were delegated by the Secre
tary of W ar to L ieutenant General J . L . D eW itt, Commanding the
W estern D efense Command and F ourth Army. R esponsibility for
a solution of the problem relating to J apanese along the coastal
frontier became his.
T he development of a program depended in part on enactment
by Congress of the necessary sanctions, upon which enforcement
could be predicated. T his was done on M arch 21st with the ap
proval of P ublic L aw 503, 77th Congress, making it a misdemeanor
to violate any published regulations made applicable by Command
ing General under the E xecutive Order to the right to enter, remain
in, or leave the military area.
On M arch 2nd, General D eW itt by P ublic P roclamation N um
ber One designated the W est h alf (roughly) of W ashington, Ore
gon, California and the South h alf of A rizona as M ilitary A rea
No. 1. T here were created certain prohibited and restricted zones.
I n establishing these military areas, General D eW itt announced
that J apanese aliens and A merican born persons of J apanese line
age would be the first required to evacuate certain critical points to
be designated. A t this time it was also indicated that following the
evacuation of critical areas there would be a gradual clearance of
all of the coastal area and all prohibited zones.
B y order of the Commanding General on M arch 10, the Civil
A ffair s Division of the General Staff of W estern Command and
F ourth A rmy was created. I t was charged, under the A ssistant
Chief of Staff for Civil A ffairs, with responsibility for formulation
of plans and directives for “Control and exclusion of civilians, in
cluding the designation of military areas” . On M arch 11, 1942, the
W artime Civil Control Administration was created by order of
General D eW itt. I t is the operating agency of the Civil A ffair s D i
vision under command of the A ssistant Chief of Staff for Civil
A ffair s to carry out such plans and directives.
On M arch 18, a P residential Order established the W ar R eloca
tion A uthority. I t is charged with responsibility of selecting, pre
paring and operating permanent centers where evacuees may live
and work for the duration of the war, and to supervise all work
and employment of evacuees both in and out of such centers.
On M arch 29th an order was issued by General D eW itt pro
hibiting voluntary migration by the J apanese. T his date marked
the beginning of planned, supervised evacuation.
 On M ay 31st, the interim evacuation of the J apanese population
to temporary A ssembly Centers will have been completed, except
for 2000 who will be evacuated by J une 6th.
T his timetable represents the highlights of the undertaking.

T he evacuation program itself consisted of three interim steps

and a final solution.
T he first step was designation of military areas from which the
J apanese were to be excluded and the voluntary migration which
followed. E ncouragement was given to the voluntary migration
from M ilitary A reas and an effort was made on the part of some
groups of J apanese to locate in other states. A ltogether about 6000
J apanese moved inland, but voluntary migration, on the whole,
proved to be impractical because it was not accepted. T he A rmy
had in mind from the beginning that the major extent of the move
ment of the J apanese from military areas would have to be under
taken as a completely organized, controlled and supervised opera
tion. T he A rm y’s job, however, called for the evacuation of 113,000
people and this involved development of means to assist evacuees
in the disposition of homes and businesses, farms and crops, equip
ment and property and innumerable problems of personal adjust
ment as well as finding and preparing temporary locations for the
evacuees.
T he second interim step was a plan for immediate evacuation
i f developments required. T he A rmy needed time to prepare a per
manent program and the situation called for an emergency plan.
I t was impossible, of course, at this time for the A rm y to reveal the
fact that it was prepared to affect a complete evacuation, practi
cally overnight, in the event of an emergency. P lans were made to
move the 113,000 J apanese into already established A rm y canton
ments in a M ass M ovement which could have been undertaken im
mediately. P repared in this way against the possibility of fifth
column activity, or for any outbreaks of anti1J apanese feeling, the
A rm y continued with its plans for a permanent program.
T he third interim step was the selection and preparation of
eighteen temporary Assembly Centers to which the J apanese could
be quickly removed for later transfer to permanent locations. T he
decision to remove the J apanese to temporary Assembly Centers
was based upon several important considerations. I n the first place,
the use of fairgrounds, race tracks and other public properties
which provided installations of utilities as well as convenient loca
tions, contributed to greater speed in the evacuation program. T he
use of these properties also made it easier to protect the evacuees’
welfare and property. M oreover, evacuation through these centers
could be accomplished with the use of a minimum number of
soldiers.
T he final step in the program is the settlement of evacuees in
the permanent centers operated by the W ar R elocation A uthority.
T his is the phase of the program that has taken more time than was
available considering the necessity for early evacuation. I t was
primarily to prepare for this concluding phase of the evacuation
program that the methods described were employed in the prelimi
nary or interim steps.
T he actual operation of the program is under the Civil A ffair s
Division of the General Staff of the F ourth A rm y and W estern
Defense Command. I n direct charge of the evacuation operation is
the Assistant Chief of Staff who serves as head of the Civil A ffair s
Division of the F ourth A rmy Staff and of the W artime Civil Control
Administration.
I n addition to the military, the W artime Civil Control A dmin
istration includes representatives of all F ederal departments and
civilian agencies involved in the evacuation job.
T he F ederal R eserve Bank of San F rancisco, has assisted J ap
anese in the disposition of their property including leases, trans
fers, merchandise, automobiles and household furnishings.
T he D epartment of A griculture through the F arm Security A d
ministration has undertaken a program of resettlement of evacuated
lands and the protection of growing crops.
T he F ederal Security A gencies, through the U nited States E m
ployment Service, the Social Security Board, and the U nited States
P ublic H ealth Service, have given important assistance at several
stages of the evacuation centers.
T he D epartment of J ustice has had difficult legal problems
and its F ederal Bureau of I nvestigation has made an important
contribution.
T he W orks P rogress Administration has provided civilian per
sonnel to handle under army direction the management and opera
tion of the evacuation centers.
T he D epartment of Commerce through the Bureau of Census
has provided highly qualified statistical and research personnel and
service.
T he O ffice of E mergency M anagement has assisted in adminis
trative operations.
So far we have considered the problem that confronted the gov
ernment and the nation, the time table of important developments
in meeting the problem, the major step in the evacuation program,
and the administrative authority and organization in charge of the
program. T his brings me to the actual details of how the evacua
tion is carried on.
T here are 64 W . C. C. A . stations on the coast through which
the J apanese are given necessary assistance. I n each station there
are representatives of each F ederal agency directly involved. F or
example, the F ederal Security Administration provides a reception
ist; a social worker who is prepared to assist in fam ily problems and
in preliminary plans for housing. T he F ederal R eserve Bank pro
vides consultants to advise on property protection, auto and truck
transportation, household goods, storage, etc. R epresentatives of
F arm Security Administration advise on crop loans, handling of
farm equipment and matters relating to the purchase or manage
ment of farm lands.
T he exclusion order is the first step in actual evacuation pro
cedure. I t has required careful advance planning down to the
smallest detail by the A rmy staff comprising the W artime Civil Con
trol Administration. T he task of each agency, whether civil or mili
tary is carefully prescribed to fit the evacuation project involved.
Careful synchronizing must be assured by this advance planning.
F ollowing this, the order for the evacuation of a given, desirable
area is given and the team starts functioning.
N otices are posted advising the J apanese population of the
limits of the area to be evacuated and advising them to report to a
Civil Control Station and to be prepared to move by a given date.
E ach civil control station functions about five days in a partic
ular evacuation area. T he team which makes up a given “station”
then moves on to its next assignment— it spends about 4 days in ad
vance reconnaissance. Such a team comprises civilian agency repre
sentatives including a medical examiner from the U. S. P ublic
H ealth Service and a team captain from the U. S. E mployment Serv
ice. T hey have been trained in advance for the job by the W artime
Civil Control Administration.
T he next major phase of the evacuation procedure is the trans
portation of evacuees to the Assembly Centers.
On the date of moving the A rmy takes full charge of the move
ment and determines whether the evacuation is accomplished by
train, bus or automobile caravan. E vacuees may sell their automo
biles to the Government or have them stored temporarily.
U pon arrival at the center the evacuees are registered and as
signed living quarters by the civilian personnel. M uch of the detail
work connected with resettlement in the Assembly Centers is car
ried on with the assistance of the J apanese themselves. A small
A rmy contingent guards the camp but the A rmy has no other per
sonnel involved in the operation of the A ssembly Centers after the
evacuees have been brought into the grounds.
T he accommodations at each of the A ssembly Centers include
living quarters for family units, group dining halls, milk stations,
shower baths, toilets and laundries. A post exchange is in operation
at each center and a modest program of recreational activities to
supplement work projects is being provided. E ach center has its
own hospital and staff.
T he evacuees are supplied with food, housing, hospitalization,
medical and dental care and necessary clothing. D uring their tem
porary residence in the Assembly Centers, J apanese are given nom
inal allowances for incidentals. U pon application the evacuees may
secure coupon books which may be used for the purchase of mer
chandise at the center exchanges or stores. T hese books entitle a
single adult to $2.50 merchandise per month, a couple to $4.00, an
individual under 16 years $1.00. T he maximum allowance for any
fam ily is $7.50.
Compensation is given to those evacuees who work in the A s
sembly Centers upon this basis: unskilled workers $8.00 a month;
skilled workers $12.00; professional and technical workers $16.00
a month. No wage schedule for evacuees who are assigned to ad
ministrative and maintenance work has been determined. T he wage
schedules in A ssembly Centers are based on a 441hour week. T he
compensation to which I refer is provided only for work done in
connection with the operation of the A ssembly Centers.
T he eighteen temporary Assembly Centers were selected for the
accommodation of all J apanese in the W estern States. T hese cen
ters are located in four states as follow s:
A r i zon a: M ayer.
California: F resno, M arysville, M erced, P inedale, Pomona,
Sacramento, Salinas, A rcadia, Stockton, T anforan, T ulare,
T urlock, T ule L ake, M anzanar.
O regon: P ortland.
W ashington: P uyallup.
 T he largest is at the Santa A nita race track in A rcadia, with a
capacity of 17,000. N ext come M anzanar and T ule L ake with a ca
pacity of 10,000 each and P uyallup and T anforan, each with 8,000.
F resno, M erced, P inedale, Pomona, Sacramento, Stockton and
T ulare have capacities of 5,000 each, Salinas and T urlock 4,000
each, M arysville and P ortland 3,000 each, and the more or less iso
lated M ayer center, 250.
T he complete job of preparing the Assembly Centers and actual
removal of the J apanese to these centers will have been accom
plished during a period of about two months. D uring this time hous
ing for 112,000 people has been erected, supplied and equipped.
T he construction, equipping and supplying of the eighteen A s
sembly Centers and the whole evacuation procedure have been ac
complished under the direction of only 35 A rmy officers.
W e have referred to Assembly Centers as temporary locations.
I t is definitely understood that the J apanese who have been re
moved to the Assembly Centers will be transferred at a later date
to the permanent R elocation Centers which are now being prepared.
T he machinery for this final phase of the program was estab
lished under executive order on M arch 18th in the creation of the
W ar R elocation A uthority as a civilian agency under the direction
of M r. M ilton E isenhower. T he W ar R elocation A uthority works in
cooperation with the W ar D epartment and is charged with the re
sponsibility for locating and operating R elocation Centers in which
the J apanese may live for the duration of the war. T he A rmy will
have no part in this phase of the program except for the actual
transfer of evacuees from A ssembly Centers to R elocation Centers
and the maintenance of protective military guards outside the cen
ters, although the A rmy does actually construct and equip the per
manent Centers which W ar R elocation A uthority is to operate.
M any people have asked about the extent to which the J apa1
nese will be available to contribute to the nation’s production of
agricultural and other products.
T his matter lies solely within the jurisdiction and responsibility
of the W ar R elocation A uthority, the separate agency charged with
the permanent handling of the whole program.
T herefore, I can only answer the question in part directly and
in part by quoting from a statement of policy just issued by W ar
R elocation A uthority.
W ar R elocation A uthority has created a W ar R elocation W ork
Corps in which all J apanese over 16 years of age may voluntarily
enlist. T he following is quoted from W ar R elocation A uthority’s
booklet on the subject:
“E nlistment in the work corps is entirely voluntary and all
evacuees over sixteen years of age who are employable, both men
and women, may apply. Among the obligations which the enlistee
assumes are th ese:
1. H e agrees to serve as a member of the corps until two weeks
after the end of the war.
2. H e swears loyalty to the U nited States and agrees to per
form faithfully all tasks assigned to him by the Corps au
thority.
 3. H e may be granted furloughs for work in agricultural, in
dustrial or other private employment under the following
conditions:
a. Since the A rmy cannot provide protective services for
groups or communities of less than 5,000, each State and
local community where enlistees are to work must give
assurance that they are in a position to maintain law and
order.
b. T ransportation to the place of private employment and
return must be arranged without cost to the F ederal Gov
ernment.
c. E mployers must, of course, pay prevailing wages to en
listees without displacing other labor and must provide
suitable living accommodations.
d. F or the time enlistees are privately employed, they will
pay the Government for expenses incurred in behalf of
their dependents who may remain at R elocation Centers.
U pon application from W ar R elocation A uthority, and state
ment that the conditions just quoted have been met to the satisfac
tion of W ar R elocation A uthority, the A rmy will permit J apanese
to leave Assembly Centers for private employment providing the
location of such J apanese is to be outside the boundaries of M ilitary
A rea No. 1. T he A rmy will grant no permits for work within M ili
tary A rea No. 1 under any circumstances. So far as the A rmy is
concerned then, evacuees are now in A ssembly Centers— virtually
all of them. Soon all of them will be. W hile there, they are the
A rm y’s full responsibility. I t accepts that. W hen the permanent
centers are built it will transport evacuees to such centers under
A rmy convoy. I t will also provide military guard around such es
tablished centers. I t accepts that responsibility, too. it cannot
accept the responsibility when evacuees are released to be employed
privately because it does not have the men or the equipment to
spare. On the other hand i f state, local and private interests ask
W ar R elocation A uthority for evacuees labor, and agree to be re
sponsible for the maintenance of law and order, knowing that the
A rm y cannot provide supervision, the A rmy cannot and will not
stand in the way of permitting such labor to be made available by
W ar R elocation A uthority.
P rospective employers seeking to arrange for the private em
ployment of J apanese under the conditions I have outlined should
consult M r. E. R. F ryer, R egional D irector of the W ar R elocation
A uthority, W hitcomb H otel, San F rancisco.
I have tried— and I hope— succeeded— in making clear the dis
tinction between which is being handled by W ar R elo
cation A uthority with our cooperation, and # which has
been the A rm y’s job, and which I have described in detail.
 A STATEMENT

% + '

0 %
'

++
 The First Congregational Church of Berkeley
offers its building, and the Protestant Churches
of Berkeley extend their hospitality to you in
these days of evacuation. The church proffers the
facilities of its parish house for your convenience,
happy to render this patriotic service. The Federal
authorities requested the use of this building, feel
ing that it offered the best possible opportunity
to make the burdens of this trying time easier for
you. We rejoice in this consideration on the part
of our government, and feel privileged to be able
to assist by giving our facilities without charge.
Many of us personally know of the loyalty to
the United States of many of you who must now
move from our community. It has been a loyalty
which you have maintained under difficult circum
stances, and we want you to know of our under
standing. The service which you now render to
America is the loss, for the duration, of your
homes. W e rejoice to know that many of you are
facing it in the same spirit in which others are
facing the possible loss of their sons, for much
longer than the duration.
The Protestant Churches of Berkeley, during
this period, will extend hospitality to you, a differ
ent denominational group being in charge each
day.
The Reception Room of the Church, marked
BERKELEY CHURCH HOSPITALITY COMMIT
TEE will be open for your comfort and conven
ience, with hosts and hostesses present who will
extend any courtesy which will be of value to you.
The KINDERGARTEN ROOM in the basement
will serve as a day nursery where your small chil
dren may be left while you are busy with the
government officials. We hope to have Japanese
friends among those on duty, to make all the chil
dren feel at home.
On the second floor is the LOUNGE, where
those who are waiting for others of their family
may rest, with chairs provided and refreshments
(no charge) at all hours. Cots are available for
those who need or desire them. The hostess in the
Lounge will direct you to them.
This statement comes to you with two signa
tures. One is given under the instruction of the
Church Council of the First Congregational
Church, which includes representatives of every
Board, Committee and Organization of the church.
The other was authorized by the unanimous vote
of the Protestant clergy of Berkeley meeting as
the Berkeley Fellowship of Churches, the minis
ters in so far as they may act for their parishes,
believing that every Berkeley Protestant Church
would enthusiastically approve this statement if
there were time to meet and take action.
W e have a deep and profound love for the
United States, which we are eager to express in
this opportunity to work along with the govern
ment. Our program has been projected with the
knowledge and approval of government authori
ties, but it is offered entirely through the initiative
and under the direction of the Berkeley churches.
The church people must of necessity strictly sep
arate themselves from governmental procedure,
but we hope we can offer something of value to
you in Christian hospitality. Our efforts will be
a way for your Berkeley friends to say at least that
w e b e lie v e in you . W e hope they may increase
your love for your community and the United
States.
"May God bless you and keep you . . . both on your
going out and on your coming in”
BERKELEY FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCHES
U. S. M it c h e l l , President
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF
BERKELEY
V e r b V. Lo p e r , M inister
April 24, 1942.
C E CD ,1
Eleanor D. Breed
2345 Channing Way
Berkeley, Calif*

ip_£§£ .■i , ; | ( ' I

w-— — *— — ---- --K|
1
WAR COMES TO THE CHURCH DOOR

^ a Church Secretary in Berkel^r, California, April 20 to May - , 1942

Monday, April 20. This was a day I hoped to give almost completely to China

Relief, but little jobs at the church kept me there till eleven, when I turned

things over to a substitute and hurried away. A luncheon of the China Relief

Committee, where everyone was pleased to know we have received in the first week

$6,500 of Berkeley’s $10,000 quota. Someone suggested we send out another 3,000

letters to a district not covered in our first --% letters, so that devolved

on me as secretary. Off I hustled to printer to order more copies of letter,

pledge card and return envelope, to addressograph office to arrange for envelopes

to be addressed, and back to my own office at the church to round up volunteers

to handle the mailing job.

Army officers were looking over the parish house when I returned, making

plans for use of the building as a control center for the registering and evacuating

of Japanese from the Berkeley area. Dr. Loper, the minister, and I welcome the

use of the church by the government, but wonder what some of the old-timers will

say when the word gets around.

Tonight at 7*30 a special meeting of the Church Council was held, for pre

sentation of this project. The Board of Trustees had already given their consent,

but the Council had to discuss mechanics of how to get along, with fifteen organi

zations or more scheduled to use the building over the week-end. There was consi

deration of where the choir would rehearse, how they would reach the choir loft

without going through pilgrim Hall, what the Boy Scouts could do, where the lively

Winthrop Leaguers, high school age, could meet. And when these issues had been

settled Dr. Loper went on with another project* should the church extend hospitality
 2

in some form to the Japanese being evacuated? He outlined his thought that

through a committee of the Woman's Association arrangements could be made to have

flowers in the various rooms, to open the church parlors and the kindergarten room,

to have cots available for people to rest, to serve tea and fruit and sandwiches

and have hosts and hostesses on hand to give the evacuees friendliness. When he

asked for discussion no dissenting opinion was evident, though I suspected that

here and there in the group enthusiasm was a bit thin. He suggested having a

letter go out over his signature, expressing the church people's interest and

sympathy toward the evacuees. Everything was approved, and as the meeting

broke up into little groups Mrs. Fulmer remarked, "I wouldn't have missed this

meeting for anything l” and Mrs. Brock said, "I'm proud of my church for initiating

this I” Heme at 10s 45. Long day.

Tuesday, April 21. Dr. Loper drew up a first draft of the letter to be given the

Japanese evacuees, and I phoned ministers of leading churches to be sure they would

meet; him at the Berkeley Fellowship luncheon this noon, to discuss it. I tried to

get a head start on my church calendar for the printer, but couldn’t catch Dr.

Loper long enough to get information from him for it. He had two funerals and a

death today, poor man. I ’ve suggested that he not preach next Sunday on "Has

Science Outmoded Religion?” as announced — that when history, in the form of

government evacuation of Berkeley citizens, comes to our doorstep he shouldn't

ignore it. "Yes, yes,” he says, on the fly, "but I can’t think now. Maybe

tomorrow I'll have a bright idea.”

Mrs. Hadden phoned in to say that she had heard of the church’s program

for the Japanese and was so proud she wanted to weep, and Dr. Hadden wanted to

be called on for duty as host on Saturday, if he could be of service.

Dr. Loper came back from luncheon with the Berkeley ministers and said his

draft of the letter to evacuees would have to be done over, that their feeling

was that all churches should have a share and not just the First Congregational
 3.

do it all* So Dr* Loper retired into his study to labor over a new version, to

go out over two signatures, his and that of the Berkeley Fellowship of Churches*

After he labored over it a while he read it, over the phone, to Kim Obata,

president of the Japanese-American Association and son of Professor Obata of the

University, and to Galen Fisher and Mrs, Kingman of the Fair Play Committee, to

be sure everything is said in such a way no one can take offense* Then he brought

it in to my desk and plunked it down. "Now you give it a final working-over and

send it off to the printer. See if we can get it back tomorrow," The printer

groaned, ’’Miss Breed 1 What kind of miracles do you expect of us?" sdotefceixbfl.

The government officials xxxxxxsbaoot began getting the Large Assembly rea<fo

for use as the Civil Control Station* A switchboard was installed at the far end,

by the stage, with some eight telephones around the room* The dining tables,

end to end, made a counter across part of the space* I couldn’t get on with my

church calendar and publicity — they kept calling me to ask where this turned

on and whether we had thumbtacks. I put an assistant /to: work, making signs,

long arrows saying ’’Public Telephone", "Lounge", "Women’s Rest Room? "Kindergar

ten", etc.

The Gazette came out this evening with a long story on the evacuation order

and the fact that the Civil Control Station is to be in Pilgrim Hall, with the

registration to start Saturday and Sunday. Now everyone knows — and we don’t

have to be mum about our military secrets.

Wednesday, April 22: Fifteen people turned up to help on my China Relief letters,

and went vigorously to work in the Small Assembly while I dashed in and out,

answering questions for the government people preparing the Large Assembly for

the Japanese evacuation. Let not your right hand know, etc. We finished the

whole 3000 letters at noon, and Julean Arnold took the three big cartons full

down th the Post Office. It was one of my days for commandeering all who dropped

by. I caught Ruth Stage and put 1© r to addressing envelopes, grabbed Dayton
 4.

JUtell when he came to see Dr. Loper and put him to work helping Jean Hecox on

the painting of signs, phoned Elsie Culver and put her to work on Dr. Loper*s

air warden file, making a duplicate card system.

Still no calendar information f rom Dr. Loper, so I can’t complete my copy

for the printer. He is getting organization under way for the hospitality to

evacuees, working out a system whereby the Congregational women are in charge

the first day, the Episcopalians the second, and so on. Worked late. A thousand

people came by to ask a thousand questions.

Thursday, April 23; Finally pinned Dr. Loper down long enough to get data for

the calendar. He has changed his subject to PAYING THE FIDDLER not good, but

better than the other. anikAadcg^xggggxmxsaxffik?acxte?9SSoc I wrote a par graph re the

evacuees, and Dr. Loper was too busy to edit or change it, so in it went, and I

phoned it all down to the printer.

Big Army m»n appeared in my door to inquire what room had been assigned

for the soldiers^ ’

StowfcsfiQae first I knew soldiers were to be quartered in the

building. Dr. Loper let them take their choice, and came back to report that we

now had five strapping privates bedded down in the Nursery, for the week.

XDBXSOdCX

At last I got my church ads and news stories off to the papers, and broadcast

announcements off to the studio, and cleaned up my regular work, and the printer

brought the completed copies of the letter to the evacuees.

I left at 5 for International House, to see the display of pictures by

Professor Obata of the Art Department, who is being evacuated with the rest.
 5.

H© gave a demonstration of his brush work, and ended with a brief announcement

that he hoped to come back from his absence from Berkeley with a series of

paintings of the desert. The sale of his pictures (#3 to $15) brought in some

$450, which will be used at the University as the Obata Scholarship, to be given

to the student most in need because of war, regardless of race or creed. Madame

Obata was not there — probably at home, packing. Berkeley is going to miss her

classes in Flower Arrangement, so popular up to December 7.

ixxadc Marion Rosen,aagcxaψgfrfrxK?: s e t x i x tc&fcsa: and I walked up

the hillstogether. "It was such a lovely exhibit," she said in that gentle voice

of hers with the merest hint of accent. "Everybody was so kind. I feel so sorry

for the Japanese." And she would — a refugee from Hitler herself, her own

family scattered over the world, parents in England, sister in Sweden, brothers

in Switzerland, and now suddenly even here in America she has become an enemy

alien who must be careful to be in her room every night at curfew time.

My little house is beautifully dressed in new blue Chinese rugs which by

a happy accident match the blue of my Hindred Babies tapestry bought years ago

in Peking. The rugs are a loan, for the duration, from the Kajiwaras in San

Francisco» and much as I admire them I have a guilty feeling of being a war

profiteer.

Friday, April 24; Ran about the building sticking up signs, labeling the North

Room "Lounge" and the parlor "Berkeley Church Hospitality Committee", etc. The

Government officials had a long afternoon conference on procedure, beginning

tomorrow. They have their room divided off And their own signs up: "Federal

Security", "Federal Reserve Bank", "Employment Service" and the like. Many

Japanese come to my door, and I wave them on to the door that says "Civil Control

Station". The letter to the evacuees is ready now for distribution. Miss Ruth

Price, busy teacher at Berkeley High School, phoned in to ask if she could work

at the church as hostess tomorrow. "So many of the Japanese young people have

been my students, you know," she said, "and I want to do anything I can to help."

Dr. Raoul Auernheimer, who is to speak Sunday evening, called,to inquire about

whore he Eho"ld-g^ Very appropriate to have a refugee from Naziism speaking at

 6
a time when our own refugees are lining up in queues for evacuation. He said

he liked the title I fd given him, "Hitler — Today’s Napoleon."

At the end of a long day of many interruptions, when I was in my late-

afternoon sag, came a telephone call: "Is this the Congregational Church? Well,

will you answer one question for me? Why do we have to be so nice to the Japs,

feed them lunch, give them tea and hospitality? They aren’t treating our boys

that way." I drew a long breath and rose to the challenge, hinting that of course

we with our higher (we think) standards wouldn’t want to imitate what Japan was

doing anyway, reminded her that someone once had said "Love your enemy,", went on

to describe the hectic week this had been with government plans changing from day

to day and ours having to change as fast to keep up, told of various good and

gentle Japanese who were as sensitive and humiliated by this experience as we

would be, etc. "I know," the voice went on. "There are good ones and bad ones, I

guess. I get all mixed up." "So d& I," I admitted, and she laughed and I

laughed, and she thanked me very nicely and hung up. Never did tell me her name.

The Berkeley Gazette came out tonight with an article saying "China Relief

Drive needs about $>2000" and a paragraph about the various committee members and

their help in boosting the cause along. "Miss Eleanor Breed, Secretary of the

Committee, has helped considerably in her spare time." Spare time!

Saturday, April 25: Down to the church at 7:45a.m., and it was something of a

shock to find one soldier with gun stationed at the curb, and two at the door, with

another inside at the door to the Control Station office. A big crowd of steno

graphers and government officers were all at their desks. Mrs. Kingman of the

Fair Play Committee was receptionist, directing people hither and yon. The

soldiers and their lieutenant were very considerate of the Japanese, I noticed, \

treating them like human beings. Good old Americal

Dr. Loper was streaking here and there, greeting Japanese ministers, seeing

that all the church hosts and hostesses were on their jobs and yet were out from

under governmental feet. I had to haul one of our dear old men — who considers

hiswhite hair a badge of special privilege — out of the Large Assembly and explain
that this was our church all right, except that we’d loaned it to Uncle Sam tempo

rarily and right now he was making the rules.

A young Japanese came to my door with a question: ’’Could we leave the

ashes of someone here in this church?” I turned him over to Dr. Loper who made

arrangements, and the young man left, returning in half an hour with a square box

wrapped in a white silk furoshiki. ’’This is the ashes of the children and my

mother," he said to Dr* Loper as they went down the hall. The white box was

deposited in the locked Trustees' Hoorn in the Tower, and I think Dr. Loper made

a little ceremony of it, for he came back looking rather upset.

"Bet you’ve got your sermon for tomorrow ready now," I ventured.

"Yiell, maybe, but do I dare to use it?”

At noon friends dropped in to lure me out to lunch with them, but I couldn't

leave. I showed them around the building with its many changes, and they afcbriobfc

!SQDKX!
!txsbcA>Bte^!bopc seemed ypaxstitigxhappy that their church was trying to ease the

evacuation for the Japanese a little. They said that Sato, who usually does their

gardening, came to them today to say politely that he was so sorry but he couldn’t

come today — he had to go to the First Congregational Church and register. "You

know," he told them, "they are going to serve tea. It is the only church in the

State of California that is serving tea to the Japanese." My friends hastened to

claim membership in this wonderful church, and said they could see their stock rise

in his estimation.
 8
A telephone call. "Will there be church tomorrow? Oh, I thought maybe the

Japanese were taking over."

The Berkeley Gazette this evening has a long full front-page story of the

use of Pilgrim Hall for evacuation, telling of the army being quartered in the

Nursery and ending with a long quote from our much-labored-over letter to the

evacuees. There is also a long article I sent them about the changes in the

Sunday program for the various church groups. And there is a congratulatory

editorial on the China Relief Drive, which reached its quota of $10,000 today.

Good old Berkeleyl

Sunday, April 26 — Down to the church by @ , and Pilgrim Hall crowded, with people

two-deep waiting in the Reception Room, and Mrs. Kingman standing at the doorway

to the government office like the head waiter at a popular restaurant, giving

out pink tickets with numbers on. Soldiers are still on guard at the doors, which

must be startling to parents in the habit of unloading children there each Sunday

morning. I stationed one of the men there to direct people around Pilgrim Hall

and into the main church for services.

Dr. Loper's sermon on "Paying the Fiddler" was pretty good, considering

that he hasn't had time; all week to collect his thoughts. He hinted that I had

nagged him into changing his subject at the last moment — but he would have any

way. He spoke on how this evacuation that was going on behind the doors of Pilgrim

Hall was the result of a stream poisoned at its source, saying that you couldn't

name patly what was the particular cause any more than you could tell who crucified

Jesus. Was it the Jews? the money-changers? Pilate? He spoke of some of the

problems we are trying to meet, mentioning that one was to find people to take

the much-beloved pets of the children who were having to depart and who didn't

want their cats and dogs to be killed. One of the deaconesses met me at the close

of the service. "I'd be glad to take a Japanese cat," she said, "if it will get

along all right with my American cat."

Home from church late — waited to see the wedding of a soldier and his

bride, both new here from Minnesota.

 9

Monday, April 27. Rainy and cold, and the soldiers at the door stand inside for

shelter. "No Parking on this Street Today” signs along Durant and Channing, with

exceptions for the army jeep. Everything was very quiet today. All 1100 Japanese

were registered in the first two days, and this was the lull before the beginning

of the actual evacuation. Today was assigned to the Quakers for hospitality, and

they came very eager to be of help, and I had to tell them there were no Japanese

today•

A miscellany of questions: "Are there any dogs left? I ’ll be glad to take

one, only I don’t want a good dog. I just want a mutt puppy.”

”Do you have Chinese members of this church? My Japanese servant has had

to leave, and I thought maybe you could find a Chinese for me. I just don’t know

what I ’m going to do."

"Got any more dogs? I ’d like one. I live in a trailer and work at Richmond

shipping yard. And by the way, do you know where my wife and 1 should go to adopt

q baby?"

One of the soldiers on guard mentioned that he’d been over to Miss Chandler’s

for strawberry shortcake, that she’d sent out word that all the soldiers at the

church were invited. Little Miss Chandler has an unconquerable spirit. The

deaconesses have tried for years to get her to go to a rest home, but she won’t

give up her independence and her modest little apartment next door to Pilgrim Hall.

Deaf, crippled so she can’t sit — she can only lie down or hobble about on a

crutch — she reads avidly? crochets bedspreads for an assortment of nieces,

and occasionally shuffles into my office for a chat. Usually she catches me at a

time when I’m too busy to shout into her ear phones, poor dear, and then she

beams brightly and shuffles back out*

I decided Miss Chandler couldn’t get the best of me, so I invited three of

the soldiers up to dinner. Hurried to grocery and home to start things off,

then got panicky about what would I do to entertain three young men all evening,

so phoned Gertrude Jacobs at International House, and up she came. Three friends

dropped in during the evening, and we had a lively game of skittles and much fun.

The soldiers were from North Dakota and Arkansas and Oregon — very nice lads.
 %.

seme of them went down town with some of the Japanese boys the other night for

dinner. That’s a secret we aren’t supposed to tell the Lieutenant.

Tuesday, April 28, the beginning of the evacuation. The pioneer group

was waiting at the church this morning, including lovely Ann Saito of the staff

of International House, who had a secretarial job at Tanforan waiting for her^

so she went «set on the first bus. The Control Office has lists posted around

its walls saying who is to go when, and many Japanese come to read. Among the

first group was a pair of newlyweds, arm in arm, the bride with a collegiate

bandana around her head and a flower in her pompadour, and a big American flag

in brilliants on her lapel. There were two babies in baskets, a three-week-old

little girl, and a six-months-old boy. And everyone, young,middling and old,

wore a ; tag around his neck or hanging from his lapel, with name

printed on and a number, for his family group. One pert little college girl in

slacks had her name tag around her neck tied to a chain from which dangled her

Phi Beta Kappa key. The preliminary group today is a small one. Their duffle

bags were loaded into the big bus, and the evacuees went aboard, waving merrily

and cracking jokes with their friends who were to follow in the next few days.

But as the bus pulled out Ann Saito was crying.

This is the Baptists’ turn at hospitality, and they’ve sent over a nice

group of women but also a retired minister who is just too godly. He bustles in

everywhere and goes around shaking hands with the evacuees and saying a hearty,

*vGrod bless you It’ I caught Ann and Michi looking at each other with a twinkle

he missed. Dr. Loper is embarrassed. That sort of thing is just what he wanted

to avoid — yet how to deal with a fellow mini ster?

Wednesday, April 29: When I arrived at the church at @ I found a long line of

baggage down the block from channing to Durant, with duffle bags, suit cases,

folding chairs, ironing boards, cartons, bundles, blankets, carfi tables, cribs.

Noted one good looking suitcase with stickers saying ’’Rome”, "Paris", and one
that caught me up short: "Hotel Metropole, Beyrouth”. The street was blocked off,

with policemen at each end permitting only Japanese unloading more bundles to go

through. Pretty soon along came a big moving van and trailer, and the call went

forth for young men to help, in a jiffy the Japanese lads had organized a sort of

old-fashioned fire brigade and were swinging the bundles and duffle bags along a

line and into the truck, joking and laughing as they did so, perhaps glad to have

activity instead of the monotony of waiting. I note that they take pains not to

speak Japanese.

pilgrim Hall when I went in was already a-bustle — people reading the

announcement boards, learning their assignments to Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5,

finding the location for their groups and settling down with admirable patience

to wait. Dr Loper was busy organizing hospitality, pulling tables into place,

working out a system to speed up the serving, and soon tea and sandwiches were

going the rounds. This is the Methodists' day, and they’re going at it vigorously,

feeding not only their multitude of Japanese but offering luncheon for the govern

ment workers and coffee and sandwiches for the soldiers and the bus drivers.

They have even made so many sandwiches they have some left over, for the Presby

terians to inherit tomorrow.

I am continually on a trot — now out in front to see off a bus load of

evacuees, now back to hunt up the janitor and get him to refill the t.p. and

towels in the rest rooms, now upstairs to look for Dr. Loper, now back to my

office because the switchboard is buzzing, then off again for the janitor to get

him to turn off the heat. Lucky I got my calendar off to the printer last night.

Dean Deutsch of the University, out of a clear sky, wrote us today: x

’’Allow me to express my own appreciation for the attitude which you and

your church have taken with reference to the Japanese and the American Japanese

who are being evacuated. Your action has been one that is proper and will impress

these people with the fact that the ideals which we profess we try to put into

prattice. If any criticize you for it, my only thought would be that they are )

not truly Americans or Christians.

 12

no charges against them individually; they are not guilty of misconduct. They

are being removed because of fear, which is gripping the hearts of some people.

Personally, I feel that our country will someday feel ashamed of its conduct in

this entire matter. In the meantime, however, it is good to know of actions

such as you and the members of your church have Good old Deutsch. I ’m

including that first paragraph on the calendar — though so far if anyone in the

church disapproves of this project I haven1t been able to smoke him out.

Thursday, April 30 . Down to the church by @ again, and again the long high line

of duffle bags and miscellany along Dana Street, with soldiers on guard. The first

groups of evacuees were alreadyin their places, and hordes of Presbyterian women

were flying around in the kitchen and up and down the hall. I saw one sentimental

old lady sympathizing so warmly with one family that the little girl, aged ten or

so, was sobbing her heart out. I caught Mrs. Stanley Hun ter,/mini st er ’s wife,

pointed out the old lady, and told her to scold the daylights out of her.

A Japanese young man came to the office and said, ’’Would you mind if I left

the church a small donation? We appreciate very much what you are doing.”

"Goodness,” I said, "what we are doing is only a small thing — w e ’d like

to do lots more. But we’d be happier if you would $ave your donation for some

play equipment for the children when you get to camp."

The man smiled and bowed. ”We do appreciate what your church has done," he

said again, adding as an afterthought, "I’m a Buddhist."

This morning the Sato and Obata families left. I ’ll always remember the

wedding of Kimio Obata and his bride, Masa Sato, both graduates of the University,

which was held in our big church last fall because their little Japanese Congrega

tional Church was too small for their many friends. Madame Obata arranged the

flowers, and the autumn coloring of the giant crysfcnthemums was reflected in the

gold dresses of the six bridesmaids. The pastor of their own church gave the

benediction in Japanese, and the groom didn’t kiss the bride, but otherwise it was

a thoroughly American wedding, even to a big extravagant reception and dinner at

the Claremont Hotel afterward, with many flashlight

*
13

phonographs being taken. Today I took snapshots of Kim and his bride before

the church where they were married, this time with a background of miscellaneous

luggage, and with identification tags in their lapels. They have been good sports

about accepting their setbacks. Their Oakland shop closed promptly after

December 7 — it had been a wedding gift — and they have been working day and

night to clear up the Berkeley Obata Studio where their parents have been for

so long. Professor Obata, the father, is taking the evacuation well. He has a

small notebook in which he is sketching the process — a silhouette of a soldier

at the door, a picture of the evacuees getting on the buses with the church tower

high above. Mr. s&to, father of the bride, is a deacon in the Japanese Congre

gational Church. He sent a dwarf maple tree from his garden to Mayor Gaines

with a letter asking him to accept it "in appreciation of the privilege of

having lived in Berkeley and of the protection my family and myself have enjoyed, "

and he gave a dwarf pine to Dr. Loper. I tried to tell him I was sorry this

war had to come along and dislodge him and his family from their home, and he

smiled with tears in his eyes and said in his broken English, "It is because

the people forget God. Back there in Japan — the people forget God."

Today on the same bus went the Takahashi family, long residents of Berkeley,

Quakers, all graduates of the University. The elder Takahashi planned the

gardens three years ago for Treasure Island.

Our soldiers quartered in the church Nursery are bemoaning the fact that

soon they will pull out of here. They’ve liked this job, they tell us, with its

coffee and sandwiches in the afternoon and the Boy Scout room to lounge in, and

people inviting them out to dinner. One of the soldiers who comes up from Tanforan
around a tree
in with the buses played hide-and-seek/this morning with a Japanese lad of five,

and drew quite a gallery. A group of Japanese high school girls stood about

chatting with one of the soldiers on guard, and I heard one of them say coyly,

"We hope you’ll be stationed at our camp so we’ll see you some more."

Friday, May 1 — Down to the office earlier than ever — 7:30 a.m., as the first bus

was to leave at @ . Ambulances were sent around to the homes to collect eight cases

of mumps and ten of measles, today, to be taken^to the hospital in San Bruno until
 14.

recovery• There were more of the lame and halt among the evacuees coming into

Pilgrim Hall today, it seemed. One paralyzed old man was carried in on the back

of his son; one old lady had to be lifted up the steps of the bus. Dislocation

from their homes and familiar surroundings is going to be hard on people as frail

as these.

Today’s babies were particularly enchanting. One, wrapped in blue blankets,

was a mite ten days old. - stopped by a basket holding a baby somewhat older,

wrapped in pink. "What’s his name?" I asked.

"Ronald," his mother said. ^He’s third-generation American, so of course

he has an American name."

My pet was Patty Yoshida, aged eight months, dressed in a knitted pink

jumper suit that set off her chubby red-apple cheeks. Her pretty young mother

agreed readily to my wish to take snapshots of her, but alas, they will be in

black-and-white, and Patty, to do her justice, should have color filjn.

Another of the International House staff, Marii Kyogoku, left today with

her family, and many from the House came down to say good-bye, including Lo Jung-

pang of Peking, graduate of Yenching University, who has been studying for his

Ph.D. here. Marii was in Group 5, which was assigned the North Room upstairs

for assembling, -e.nd-when we- got up-there~there didn’t seem to be enough helpers

to pass plates of sandwiches and tea, so Mr. Lo helped. Another picture to ^

remember: the young Chinese serving the Japanese evacuees as they have to leave
/
their American homes. Good old Chinal

And hooray — Julean Arnold called this afternoon to say that in the final

mopping up of the United China Relief drive Berkeley had turned in $14,000, and

he was going to wire the news to Madame Chiang Kairshek.

Dr. Loper had me outline for Mrs. Kingman of the Fair Play Committee the

steps of development in our work here with the evacuees, in the hope that other

churches may want to do‘Something along the same line. Mrs. Kingman feels that

even the little we have done has been helpful in changing the attitude of some who

were most bitter, citing one Japanese who was a veteran of the first World War

and who now is removed from his successful shop in Chinatown and sent into camp
*
15.

as if he were a suspect. The fact that he came here to an American church

and was given friendly treatment," she says, "helped a lot to soften his hurt

and disillusionment. 'I know now there are Americans who donft hate us>' he told l
y
me, ’and that makes a world of difference — just to have friends.’"

A Methodist minister who has been working in Montana among the Japanese ih^j

internment camps commented to Dr. Loper today, "Your church is doing a fine job -

but if it were in some areas it would be burned to the ground." He cited horror

tales of hysteria such as we have feared, but have not found, in our area. It

came over me suddenly, and with shock, that the soldiers who have been on guard

have been here not to protect us from the Japanese so much as to protect the

Japanese against us. s

The last bus left just at noon, and it urns a lovely sunny day. I ’d hate

to leave Berkeley when it looks so beautiful!

And then as the government workers dwindled away came the business of

collecting signs again, replacing church posters, clearing up debris, shrinking

back into the business of being a church again. The old office sterns unearthly

quiet, and I ’m not sure I ’m going to like it.

Questions and Answers
for Evacuees

Information Regarding the Relocation Program

Issued by
TH E W A R R ELO C A TIO N A U T H O R IT Y
Regional Office
San Francisco, California

WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY

WASHINGTON, D. C

( , ', , may range from freezing in w inter to 115° during
Question 1: W hen I am evacuated, where will I go?
Answer: You will, m ost likely, first go to an Assembly
Center, a tem porary stopping place where you and
your family will be provided w ith food, shelter, medical
care, and protection until you leave for a Relocation
Center, at which there will be perm anent housing,
w ork opportunities, educational facilities, and other
essentials of a norm al community. (In some areas
evacuees will go directly from their homes to Reloca
tion Centers.)
Question 2: Before I leave for an Assembly Center-
should I sell or store my household goods?
Answer: Keep in mind that you will be going to a
w ar-duration Relocation Center after you leave the
Assembly Center, and that many of your household
goods will be needed in your new home at the
Relocation Center. So do not needlessly dispose of or
sacrifice things you may need. D uring the evacuation,
at the time you receive instructions at your local civil
control office, you will be informed that your house
hold goods may be stored for you free of charge while
you are at the Assembly Center, provided you box and
crate these goods suitably. As soon as you move to
your w ar-duration home at a Relocation Center the
W a r Relocation A uthority will have these goods
brought to you.
Question 3: W hat kind of household goods should I
store, keeping in mind that they will be brought to me
later at a Relocation Center?
Answer: A t least the essential household equipment
and personal belongings for your family — except
refrigerators and stoves, which will not be needed. W e
suggest that you keep your chairs, tables, beds, rugs,
etc. W e particularly recommend that you keep your
sewing machines, hand tools, games, books and m u
sical instrum ents.
Question 4: W h at kind of clothes should I take with
me when I am evacuated?
Answer: Be prepared for the Relocation Center, which
is a pioneer community. So bring clothes suited to
pioneer life and in keeping w ith the climate or clim ates.
likely to be involved. B ring w ork clothes, boots,
slacks, and w ork shirts, rather than business suits or
street dresses. Bring w arm clothing even if you are
going to a southern area, because the tem peratures
some periods of the summer. A lthough you w on’t
w ant to take m any extra clothes to the Assembly
Center, be sure to save and store all of the extra
clothing that may be needed later at the Relocation
Area.
Question 5: Should I bring any food? Any cooking
devices?
Answer: Non-perishable foods m ay be stored to be
brought to you with your household goods, as for
example, canned goods, tea, coffee, etc. Meals will be
served at central mess halls. You may install supple
mental cooking devices, such as electrical cooking
devices in your own quarters only if the fire hazard
is negligible and if the fire regulations of your own
community council so permit.
Question 6: Shall I bring towels, dish cloths, cur
tains, sheets, pillow cases, small rugs?
Answer: Yes, these all will be useful.
Question 7: Shall I pack blankets and bedding to be
brought to the Relocation Center?
Answer: Yes, by all means.
Question 8: Shall I bring tools, gardening equipment,
etc.?
Answer*: These will be needed at Relocation Centers.
If you have stored them, the W a r Relocation A u
thority will ship them to your Relocation Center.
Question 9: Shall I bring toys, athletic equipment and
books?
Answer: Ye5, but they should be placed in storage to
be shipped to you later.
Question 10: W ill there be a place for pianos and
other large musical instrum ents?
Answer: Yes, at recreation halls at the Centers.
Question 11: W h at cannot be brought?
Answer: Short-w ave radios, cameras, weapons, any
other contraband material, and alcoholic beverages.
0 ' ', , your living quarters will be furnished w ith arm y cots
Question 12: W ill food, shelter and medical attention
be provided?
Answer: Yes.
Question 13: W ill educational facilities be provided?
Answer: Yes. One of the first jobs of the W ar Re
location W ork Corps will be to build schools and
school equipment at Relocation Centers. N ursery
schools, elem entary schools, and high schools will be
maintained. Plans are being considered w hereby uni
versity students may be able to attend m idw estern
colleges and universities.
Question 14: W ill stores be available?
Answer: Yes.
Question 15: W hat can I purchase at project stores?
Answer: Provisions will be made for purchase of
necessary commodities.
Question 16: W ill there be a post office?
Answer: Yes.
Question 17: Can I receive mail, magazines, new s
papers, books and m erchandise by mail?
Answer: Yes.
Question 18: Can I send mail from camp?
Answer: Yes.
Question 19: W ill banking facilities be available?
Answer: Yes, limited banking facilities will be pro
vided, but the exact method for supplying these facili
ties has not yet been worked out.
Question 20: Can I bring a long-wave radio or listen
to one in camp?
Answer: Yes.
Question 21: Can I bring a short-wave radio?
Answer: No.
Question 22: W ill there be storage facilities at the
Relocation Centers?
Answer: Yes, storage facilities will be available for
household goods which cannot be immediately used in
your living quarters. Goods in such storage will be
accessible to owners.
Question 23: W hat living quarters will be provided
for me and my family? _ 0, W
Answer: The living quarters for a family of five con
sist of an apartm ent approxim ately 20 x 25 feet.
Question 24: How. will this apartm ent be furnished?
Answer: W hen you first arrive at a Relocation Center
and m attresses; also an oil heater, when necessary,
and electric lights. As soon as your own household
effects are brought to you at the Center, including
your own beds and bedding, the issued cots and
m attresses will be w ithdrawn.
Question 25: May 1 install partitions in my living
quarters or make my own furniture?
Answer: Yes, simple m aterials will be provided for
these purposes, if available.
Question 26: May we improve the quarters by using
wall board, plywood, shelving, curtains, etc.?
Answer: Yes, if you can supply m aterials yourself or
if funds available perm it the W ar Relocation A u
thority to provide them.
Question 27 : A re bathing, toilet, and laundry facilities
available? -
Answer: Separate buildings are provided containing
bathing, toilet, and laundry facilities.
Question 28: W ill there be street lighting at night?
Answer: Yes.
Question 29: W ill families be perm itted to cook their
own meals at Relocation Centers?
Answer: No. Complete kitchen equipm ent cannot be
obtained for individual kitchens. F urther, the fire
hazard would be too great if there were extensive
cooking facilities operated in each apartm ent.
Question 30: H ow will meals be obtained?
Answer: All regular meals will be cooked and served
at com m unity dining halls..
Q uestion 31: W ill this be “A m erican-style” or “Jap-
anese-style” food?
Answer: Both.
Question 32: W ill special food be available for babies
and small children?
Answer: Yes.
Question 33: W ill special food be available for nurs
ing m others or patients under care of a physician?
Answer: Yes, on request of the physician.
Question 34: Can food be obtained elsewhere?
Answer: You m ay buy some foods at the project
canteen.
Question 35: W ho may enlist in the W ork Corps?
Answer: Any able-bodied man or woman above the
age of 16.
Question 36: Do I have to be a citizen of the U nited
States to enlist?
Answer: No.
Question 37: Is enlistm ent compulsory?
Answer: No. I t is entirely voluntary.
Question 38: W here m ay ,1 enlist?
Answer: A t an Assembly Center or Relocation
Center.
Question 39: H ow long will enlistm ent last?
Answer: U ntil 14 days after the end of the war.
Question 40: W hat types of w ork will be available to
enlistees in the W ork Corps?
Answer: Practically all- types, especially those con
cerned w ith agriculture, irrigation, manufacturing,
small businesses, medicine, education, and camp ad
m inistration. The tentative plan is to have each Relo
cation Project function as a type of cooperative.
Question 41 : H ow will I obtain cash to pay for new s
papers, tooth paste, tobacco, and so on?
Answer: M onthly cash advances will be made to all
enlistees who work.
Question 42: W ill my earnings depend on the type of
w ork I perform ?
Answer: Yes. Types of w ork will be classified and
earnings will be apportioned on the basis of these
classifications.
Question 43: If several mem bers of the same family
enlist in the Corps, will each receive the m onthly cash
advances?
Answer: Yes.
Question 44: Ju st w hat is m eant by “cash advances” ?
Answer: T his term is used instead of the term
“w ages” for this reason: Each Relocatiofi Project will
m aintain a set of books in which will be kept all costs
and all income. A m ong the costs recorded will be
those for food, heat, light, medical care, clothing, and
“cash advances.” If the project makes a profit over
and above all costs, including the “cash advances”, you
will be entitled to a share in proportion to the am ount
and character of w ork you have perform ed; the profits
may come to you in the form of increased monthly
“cash advances.”
Question 45: If we raise food which w e use the
mess halls, will we receive credit for it?
Answer: Yes. Decidedly so.. Food raised on the
project will reduce project costs, which in turn will
enhance the opportunity for profit.
Question 46: H ow much will the cash advances
am ount to each m onth?
Answer: T his will be announced soon. The only
official statem ent on this subject is that under present
conditions the maximum cash advance will not exceed
the minimum cash pay of the American private soldier.
Question 47 : May I obtain cash advances if I do not
enlist in the W ar Relocation W ork Corps?
Answer: No.
Question 48: It is to our interest, then, to do all we
can to keep down costs and to increase the income of
the project?
Answer: Yes.
Question 49: W ill evacuees be perm itted to do the
bookkeeping, stenographic, and related work?
Answer: Yes.
Question 50: W ill the adm inistrative cost of the W ar
Relocation A uthority be charged against each project?
Answer: No.
Question 51 : If the project fails to make money, will
we be indebted to the G overnment for the advances
made to us?
Answer: No.
Question 52: W h at other benefits will I get by enlist
ing in the W ork Corps?
Answer: The W ar Relocation A uthority has pledged
th at not only will enlistm ent perm it your participation
in project activities, but it will also serve as evidence
of your loyalty to America.
.)
Question 53: Can I receive rents, profits, dividends
or royalties from businesses or property I own outside
the project?
Answer: Yes.
Question 54: Can I make investm ents in securities,
m ortgages and w ar bonds?
Answer: Yes.
Question 55: Can I continue business negotiations
with banks, businesses or individuals outside the Re
location Center?
Answer: Yes.
' w ork location and return.
Question 56: W ill physicians and nurses be available?
Answer: Yes.
Question 57 : W ill a hospital be available at the Relo
cation Center?
Answer: Yes, basic hospital facilities will be available.
However, one of the first jobs of the W ork Corps will
be to improve these facilities according to the desires
of the community.
Question 58: W h at vaccinations are necessary when
I settle at a Relocation Center?
Answer: To protect the health of the com munity it
is necessary for all evacuees to be vaccinated against
smallpox and inoculated against typhoid fever.
) , ', , Question 63: Can I get m arried while in the Center?
Question 59: Can I obtain tem porary leave of absence
from the Relocation Center?
Answer: Short furloughs may be granted by the
P roject D irector and the M ilitary A uthorities on m at
ters of necessity concerning legal, business, or medical
problems. Special leaves of absence m ay be granted
to enlistees for purposes of private employment, under
appropriate safeguards, and to university students to
attend colleges and universities w here satisfactory ar
rangem ents can be made w ith such institutions. A
non-governm ent com mittee has been set up to attem pt
to w ork out a program which m ay enable American
citizen Japanese students to attend colleges and uni
versities outside' the prohibited m ilitary zones.
Question 60: Can I leave the Center to obtain a job
in the vicinity?
Answer: Furloughs m ay be granted enlistees in the
W ork Corps to accept private employment, under the
following conditions:
1. T h at the State and local communities involved pro
vide adequate protection and guarantee the safety
of evacuees and communities.
2. T h at recruitm ent is on a voluntary basis.
3. T h at w orkers are assured of receiving prevailing
wages.
4. T h a t, employers provide, w ithout cost to the
Government, transportation from Centers to the
5. T h at employers provide suitable housing for
evacuees at tvork locations.
'' ,)
Question 61: W ill families be kept together?
Answer: Yes, w herever members of the family so
desire.
Question 62: May I be moved from one Relocation
Center to another?
Answer: Yes, if this appears necessary for the public
KEEP THESE D E F IN IT IO N S IN M IN D
welfare. However, the A uthority w ants your com
munities to be as stable as possible, and you may be
assured that enlistees will not be transferred from one
Center to another unless absolutely necessary.
Answer: Yes. Assembly Center—A convenient gathering point,
Question 64: Can I be divorced while in the Center? within the m ilitary area, where evacuees live
Answer: Yes.
Question 65: Can I sue or be sued? tem porarily while aw aiting the opportunity for
Answer: Yes. orderly, planned movement to a Relocation
Question 66: Can I defend myself in a suit brought
outside the project? Center outside of the m ilitary area.
Answer: Yes.
Question 67: W ill there be religious freedom?
Relocation Center—A pioneer community, with
Answer: Yes.
Question 68: Am I liable to draft for service in the basic housing and protective services provided
A rm y like any other American through the Selective
by the Federal Government, for occupancy by
Service System?
Answer: Yes. evacuees for the duration of the war.
Question 69: W ill communities at Relocation Centers
be perm itted to establish their own community Relocation Area-—The entire area surrounding a
governm ents?
Answer: Yes. It will be up to each com m unity to plan Relocation Center, under the jurisdiction of
its design of Community life within the broad basic
the W ar Relocation A uthority. The relocation
policies determined by the A uthority for over-all ad
m inistration of Relocation Areas. Eligible voters will lands are Federally owned, are designated as
nominate and elect officers and officials and organize m ilitary areas, and are protected by m ilitary
institutions necessary for the efficient conduct of a
typical community. The com munity governm ent will police.
draft ordinances and regulations and provide for their
enforcement, subject to such restrictions as m ilitary Work Project—W ork projects, such as develop
necessity may impose on the over-all supervision of
the Relocation Areas. m ent of irrigated land, m anufacturing enter
Question 70: W hat provisions will be made to keep prises, and farming, undertaken by the W ar
law and order?
Relocation W ork Corps.
Answer: The A rm y has the responsibility of m ain
taining external protection and of controlling ingress
and egress. Internal protection will be m aintained by Enlistee—A person who enlists in the W ar
the com munity and the W ar Relocation A uthority.
Relocation W ork Corps. E nlistm ent is for the
Question 71: W ill visitors be allowed at the Center?
Answer: Yes, subject to such reasonable limitations duration of the war.
as may be necessary for good adm inistration of the
area.
$ % JAPANESE^AMERICAN AVIATOR TELLS OF FAMED PLOESTI RAID

Blazing 10,OOP Gallon Gasoline Tank Explodes Above Bombing Planes

From address by T/Sgt. BanvEuroki.>,,Japanese -American wearer

of Distinguished Flying Cross for Ploesti raid, given before
,: the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco on February A, =:A A .

’’When you live with men upder' combat conditions for 15; months, you,,
begin to understand what- brotherhood, equality, tolerance, and-.unselfishness
mean. .... ... . . . - r. ., ,

Under fire, a man’s- ancestry, what he did before the war, or: even hie
present rank, doesn’t matter at all. You’re fighting as a -team--tha.t’s the
only way a bomber crew can fight--you’re fighting for each other’s life and
for your country, and.whether you realize it at the time or not, you’re
living and proving democracy.

Ours was the first Liberator -group sent to the European theater.
As soon as we had our base set u p in England, I applied for combat duty.

We were in Libya three months. In all that time, we were ‘able to

take. a. bath only once, and that was when we were given leave to fly to an '
Egyptian city for that specific purpose. That was the only time we shaved,
too.
. f i t ' . • ' •

Making Spaghetti Fly-- And Rice

Our group was going on raids about every other day while we were
in the desert, and they were all pretty rough. We bombed Rommel’s
shipping lines over and over at Bizerte, Tunis, Sfax, Sousse and Tripoli ,’ -
in Africa., Then we started in on Sicily and Italy.

We had some boys of Italian parentage flying with us, and whenever
we took off to bomb Naples or Rome I ’d kid them about bombing their
honorable ancestors. ’’W e ’re really going to make spaghetti fly today,’ I ’d
say, and they’d retort that they couldn’t wait to knock the rice out Of my
dishonorable ancestors. .

We bombed Sicily and Southern Italy at altitudes of about 25,000 feet,

and it really gets cold at that height.

Even at that height we could see our bombs breaking exactly on their
targets, and as much as an hour after we had left the targets we could see
the smoke rising from the fires we had caused.

It gave you a funny feeling,- you couldn’t help, but -think of the people
being hurt down there.

But we.were.in.no position to be .sentimental about it. Unfortunately,

it was German and Italian lives.or ours. /

It was a happy day when after three months of Libya, we received

orders- to return to England. We took off from Tobruk at midnight. .

From England we bombed targets-in Germany and began 3 months’ ,

preparations, for. the... raid-on-the Roumanian oil fields at Ploesti.
; .•- :• ‘ . (over)
 B B

&' Red tracers from the small ground guns had heen zig-zagging all around
us for half a mile or more, and the guns themselves were sending up terrific
"barrages. Just as we hit the target, gas tanks started exploding.

One 10,000-gallon tank "blew up right in front of us, shooting pillars

of flaming gas 500 feet in the air. It was like a nightmare to see the
H a z i n g tank high above us. The pilot had to swerve sharply to the right to
avoid what was really a cloud of fire. We felt as though we were flying
through a furnace. ■ "

Light flak must have hit the gas of the.plane to the right of us, .
for all of a sudden it was "burning from end to end. It sank right down,
as though no power on earth could hold it in the air for even a second, hit
the ground and exploded.

Usually'You Don’t See the Crash

Every man on that ship was a friend of mine, and I knew the position
each was flying. I ;d seen planes go down "before, "but always from a high
altitude, and then you don’t see the crash. This way it seemed I could reach
out and touch those men.

Then we sawT flak hit our group commander’s plane. In a second it was
"burning from the "bomb-hays hack. He pulled it up as high as he could get it;
it was fantastic to see that blazing Liberator climbing straight up. As soon
as he started climbing, one man Jumped out, and when he could get it no higher,
two more came out. Every one of us knew he had pulled it up in order to give
those men a chance. Then, knowing he was done for, he deliberately dove it
into the highest building in Ploesti. The instant he hit, his ship exploded.

We left Ploesti a ruin. Huge clouds of smoke and fire billowed from
the ground as we pulled away from the target.

We got back to camp 15 hours after we *had taken off. It was the
longest bombing mission ever flown, and that explains why it was necessary
to do it at low altitude. If we had bombed at the usual level, we would
never have had enough gas to get back.

It was also the most dangerous mission in the history of heavy

bombardment, ranking as a battle in itself. It is officially regarded not as
the Ploesti raid but as ’the battle of Ploesti.’

Extra Five Missions

For a long time I had been thinking about volunteering for an extra
five missions, I wanted to do that for my kid brother; he wasn’t overseas
then. The day after my 25th, I asked my commanding officer if I could go
on five more. He said I should go home; in fact, there were order out
already for me to do so, and a plane ticket to the States waiting for me.

It took me three months to get those five missions in, the weather
was so bad. And then when I came home it was by banana boat and not air
plane . I was sure burned up about that.

From the beginning I have felt my combat career would not be over
until I had fought in the South Pacific, and so I asked to come home for a
brief rest and then be assigned to a Liberator group in the South pacific.
(over)
 I certainly don’t purpose to defend Japan* When I visit Tokyo it
will "be in a Liberator bomber. But I do believe that loyal Americans
.of Japanese descent are entitled to the'democratic rights which Jefferson
propounded', Washington fought for and Lincoln died for.

In my own case, I have almost won the battle against intolerance; I

have many close friends in the Army now--my best friends, as I am theirs--
where two years ago I had none. But I have by no means completely won that
battle. Especially now, after'the widespread publicity given the recent
atrocity stories, I find prejudice once again directed against me, and
neither my uniform nor the medals which are visable proof of what I have
been through, have been able to stop it.

I can only reply: ’Although some individuals may discriminate against

me , I shall never become bitter or lose faith, for I know such persons
are not representative of the majority of the American people.’”
 C M M t n t f . . *

$ 5 ( !+

talk given by D r. R o b e rt G. Sproul,

P resident o f th e Unix>ersity o f C alifornia,
at the C alifornia C lub in L os A ngeles,
C alifornia on J u n e 29, 1944, at a lu n c h 
eon m e e tin g o f a g roup interested in the
Pacific Coast C o m m itte e on A m erican
P rinciples a n d Fair Play.
 fgggí?;

T he barometer of tolerance toward the evac

uees is still too low on this Coast, and the oppo
sition is still vehement and unscrupulous. We ! " #
need to expedite the program of the United
States Government, and to create an acceptance
by the California public of the enlightened
American way of dealing with law1abiding per
sons even though they are members of an un
popular minority.
In your lifetime and mine, Western civiliza
tion has twice drifted into a major catastrophe,
due to lack of wisdom and understanding on
the part of men. We shall do so again, and we
shall lose the values for which we fight, unless
we understand the implication of those values
for the kind of complex world in which we live .x,
today. Basically, what men are seeking the world wêêjê
over is a decent security, an opportunity for a
larger share of the good things of the earth, and
above all a sense of meaning and dignity in their
own lives. The only answer that can be given
to these deep, perpetual hungers of men lies in
the American concept of democracy, in the ideal
of the common humanity of all men. Let us fight
to preserve that concept no less vigorously than
we fight to destroy the Germans and the J aps in
Europe and the Pacific.

$ 5 ( !+
as recognized in th e platform s of th e R epublican
and D em ocratic N ational Conventions.

“We unreservedly condemn the injection into Amer

ican life of appeals to racial and religious prejudice.”

#
-Republican Equality Plank adopted in
Chicago on July 19 1944.

talk g iven by Dr. R o b e rt G. Sproul,

“We believe that racial and religious minorities
have the right to live, develop and vote equally with
all citizens and share the rights that are guaranteed by
the Constitution. Congress should exert its full consti
tutional powers to support those rights.”
-Democratic Equality plank adopted in
Chicago on July 26,1944.
President o f the U niversity o f C alifornia,
at the C alifornia C lub in L os A ngeles,
C alifornia on J u n e 29, 1944, at a lu n c h 
eon m eetin g o f a gro u p interested in the
Pacific Coast C o m m ittee on A m erican'
Principles and Pair Play.

+ XB
2234 T E L E G R A P H A V E N U E
!"

IsëllKæl

... id t6e ¿eeunitfy it
yiveA Cfo <Hutwu£te&
T h e Com m ittee o n American Principles and
Fair Play, of w hich I am Honorary Chairman,
came into existence at a critical m om ent in
American history, and to afford a means for the
expression o f views o f all but unspeakable im 
portance. It did not come into existence to pro
tect, much less to coddle or glorify, the Japanese,
but to cham pion and help to safeguard American
democracy. It is not an organization of starry-
eyed Utopians, o f intemperate lovers o f strange
peoples, but o f hard headed believers in the
virtues of the American form o f governm ent as
expressed by the Founding Fathers in the Con
stitution and the B ill o f Rights. Its leadership
in such persons as Dr. M illikan, Dr. Ray Lyman
W ilbur, and myself may be drawn from the
lunatic fringe o f American life, but it is not a
leadership unacquainted w ith responsibility or
unaware of the score. . . .
In spite o f storms o f abuse from certain quar
ters, the Com m ittee has been most successful.
U p and dow n the Pacific Coast, it has attracted
a very considerable part o f those w ho are u n i
versally respected as leaders in their com m uni
ties to participate in its activities and to speak
out for its cause. On the larger stage of the
N ation, its influence has been even more notable,
continuous and effective. In the face o f honest
hysteria and dishonest demagogy, it has affected
the policies o f our governm ent both in the leg
islative and executive branches. W ith the judicial
branch its cause is secure because, to put it
simply, it is just. . . .
# $ % partment, deserves ungrudging, unstinted, un
F ir s t a n d f o r e m o s t , above everything else and
for all of the time, the concern o f the Com m ittee
on American Principles and Fair Play is for the
in teg rity o f th e B ill o f R ig h ts o f th e C o n stitu tio n
o f th e U n ite d States. It believes w ith fervor, w ith
fanaticism if you w ill, that whenever and wher
ever the constitutional guarantees are violated
in the treatment of a m inority, no matter how
unpopular or helpless, the w hole fabric of Amer
ican governm ent is weakened, its w hole effective
ness impaired. Each such violation establishes
an evil precedent w hich is inevitably turned
against another m inority later, and eventually
against the very principle on w hich our N ation
is founded, namely, the dignity and worth of the
hum an individual.
Even on this fundam ental tenet of its faith,
however, the position of the Com m ittee is not
doctrinaire or academic. It has recognized from
the beginning, and under considerable heckling
from its own more intem perate members, that
the exigencies of war demand some sacrifice of
the ordinary rights of all citizens, often consid
erable sacrifice, and that concerning certain
groups of citizens under certain dangerous con
ditions extraordinary caution and special treat
m ent are necessary and defensible if not desir
able. But the Com m ittee believes firmly that the
guarantees of the B ill of R ights should be yielded
only in extremity, only by deliberate and con
scious act, and only in the cases of dangerous
or subversive individuals or groups. A ll others
should have its protection until there is proven
need for martial law. As A cton, the great his
torian of hum an freedom has said, “T h e test of
a free country is the security it gives to m inor
ities.”
& " % $' %
T h e s e c o n d rock upon which, the Committee
on American Principles and Fair Play establishes
its firm foundation, is the assumption, docu
m ented by the experience of man over the cen
turies, that in time o f war, the military organi
zation of a nation, in this country the War D e
failing support in all matters of m ilitary concern.
T h e Com m ittee has follow ed that policy u n 
swervingly ever since it was established, and has
found it sound, although it has always reserved
the liberty to question any Governm ent action.
For example, when the Army decided that evac
uation of the J apanese from the Pacific Coast
was required by military necessity, the Commit
tee dropped immediately the important ques
tions it had been raising, and properly raising,
as to whether such treatment of American citi
zens or even loyal aliens squared with American
ideals. But the Committee continues to combat
the idea, now being advanced, that evacuation
is proof of disloyalty. Moreover, the Committee
contends that, since the Army ordered the evac
uation, on grounds of military necessity, the
Army should likewise decide when the process
is to be reversed, and the evacuees allowed to
recover gradually their civil rights. When the
Army decides that the time has come to take
this step, and issues a proclamation as clear as
the original orders for the evacuation, the Com
mittee on American Principles and Fair Play
will once again cooperate to the limit with the
military authorities and the War Department.
And it believes that every patriot who prizes his
own civil liberties should do the same.
$& & $ " %"
J L h e r e a r e a number of minor facets of Com
mittee policy, of course, but none which runs
counter to the two major principles which I have
discussed here today. Of these minor policies, I
shall refer only to one, and that one only because
it is a fertile source of misrepresentation as to
the Committee’s attitude. The Committee does
not believe that all J apanese who have been
evacuated from California should be returned
to their homes. On the contrary, it favors the
policy of dispersed relocation, which is the policy
of the War Relocation Authority. It holds with
all sensible Californians that the swarming of
persons of one race in a Ghetto or a Little M ex
ico or Little Tokio, the separation of a minority
physically and culturally from the rest of the
population is a profound social and political
error and a potent breeder of social and political
ills. Moreover, it is convinced that there will
never be a mass return of evacuees to the West
Coast. H alf of them, approximately, have already
4 5
been located elsewhere, or are likely to be by
the end of 1944. In many instances, there is noth1 *
ing for the others to return to here. Among the
Nisei, there is a strong and understandable cur
rent of feeling against this area, and many of
them have no intention of coming back if they
can avoid it. But the of loyal J apanese to
come back if they so elect, cannot be denied
without a denial of all that America has hitherto
meant to racial and religious minorities, of all
that is has symbolized for the hopes of humanity.
T he dream of America will be over when the
color of men’s skins or other physical character
istics determines the communities in which they
may live.
On this most significant issue the Committee
on American Principles and Fair Play stands
four square, with the President of the United
States in his official statement of federal policy
on relocation:
“With the segregation of the disloyal
evacuees in a separate center, the War Re
location Authority proposes now to re
double its efforts to accomplish the relo
cation into normal homes and jobs in com
munities throughout the United States,
but outside the evacuated area, of those
Americans of J apanese ancestry whose loy
alty to this country has remained unshaken
through the hardships of the evacuation
which military necessity made unavoid
able.
()% %" %
;0 e s h a l l restore to the loyal evacuees
the right to return to the evacuated area
as soon as the military situation will make
_ such restoration feasible. Americans of
J apanese Ancestry, like those of many
other ancestries, have shown that they can,
and want to, accept our institutions and
work loyally with the rest of us, making
their own valuable contribution to the
national wealth and well1being. In vindi
cation of the very ideals for which we are
 fighting this war it is important to us to
maintain a high standard of fair, consid
erate, and equal treatment for the people
of this minority, as of all other minorities."
This statement, we believe, is to be construed
as a solemn pledge spoken by the President in
the name of the American people.
%) ( justice and power are synonymous. It supports
S o m u c h for the policies of the Committee
on American Principles and Fair Play, and now
for a word dr two on how it sets about to im
plement those policies. T he sole weapon of the
Committee is the truth, and the Light of Truth
it tries to keep shining before our people, and
especially those who determine the acts of our
government, brightly and continuously. I t seeks
to promote cool, clear thinking, especially by the
West Coast public, in spite of the distortions of
fact and excesses of passion and prejudice which
are inevitable in wartime. I t helps the public to
draw a line sharply between our enemies in
J apan, the military criminals for whom no fate
is too harsh, no punishment too cruel, and per1
sons of J apanese extraction in the United States,
two1thirds of whom are free from any blemish
of disloyalty, even under the stress of most dis
criminatory treatment.
The Committee meets sweeping generaliza
tions and wholly unsupported, charges with docu
mented facts. For example it confronts those who
say that the only good J ap is a dead J ap with
the extraordinary combat record of tne 100th
Battalion in Italy, a battalion composed entirely
of Nisei privates, with half its officers Nisei, and
all of them volunteers. That battalion came out
of Salerno and Cassino with three Distinguished
Service Crosses, 21 Bronze Stars, 36 Silver Stars,
and 900 Purple1Hearts1900 out of 1400 wounded
in action. Again, for example, it answers the
threat that returned white service men would
murder persons of J apanese stock if they re
mained in the United States, by publishing
scores of letters from men in the fighting forces,
saying, in the words of one of them "H ave no
fear that returning soldiers would desire to slit
the throats of loyal J apanese at home. . . . We’ll
do our fighting on the battlefields against our
country’s enemies, and not on the streets at
home against our country’s friends."
Finally, the Committee backs every group
and every individual that speaks out for sound
Americanism and against the evil doctrine that
, Seth M illington, Past Grand President of the
Native Sons of the Golden West, and former
State Commander of the American Legion, when
he says to the Commonwealth Club, "I would
have all known disloyal J aps sent to the land of
the rising sun . . . by the first ship leaving San
Francisco. Those who have volunteered for our
armed forces I would keep here as part of our
population. And the Committee is sympathetic
with Mr. M illington’s dilemma (but probably
not with his solution of it) when he isays further,
As to those that cannot be classified as either
loyal or disloyal there is a most difficult problem.
Under the law they are citizens and have rights.”
T he Committee endorses even more heartily
these statesman like sentences of Commander
Wm. P. Haughton, of the American Legion, De
partment of California:
& % &
^ J u m e r o u s p e r s o n s of J apanese ancestry are
now serving with the armed forces of our coun
try on the battle fronts, and, according to all
reports, are serving valiantly and well. We salute
all men and women who love this country
enough to fight and, if needs be, die for it. Every
person good enough to fight for us is entitled to
our respect and equal protection under the Con
stitution." These words are a stinging rebuke to
those patrioteers whoT Nazi1like, would have us
*
substitute a caste system based on race and color
for the democratic principles of human worth
and equality under the law. We cannot interpret
them, or the word of Mr. M illington, as justify
ing the exclusion of loyal J apanese from Cali
fornia. . . .
 BY-IAWS of COMMITTEE ON AMERICAN PRINCIPLES AND PAIR PLAY

As Adopted April 30, 1943

1 *V M M B : The name of the organization is COMMITTEE ON AMERICAN

PRINCIPLES ÀND PAIR PIAY, It is hereinafter referred to as the
Organization*

2 * PURPOSES The purpose of the Organization is to support the

principles enunciated in the Constitution of the united States, and to
that end to maintain, unimpaired, the liberties guaranteed in the Bill
of Rights, particularly for persons of Oriental ancestry,
3 - CONVICTIONS UPON WHICH PURPOSE IS BASED:

(a) That attacks upon the rights of any minority tend to under
mine the rights of the majority,

(b) That attempts to deprive any law-abiding citizen of his

citizenship because of racial descent are contrary to fundamental
American principles and jeopardize the citizenship of others*

fc) That legislation to deprive Americans of Japanese descent of

any of their legal rights would set a precedent for depriving other
racial groups of their rights, and would weaken the confidence of our
Allies, particularly those in Asia and Latin America, in the sincerity
of our professions to be fighting for the rights of all peoples.

(d) That it is un-American to penalize persons of Japanese

descent in the United States solely for the crimes of the government
and military caste of Japan,

^ • MEMBERSHIPi The Organization shall be composed of Members of

the following classes: Contributing, Sustaining, Supporting, General,
Student, and Honorary.

5 ** CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS : Any person, firm, corporation, or non

profit organization may be a Contributing Member, admitted on applica
tion therefor approved by the Executive Committee and upon making a
contribution to the Committee exceeding $10,

6 - SUSTAINpJG MEMBERS s Any person, firm, corporation or non

profit organization may be a Sustaining Member, admitted on application
therefor approved by the Executive Committee and upon payment of $10,

. ? ~ SUPPORTING MEMBERS: Any person, firm, corporation or non

profit organization may b e a Supporting Member, admitted on application

1
therefor approved by the Executive Committee and upon payment of $5 or
more •

8 - GENERAL MEMBERS: Any person may be a General Member, admitted

on application therefor approved by the Executive Committee and upon
payment of $2.00 or more.

9 - STUDENT MEMBERS: Any person between the ages of fifteen and

twenty-five years, enrolled as a student at any institution of learn
ing whether public or private, may be a Student Member admitted on
application therefor approved by the Executive Committee and upon pay
ment of $1.00«

10 - HONORARY MEMBERS* Any person may be elected an Honorary

Member by the Executive Committee in recognition of some conspicuous
act or valuable service to the Organisation or material aid to it.
Honorary Members, as such, shall have no vote and no obligation to pay
dues, but Members of any other class may also be Honorary Members.

11 ~ FISCAL YEAR: The fiscal year of the Organization shall be

the calendar year. Contributions or dues paid to the Organization
shall cover the twelve months' period next ensuing after any such
payment.

18 --TKRMINATION OF MEMBERSHIPS Membership may be terminated by

resignation in writing addressed to the Organization.

In the absence of resignation, Members shall be deemed in good

standing for two years next succeeding the end of the period for which
the payment was made.

The Executive Committee may excuse the payment of arrears in any

case in which in the Executive Committee's sole Judgment the facts
justify such action.

The Executive Committee may terminate the membership of any

Member more than two years in arrears.

The Executive Committee may terminate the membership of any

Member in any case in which in the Executive Committee's sole judgment
the facts justify such action. In such event, payments made in advance,
if any, shall be refunded on a pro-rata basis by months.

13 • MEETINGS OF THE ORGANIZATIONi Meetings of the Organization

may be held on call of the chairman of the Executive Committee,

14 - ADVISORY BOARD: There shall be an Advisory Board, of which

the number, membership, and duties shall be determined by the Executive
Committee.

15 - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; There shall be an Executive Committee,

of which the number and membership shall be determined by the Executive
Committee as constituted at the adoption of these By-Laws, and there
after from time to time by the then Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall have the management and control

2
of the affairs, properties and funds of the Organization, and of the
employment, dismissal and compensation of its employees, and of the
rules and regulations governing their conduct and duties.

Members of the Executive Committee, as such, shall not receive

any compensation for their services, but no Member of the Executive
Committee shall be precluded from serving the Organization in any
other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

16 - MEETINGS OF ADVISORY BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The

Advisory Board shall meet upon call of the Chairman, “and shall meet
annually in joint session with the Executive Committee on call of the
Chairman of the latter.

The Executive Committee shall meet at such times and places as it

may from time to time determine, or on the call of the Chairman. At
least twenty-four hours* notice of any meeting shall be given to each
member of the Executive Committee, either personally or by mail. Spe
cial meetings may be called by any officer on like notice, and shall
be thus called on written request of any two members of the Executive
Committee.

At all meetings of the Executive Committee, or of the Advisory

Committee, a quorum shall consist of the presence of at least five
members. At joint meetings, a quorum shall consist of the presence
of a quorum of each.

17 - OFFICERSs The Officers of the Committee shall consist of:

(a) An Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Committee.
(b) A Chairman of the Advisory Committee.
(c) A Chairman of the Executive Committee.
(d) One or more Vice Chairmen of the Executive Committee.
(©) A Treasurer.
(f) An Assistant Treasurer,
(g) An Executive Secretary.

They shall be elected at the Annual Joint Meeting of the Advisory

Board and Executive Committee provided in Section 16; shall hold office
at the pleasure of the Executive Committee; and vacancies may be filled
by the Executive Committee pending the next ensuing Annual Joint Meeting.

All officers shall have the powers and duties usually pertaining
to such offices, or as may from time to time be fixed by the Executive
Committee,

18 - NOMINATING COMMITTEE; At least thirty days prior to any

Joint Annual Meeting, the Chairman of the Executive Committee shall
appoint a Nominating Committee of five members, which shall present
nominations for each office to be voted upon at the Joint Annual Meet
ing. Other nominations may be made from the floor,

19 - STANDING OR SPECIAL COMMITTEES; Standing or Special Commit-

tees may be appointed by the Chairman of the Executive Committee, and
shall have such powers and duties as he may prescribe, subject to
approval of the Executive Committee at its next ensuing meeting.

3
 20 - BOCICS AND RECORDS: All books and records shall be the pro
perty of the Organization, and shall be open to the inspection of any
member of the Advisory or Executive Committees at any time during rea
sonable business hours. Any. officer or employee shall on request of
the Executive Committee submit full information on any matter affecting
the Organization of which he may have custody or knowledge.

21 - ASSETS: Titles to all real and personal property of the

Organization shall be taken, registered, or recorded in the name of
the Organization except when otherwise specifically authorized by the
Executive Committee. ( ^

22 m AkiBhDKEl.f OF BY-LAWS: These By-Laws may be altered or

amended by the Executive Committee at any meeting of which not lésa
than ten days* notice in writing shall have been mailed to each member
of the Executive Committee, which notice shall state that it is in
tended to alter or amend the By-Laws and shall include or be accompanied
by the full text of the sections affected both as then existing and as
proposed to be amended, together with the name of the person proposing
such amendment and a statement by him of the reason therefor.

23 ^ DISSOLUTION: The Organization may be dissolved by the Execu

tive Committee at any meeting of which not less than ten daysf notice
in writing shall have been mailed to each member of the Executive Com
mittee, which notice shall state that it is intended to consider the
dissolution of the Organization.

If dissolution is determined upon, all assets of the Organization

shall be converted into cash which shall to the extent available be
disbursed as follows:

(a) For the payment of all valid claims against the Organization.

(b) For the sending of notice of dissolution to the members of

the Organization and to any Local or Regional Committees which may at
that time be Affiliates as hereafter provided.

(c) For such other purposes as the Executive Committee may

determine. »

(d) Any balance remaining shall be distributed, after deducting

the estimated cost of so doing, among the then members of the Organiza
tion in good standing, in sums proportionate to the aggregate dues or
contributions they may respectively have paid to the Organization
within thirty-six months next preceding the determination to dissolve.

24 - LOCAL OR REGIONAL AFFILIATES: Local or Regional Committees

whose purpose and convictions generally conform to those expressed In
Sections 2 and 3 hereof, may be formed as Affiliates of the COMMITTEE
ON AMERICAN PRINCIPLES AND FAIR PLAY. Affiliates shall be governed
in matters of general policy by the Executive Committee of the Organi
zation, but shall otherwise be autonomous. They shall accept such
financial obligation for the support of the Organization as may be
mutually agreed upon, and shall, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon,
cover all expenses of their own operations- The Executive Committee of
the Organization may from time to time make rules and regulations on

4
 >

matters of general policy, conformity to which shall he a condition

of remaining an Affiliate of the COMMITTEE ON AMERICAN PRINCIPIES AND
PAIR PLAY.

INDEX TO BY-LAWS

Section Subject Page

1 Name 1
2 Purposes 1
3 Convictions upon which Purpose is Based 1

4 Membership 1
5 Contributing Members (over $10) 1
* 6 Sustaining Members ($10) %

7 supporting Members ($5 or more) 1

8 General Members (É2 or more) 2
9 Student Members ($1) 2

10 Honorary Members 2
11 Fiscal Year 2
12 Termination of Membership 2

13 Meetings of the Organization 2

14 Advisory Board 2
15 Executive Committee 2

16 Meetings of Advisory Board and Executive Committee 3

17 Officers 3
18 Nominating Committee 3

19 Standing or Special Committees 3

20 Books and Records 4
21 Assets 4

22 Amendment of By-Laws 4
23 Dissolution 4
24 Local or Regional Affiliates 4
 &#' ( )*+ , *-)' , - -, ' *, '
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7,'$ Y4 ,$ <O
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. . .
l¿5$*^iS3 ì®* ■ ¿“ifeS ’
ÌL‘;
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 LOOKING AROUND... F-F F6 ( * + , D
ORRY, BUT that ¡Quebec huddle didn’t click at all in the Spiritual
S Department. Maybe it will do better in the material plane, that is,
maybe its super-cautious, keep-mum-boys mood is the lull before the
storm which will turn into a really rough time for the Heinies and the
Nips before the snow flies.
But in that delicate, aesthetic side of the war known as politics !" # $ # %&'( ) &&$
% ! *+ ,# &- # %. / 0&)" #
the meeting went as flat as a bride’» first cake, and so it was a kind of 1+)0
failure.
Really, there’s a lot more to this war (or any war, for that mat
ter) than shooting guns. No doubt you remember the Roosevelt radio
2& 1&&$# &% .+* '"&% 7
addresses of 1938-1942, how everybody afterward went around telling &% 3 + % #'# "# &% ( .&2
everybody else how he’d laid it on, how even those who didn’t like his 4 ")&+ % "55 ! ) ( % 7
domestic politics had to admit that he’d told ’em. He knew what went /"#') ## &6 5 % 66) %
on then, and what to do about it. He had a lift, in tone and content, his - )'0 %' &6 )"0"% 5 %! #'" '"&% 8
words soared and rang and clanged across the world. They had pattern
and imagination and courage and fight, calling on men everywhere to
stand to the guns. Something,.was coming. You could feel it in your bones. / )" / ) )"' + . 5&+- '* , &%% 55 9
( ' ) & )#, +". 7

W HAT DO YOU FEEL now? What is coming, as interpreted by

the President, is that we’re going to lick Hitler and Tojo, the
“gangsters.” That word gangsters is an unhappy one. It’s worn out. The )'"#'# &&$ ' &0 '("% 1 #". # ( 0# 5! # 9
world has passed it by and is looking for something beyond it. Most of ( /+#"* 5 )& ) 0# ,5 9
the threats about how we’re going to maul them are worn out. The sar / ' '( "%' )# :
casm is worn out. The timorous, how-will-it-affect-our-protocol, play-
’em-close-to-the-vest is worn out. What the world, including America, .
is hungering for is action and a vision. Sensible people know action must * ./ * .0
await the physical possibility, but a vision is something-you can have
today if you are capable of it. It may be good or bad, Clear or fuzzy,
but most any vision is better than no vision.

O R,beautiful
TO BE FRANK, this war appears to be running downhill to a
physical victory and a beautiful moral confusion. Why
...AND LISTENING
should that be? We, the Western peoples, are capable of some good
things, some courage and some sound sense. Did you7ever listen to any Last week these intellects shed the following light
grander summons to battle than Winston Churchill’s staggering blow to on the world’s affairs:
the Hun the day after the Russian invasions'* “A large part of the kind of peace achieved after this war
But now there are no summons to battle, either from the Presi rests on the principles laid down in America’s schools.”
dent or the Prime Minister. The physical battle goes all right. Our boys GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.
are doing fine in New Guinea, the Aleutians, Sicily, in the air over Eu
rope. How are we doing at home? We’re worrying about our gas again. “The scrap metal we sent to Japan is coming back to us
Our Congressmen have been drinking cokes on their political beaches. now in shrapnel wounds.”
LIEUTENANT COLONEL W. J. CARRINGTON,
Sumner Welles is on the verge, the best foreign office man we have, Chief of the Surgical Service, Schick General Hospital.
and nobody seems to care. We get a red-hot buildup on Quebec, and it
pops with platitudes and no — / “Hell’s bells, all you need to clean out the Japs is a few
good squirrel hunters in the woods who know what they’re
n p H E :' ^ _ MsLnVinnr fm- 51
COLONEL DUliunn» «...___ _____ ... . .../
■ A. said no federations in Eastern Europe. Senior Engineer, New Georgia,
means none of this buffer state stuff, trying to isolate" Jtuissi*
concrete for the future of Europe. What have we that’s concrete “There is plenty of hard labor for the tin-horns to do.”
MAYOR F. H. LA GUARDIA.
the same? What have we that’s concrete about Italy, one of the simpler
riddles? Well, by gad, we don’t like the Fascists. That’s final. “The United States achieved its present position in the
We’ll win the war all right. We’ll soon have enough jeeps to world because individual initiative was given an opportunity.”
block all the highways and starve all the Europeans into surrender. But WILDRED SYKES, President, Inland Steel Company.
at the present rate we aren’t going to win the- peace. Somebody else is
“The Pacific ocean must become an American lake.”
going to win the peace, somebody who sees there’s a peace to be won. CLARENCE BUDDINGTON KELLAND.
Who would you guess that is? — ROYCE BRIER
“We have been told that Japs never surrender; their
headlong retreat satisfies us just as well.”
Letters to the Editor FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.

“Let Attu and Kiska be the jumping boards for an offen

* + * and his torturing Gestapo, and his 80 million
My congrats on the cleverest shot of the
•week—your footnote Sidefining Commander
Waring’s "nationalist,” with the definition
popularized by Edward Bellamy (“Looking
Backward”) in 1890, with his magazine, The
Nationalist. I think I’ll have to lend the
Commander one of my copies of Bellamy’s
famous organ of the Nationalist movement.
By the by, California in 1890 had as many
.Nationalist clubs as the combined total of the
clubs in the entire list of the other States.
The Nationalist party of 1890 was one of the
ancestors of the present Socialist party,
which organization, I surmise, might welcome
“nationalist” Legionnaire Waring as at least
a “fellow traveler.” WM. McDEVITT,
San Francisco.
, 50 or more towns on the island and Port
In the article “Disappearing Act” of THIS
WORLD, Aug. 22, the national philosophy of
the Croatian people is again expressed in
chains and at the point of guns within the
Germans’ . . . prison.
In different terms that is the way the
Croatian people of Yugoslavia have felt and
spoken for 13 centuries to all their conquer
ing foreigners—Venetians, Hungarians, Ital
ians, Turks, Napoleon Frenchmen, Austrians,
and Germans . . . They were the first of
the South Slavs who desired and who de
manded, by necessity, the organization of the
present Yugoslav State — especially their
leader, Dr. Vladimir Matchek.
It strikes one beyond imagination where
. . . the little gray haired Dr. Matchek gets
his emu-age, representing four million Cro
atian^ to defy, from his Jailer’s prison, Hitler
Germans. This same spirit . . . is in the
genes of the Croatian people-. . .
. . . Self-government is the supreme
issue with the Croatian people, and if it is
not granted to them when the Nazis are
cracked up, civil war in Yugoslavia will be
a certainty. The Croatian people take se
riously their aspirations, their feelings, and
their rights.
. . . Let the Allied leaders ponder, now,
over Dr. Matchek’s Magna Carta expressed
in Hitler’s prison, PETER OBAD,
Berkeley.
& *
Lenore Napp, who objects to your calling
Staten Island a part of New Jersey, is wrong
herself when she states that Staten island is
also known as Port Richmond . . . There are
Richmond is one of them..
DAVID MAHONEY,
San Francisco.
. . . Staten island is definitely not known
as Port Richmond. . . , Staten Island is not
only in the borough of Richmond, it is the
borough of Richmond, and I challenge Miss
Napp to find anything else but Staten Is
land in the aforementioned borough . . .
FRANK McINERNEY,
Oakland.
! &-
In this tragic global-conflict it is time to.
remember the famous words of Admiral
Farragut:
“Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
EUGENE M. LEVY,
San Francisco.
sive against the heart of Japan.”
TA KUNG PAO, Chinese paper.
“The solitary tidbit of news you get from the British Min
istry of Information costs the taxpayers God knows how many
millions.”
BRENDAN BRACKEN, British Minister of Information. ,
“We are not engaged in any crusades for democracy, or
for the Four Freedoms, or for. the preservation of the British
Empire.”
SENATOR ROBERT A. TAFT (R., Ohio).
“Under the pressure of war we have all willingly sub
mitted to restraints by the national Government which are
, foreign to our most vital principles.”
THOMAS E. DEWEY, Governor of New York.
“Our recapture of Kiska without opposition means that
we have completed our northern road to Japan.”
,#■ VICE ADMIRAL THOMAS C. KINKAID.
“We have nothing against miracles, but we do not con
sider them a suitable foundation for building up false hopes.”
FRANZ MORALLER, Editor, Strassburger Neueste Nachrichten.
EDITOR: Scott Newhall . ART DIRECTOR: Milton Monroe
ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Jean Baumgartner, Hazel Bruce, Anne Boyer, Alfred Franken
stein, Joseph Henry Jackson, Christopher Stull. F
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Spencer Barefoot, Marie Carey, Spencer Davis, Lawrence
Estavan, Dolly Rhee, Jane Coffield, Amie Reichert.
Copyright, August , , by The Chronicle Publishing Company
 r>
o

Page SAN ;:

& " ,
A third génération JapaneseFAmerican, Miss M iie*
Okubo is an art graduate of the University of California a d
^a
young woman with a healthy sense of humor. As an
she needs no introduction to the Bay Area. Her debit? as a
writer was accidental — her explanatory notes with her
sketches were so much more THIS WORLD simply incorpo
rated them into an article.
( )*& %
OLLOWING THE ATTACK on Pearl Harbof, evacuation of
F citizens and aliens of Japanese descent from the West Coast
area was authorized by the Government. Ond hundred and ten
thousand people were evacuated. Twelve assembly centers and ten
relocation centers were established.
In all of them the situation has been more or less the same, so
I feel that in picturing Tanforan Assembly Center and the Central
Utah Relocation Center (Topaz), I am expressing the whole.
“Relocation centers were never intended as concentration camps
or prisons-. They were established primarily as an expedient . . .”
Approximately 7500 people, former residents of the San Fran
cisco Bay area were interned at Tanforan Center* for a period of six
months. All were later transferred to Topaz Center. Former residents
of the Bay region who were at the Santa Anita Assembly Center
joined this group along with some Hawaiian evacuees. The maximum
population was 8,779, making Topaz the fifth largest community in
Utah.
Bewilderment was expressed by most of the evacuees with loss of
home and security. There are many who were embittered but I think
as a whole, despite evacuation, most of us look forward to a better
tomorrow. To date 1,050 indefinite leaves have been granted from
this center alone so that the evacuee may go out of camp and renew
life as a normal American citizen. They are leaving at the rate of
eight a day.
“The evacuees read the same newspapers as the rest of us and
listen to the same radio programs. M any are reluctant to leave the
centers to face a public that seems predominantly hostile ”

H ERE ARE SOME of the memories they will take with them:
First, buses were chartered for our transportation from our
homes to the different assembly centers. Race tracks and fair grounds
were transformed overnight with barbed wire and military police.
Family numbers and identification cards were given to everybody.
On moving day each person and every single piece of baggage had to
have tags bearing these numbers. After induction and from then on
he or she was identified by these numbers.
“The names of nearly 90 per cent of the adult evacuees have now
been checked through FBI .”
We were all vaccinated for typhoid and for small pox. Young
and old were lined up and given shots at a mass production rate.
At Tanforan, most of the cotton mattresses were late in arriv
ing. We were given canvas bags for mattresses.
The lower section of the grandstand served as the mess hall.
Young and old, 7,500 people stood out in line waiting to be served.
There were often four or five lines, each about a block long, and they
had begun forming two hours before messtime. It was a blessing when
the 17 mess halls opened.
“Cost of feeding over the pg,st several months has ranged from
34 to 42 cents per person per day. All rationing restrictions applicable
to the civilian population are strictly followed.”
Pre-schools were very important in the center. Busy parents’

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DAVIES TAKES ANOTHER LOOK
F.
W ENT back to Russia after five
years.
There are great changes. Mos
cow itself has been greatly improved.
It shows little of the scars of war. O ut
side of an atmosphere of great activity
it gives little appearance of a city at
war.
The army looks well clothed. The
uniforms of the officers with their new
epaulettes are smart. Morale appears to
be very high.
Food is scarce. Generally, however,
the people look sufficiently well fed.
The rationing is strict. Many subsist on
potatoes and cabbage alone, which they
themselves must raise.
Everywhere there are evidences of
sorrow and grief. The casualty lists run
into millions of both soldiers and civil
ians. Every family in Russia has lost
some loved one. They are bitter.
There occured to me, in Russia,
when over the battlefields there, the ,
difference between conditions which
the Russians confront, and those of
our fighting men. Our men Overseas
are fighting on foreign soil to avert a
disaster, which would otherwise stab at
the heart of our peace- here at faomg.
The Russians are fighting on their
own land. If bombs carried by Cana
dian or American planes, and aimed
against military objectives, happened to
fall upon civilians or their homes, they
wCuld still fall upon the enemy. But
when Russians shell or bomb the enemy,
they are generally bombing their own
land, and possibly the homes of their
own people.
It makes their war more serious, more
grim, and more tragic in many respects,
than ours. It means that their personal
contribution, already incalculably im
portant in contrast to ours, has cost
them immeasurably more in suffering,
personal tragedy and devastation.
I found the Soviet Union and its
people, to the last man, woman, and
child from Baku to Yakutsk, from one
end of the country to the other, as it
appeared to me, thinking only in terms
of war to the death against Hitler.
In my opinion they will be satisfied
with nothing short of absolute victory
and unconditional surrender.
The Russians do not underestimate
the power, which they think the Ger
man war machine still has. They watch
it with anxiety, but without fear. They
have confidence in their Red Army and
in themselves.
Everywhere they spoke with grati
tude of Britain’s aid and of Lend-Lease
and the aid from the United States
which is now coming through in a sub
stantial manner.
Five years after he had completed his first mission to
Moscow, former United States Ambassador to Russia Joseph
E. Davies was sent back to the Soviet by President Roosevelt
as the bearer of a personal letter to Premier J oseph Stalin.
This was the latter part of May.
In the following article, prepared exclusively for the
Chicago Sun and San Francisco Chronicle, Mr. Davies de
scribes the changes he saw wrought by war.
jp ROM my trip, some outstanding im
pressions were left in my mind. Per
haps the most vivid and the strongest
of all was Stalingrad.
Stalingrad stretches along the river
for about five miles. Practically all of
the central and northern part of the
city was utterly and completely de
stroyed. Nothing remained but gaunt,
bare walls, roofless and windowless,
which seemed to stretch up like twisted,
white arms to the sky; or black, charred,
huge spaces where .fire had burned
everything down to the very roots.
Superimpose these terrific events upon*
our own land and our own people, and
their significance may be appreciated.
This is what invasion of Russia would
have meant to us:
A conquering army would have
reached the outskirts o f Washington
(their M oscow ); 3,000,000 of the en
emy, with superior mechanisms of war,
would have driven hundreds of miles
into the interior, threatening the oil
fields of Oklahoma and Texas (their
Baku).
Our industrial territory east of the
Mississippi (their Western Russia),
would have been taken over by the
enemy. Twenty millions of our people
would have been under the Nazi heel.
Our army would have stubbornly
fallen back, enabling . our people to
move vast industries, their machinery,
the workers and their families, for a
thousand miles deep into the west as
far as Cheyenne (their Novisibirsk).
The seat of government would have
been moved from Washington to St.
Louis (their Kuibyshev). Ten millions
of our people would have been casual
ties.
The enemy would have been storm
ing the gates o f Memphis (their Stalin
grad), threatening to cross our Volga,
the Mississippi River.
Our men, outnumbered, with their
backs to the river, would have fought
the enemy on the streets of Memphis,
in wrecked buildings, in the basements,
in the factories, from street to street,
compelling the enemy finally to sur
render—336,000 of them within and at
the gates of die city.
In that battle, 96,000 of the enemy
would have been killed within the city
walls. Memphis would have been com
pletely destroyed; its entire poplation
driven- from their homes.
But our men would have given the
world a new epic in heroism. They
would have saved our oil fields. They
would have broken the back of the
enemy. For that would have now been
our Stalingrad.
JJURING m y former stay in Russia,
I travelled thousands of miles over
White Russia, the Ukraine, Caucasus,
and the Donets Basin, inspecting in
dustry and agriculture in a region where
it was reported 60 per cent of the in
dustry of Russia was located. This time
I wanted to see more of the Urals and
the Siberian country, so I came back
via Alaska.
In one Ural city .I saw plants which
had been transported bodily from Kiev
and Kharkov in the Ukraine and
Donets, With these plants families were
transported by thousands of freight
cars.
As for Siberia, I shall never forget
the impression it made. Flying over
this country at an altitude of 1000 to
1500 feet, I saw a tremendous agricul
tural region. There were hundreds and
hundreds of squaA miles of great fields,
bigger than our townships, in different
colors of grain, all planted with preci
sion^ and from the air, looking orderly
and well kept.
This hinterland of wealth, resources,
and power, guarded by natural barriers
of high mountains and great distances,
and these developments, are the corner
stone of Soviet military strategy. Both
their army and war plans are undoubt
edly based upon this fact.
Their strategy will be, if necessary, to
fall back again and again, into the big,
new bases of agricultural and arma
ments production, while the German
lines grow longer and longer and more
easy to bomb or sabotage, and more
vulnerable.
The trip itself was for me an extra
ordinary experience. I traveled around
the earth, covering 28,000 miles, a
greater distance than around the world
at the equator.
= "$
THIS WORLD— Pa^e I t
ing, we crossed Asia to arrive in Seattle
on the following Monday night.
In four days we had traversed a dis
tance that formerly would have re
quired four weeks. The world has be
come a mighty small place.
If by any mischance, Japan and Ger
many were to get Russia in a nut
cracker and crush the Soviet Union,
Hitler’s and Tojo’s armies would have
less than 30 miles of water to cross in
a land march to dictate peace in Wash
ington, as the Japs have boasted they
would do.
A N E strong impression that I had five
years ago has been confirmed, name
ly that the Soviet people and their
leaders desire, above all else, a peace
ful world.
They believe in Great Britain, the
United States, and thè United Nations.
They demand respect and confidence
. in their good faith.
There are a few in our country who
still bicker at Russia, who still quarrel
at the way in which Russians live and
conduct their own government, which is
exclusively their own business.
To do this is to play Hitler’s game.
Every possible thing that Goebbels’
propaganda machine can do to make
us fear and hate Russia, and make
Russia fear and hate us, Hitler’s ma
chine is doings It is the only thing
which might save the skins of the Nazis.
And why should there not be com
plete mutual respect, friendship, and
understanding ?
The purposes and .policies of the
Soviet Union, both as to war and as to
the peace, are all in accord with what
we and the decent nations of the earth
desire.
These have all been publicly declared
and formalized by the Soviet govern
ment :
By a treaty with Great Britain, the
Soviet Union has pledged itself to co
operate both during and after the war,
and to make no separate peace, but to
fight to the end against Hitler.
The Soviet Union has formally and
publicly declared, through Marshal
Stalin, that it will not interfere, with
the domestic policies or politics of any
foreign state.
The Comintern was recently abol
ished by the Soviets in a desire to
clearly establish this fact to the world.
J F peace is to be established for a rea- '
sònable time it must be becàuse the
great nations of the earth, including
Russia and the other United Nations,
shall enter into art agreement or a con
tract to restore peace, maintain it, and
protect it.
It is, I believe, riot an overstatement
to assert that but for the resistance of
the Red Army and the Soviet Union,
the Germans would have overrun A f
rica; might have made Tunisia impos
sible, and might have made junction
with the Japanese in India and on the
Persian Gulf. Had that happened, our
enemies, and not we, would today be
dictating global strategy. We should not
forget the tremendous debt we owe tQ
the Soviet Union.
There can be no certain victory iri
this war without Russia. There can be
no post-war adjustment, and no post
war peace that will be effective with
Russia outside it.
- /1 . % 2 * & & 2
1
 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THIS WORLD— Pace IS

& $
As Artist Okubo prepared her word and pen sketches in
a relocation camp they are, as she put it» only as objective
as an evacuee could keep them. To document her'objec
tivity» THIS WORLD has included italicized quotations from
a recent speech Dillon Myer, head of the War Relocation
Authority, made at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club.
children were not only assured of good care but good training in these
schools. The kiddies of this age are darlings and these schools were a
good counter-influence to the bad camp atmosphere.
Then there was the typical Tanforan scene with the old bach
elors lying around on the grass and the neighbors visiting and passing
on the rumors of the day.
UST WHEN WE WERE settled it was moving day again. We
received our orders to prepare for the Utah trip. Improvised box
furniture and shelves came down and packing started. Tags with
family numbers were brought out. There was inspection for contra
band.
The train trip from Tanforan to Topaz was a nightmare. It was
the first train trip for most of us and we were excited, but many were
sad to leave California and the Bay region. To most of the people, to
this day, the world is only as large as from San Francisco to Tan
foran to Topaz.
“ We have assumed that the great majority of the people of Japa
nese ancestry now in this country will remain here after the war
and continue to be good citizens or law-abiding aliens”
Buses were waiting for us in Delta to take us to Topaz. Seven
teen miles of alfalfa farms and greasewood were what we saw. Some
people'cried on seeing the utter desolation of the camp. Fine alkaline
dust hovered over it like San Francisco fog.
rr*»HEN HOME LIFE centered around the pot-bellied coal stove
which was. provided in each of the rooms. Mother hung up
clothes, daughter cooked, papa read the newspapers and the kiddies
played in the sand pit which was often placed underneath the stove
for fire prevention.
“In the barracks there is no running water, no cooking facilities,
no bath or toilets. However, each block of 12 or 14 barracks— accom
modating between 250 and 300 people— is provided with a mess
hall and a bath and laundry building”
During thq winter trees and shrubs were transported from the
distant mountains and transplanted in camp. Many people were
skeptical about them living, but to the surprise of all in the spring
green started to appear. Right now Topaz looks a little green in spots
and it is a treat. The typical Topaz scene is the watch tower, barbed
wire, low tar-covered barracks and the distant mountains.
“The W. R. A. . . . carried out a vast registration program of
all evacuees at centers over 17 years of age. . . .»Aliens were asked to
swear they would abide by the laws* of the U. S. and not interfere
with the w ar effort . Citizen evacuees were asked to make a definite
declaration of loyalty. Eighty-eight per cent answered eyes? ”
Schools were late in opening and difficult to organize^ because
of the lack of school buildings and necessary supplies. Teachers were
not available, so they used inexperienced teachers-to take over. Some
times the students knew more than the teachers and there was lack
of discipline in the classrooms. However, this was not true of all of
the classes.
“ We believe it is possible to distinguish between the loyal and
disloyal people of Japanese ancestry to a degree that will safeguard
the national security. We believe that loyalty grows and sustains itself
only when it is given a chance
Page H — THIS WORLD
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HEN YOUR SHIP enters the Ran
goon river in the early morning you
see those things which are the
salient points of Burma’s life.
Away to the left, at Syriam, is a forest
of oil tanks and refineries where the crude oil
from up-river comes by pipe line. On the
right, near the shore, float great rafts of logs
of 150-year-old teak. On both sides is low-
lying land covered by a crop of palest green
or golden yellow, part of the rice fields
which cover the delta of the whole Irra
waddy, a river beside which the Nile is a
mere brook.
The water is muddy, full of fertilising
silt, some of which may have come 2000 miles
from the hills of Tibet, and the tides are
strong and violent and not altogether predic
table—truly Burmese.
But away to the north is a vision rising
above the mist, a golden glittering vision, the
Shwe Dagon, the greatest Buddhist shrine in
the East.
Here you have the main components of
Burma’s make-up, the vast, violent river, the
fertile rice fields, the modern oil-cracking
plants, the great rafts of teak; but above all,
brooding and beautiful, Buddha’s shrine of
the Shwe Dagon, the Golden Temple.
Burma in essence consists of the valley of
the Irrawaddy, broadening out into the rich
rice fields of the delta. To the west lie the
jungle-clad Arakan Yoma hills and to the
north the Chin hills, Manipur, and the outer
spurs Qf th e T ib e ta n m assif. T o th e east, m ore
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
—A ssociated Press
$ $ $4 / .! $
+ # # + ;5%
! / 5
5 /
hills running from the borders of Irido-China
and Siam and along the western border of
the Chinese province of Yunan.
Here again are great rivers—the Salween
and the Mekong running through gorges
thousands of feet deep. And all, all, covered
in jungle, teak and bamboo, creepers and
orchids. Leeches by day, mosquitos at night
and malaria everywhere. When the rains
come in late May the jungle springs into an
incredible riot of growth and becomes nearly
impassible.
The river is the country’s life line and
spinal cord. We have supplemented it by a
meter-gauge railway running from Rangoon
to Myitkyina, 800 miles north, with a few
lateral lines. The most important of these
runs from Mandalay to Lashio, the railhead of
the Burma road. There is also a modern road
from Rangoon to Myitkyina but the river
remains the key to Burma. Who holds it, holds
Burma.
LIKE BURMA and I like Burmans. The
A damnable 20 years of. appeasement from
1919 to 1939 saw the Burmese go the way of
many Oriental peoples, spoon-fed on
western education and the ideals of a me
chanical civilization. The Burman in many
British eyes is a lazy, thriftless gambler who
likes to sit in the sun and watch other men
work.
He is brave, however, and faces death
with a philosophy which many white men
lack. I was unfortunate enough to have to be
present at the hanging of some 25 Burmese
m urderers a t d ifferen t tim es an d I h a v e n ever
seen any men of whatever color or race face
-the great enigma with more courage.
The Burman hates* discipline as we under
stand it. It bores and irks him inexpressibly.
For this reason, after the last war, the Bur
man ceased to be recruited for the Indian
Army. He loves a gamble—on a horse, on a
racing canoe or a cockfight. His national
pastimes are armed dacoity and crimes of
passion.
He is, definitely, the Irishman of the
East. The Burman loves a fight and does not
care very much if it is against King Theebaw
or King George as long as it is “agin’ the
Government.” He loves a salty jest and has a
rich vocabulary of abuse.
The men of the hills— Chins to the west
and north and Kachins to the north and east
on the Chinese border—are a different breed.
Fiercely independent, hunters and fighters,
they were serving in thousands in our military
police .battalions before the Japanese invasion.
They are still fighting in the hills and with
them are many of their British officers who
did not retreat to India. When the situation
in Burma was at its worst every able-bodied
Chin from 15 to 70 took up whatever weapon
lay to his hand, spear, dah, or muzzle-loader,
and formed a protective screen on the road
to India. It is for this reason that the Japs
have never made an effective penetration of
the Chindwin valley.
The Burmese woman is a charming per
son—see Kipling. Many of them worked for
.me as nurses and I could not wish for better
helpers. She wears a short white cotton jacket
and a brilliant silk skirt wound round the
body and tucked in at the waist. Jet black
hair with an orchid behind the ear completes
her outfit. The women literally ran Burma
before the war, being absolutely equal both
in social and legal respects with the men.
They did all the petty trading and all the
small shops were operated by women. There
is no caste or purdah system in the country.
TYUT WHAT OF THE Golden Pagoda
and its influence? I can only Speak of
my personal experience and point out that
recent years have seen political influences
' creep into the monasteries.
% When I was there I trekked all over
Burma with pony and bullock cart to the
$ most remote villages. When my party arrived
in the evening we went automatically to the
village monastery, which always had a zayat
(guest house) for travelers. True, it was
merely a roof and a floor supported on teak
logs, but it was clean and the monks produced
mats for the floor and more mats to serve as
partitions and for privacy. They also helped
to collect the sick people and the children
for vaccination.
T T T H A T OF THE future? Well, I am
YV neither a military expert nor a radio
commentator, so what I have to say is of no
possible weight whatever. But I do know the
ground and the people.
Everyone knows that we want to get at
Japan by sustained air attacks from Chinese
bases and to do this, to keep those bases sup
plied, we must reconquer Burma and reopen
the Burma road. We must first of all retake
the Andamans and blot out Akyab, we can
not have enemy bases on our flanks while a
large-scale amphibious operation is in prog
ress.
Combined with this, an invasion of north
ern and central Burma by way of the Chind
win valley, or even more to the north, aimed
at Myitkyina, is necessary to keep the Japa
nese pinned down. Lastly, and the crux of
the whole scheme, is a full-scale sea invasion
of Rangoon and/or Moulmein to cut the Japs
off from their reinforcement and supply lines
from the south and east.
It is an ambitious and very difficult pro
gram. The open season for military opera-,
tions is roughly from October 15 to the end of
May. It will have to be done somehow, some
tim e.
 Comments by the War Relocation Authority

On Statements Reported in the Press

i,
Allegedly Made by Witnesses

Before the Committee on Un-Amerioan Activities

During Hearings in Los Angeles Between

June 8 and June 17*

C-OSES-PI of v-HOBU-COS'-WP
1*
Statements reported by the United £ress in a dispatch from Los Angeles
dated June 16 and allegedly made before the subcommittee hearings by
Mayor Fletcher Bowron of Los Angeles*

Statement : ”....the nation’s most dangerous Japanese, according to a

Los Angeles police report, was released from the Poston
Relocation Center without ever having been confined. there
and now is working in a boys* camp in the middle West. The
Japanese, Kiyoshi Okura, former'member of the Los Angeles
Civil Service Commission, belonged to numerous Japanese
organizations, and, although he professed to be a Presby
terian, was married in a Shinto Temple.”

Comment : Our records show that Mr. Okura was released by the War
time Civil Control Administration from the Santa Anita
Assembly Center on November 1, 1942 to go to Boys’ Town
Nebraska. He has never resided at Poston or any other
relocation center and has never been under the juris
diction of the War Relocation Authority at any time.

Statement : Another Japanese released under quest ion-able circumstances

was Miya S. Kikuchi, taken from Manzanar Relocation Center
for a lecture tour under the auspices of the. National YMCA.

Comment : Mrs. Kikuchi was released from the Manzanar Relocation Cen
ter on short-term leave in October 1942. She was absent ■
from the center only two weeks and is still residing there
at the present time.

2.
Statements allegedly made at hearings by Earl A. Best, the former Assistant
Steward at the Heart Mountain and Poston Relocation Centers, and reported
by the Los Angeles Times on June 17.

Statement? At Poston fresh milk was ordered for all, even though
it cost an extimsted |>2,000 a day and the evacuees
seemed satisfied with evaporated milk. Project Director
Head ordered the fresh milk as ”we do not need money to
win the war.” *
✓
Comment: In a teletype message dated June 22, Project Director Head
has the follovdng comment to make regarding the statement
allegedly made by Mr. Best:

”Qnly conversation with Best regarding fresh milk was

on purchase of same. He said that canned milk could
be used and my answer to that was that canned mi,lk
could be shipped to our troops, where fresh milk.could
not and that the small additional cost of fresh milk
did not hinder the war effort. It was also pointed
out that frc'sh milk .would be purchased on government
contract only and would come from surplus of Imperial
Valley and other nearby areas in California, The amount
to be ordered was 5600 quarts per day at 46 Gents per
gallon or a total of &414.00 per day. This milk was
to be given only to children up to 12 years of age,
expectant and nursing mothers, and invalids.”

C-0278-P>SU-C0S-WP
 2

Statement: During an inventory conducted at the Heart Mountain Reloca

tion center, it was discovered that evacuee mess hall workers *
were hoarding large quantities of food in attics and secret
store-rooms.
*
Comment : During;Sept ember, October and November of 1942, then much
of the initial supplies and equipment were being received
at Heart Mountain Center, the Center was short of storage
space# As a temporary expedient, staple foods were issued
to the mess halls in excess of current needs in order to
utilize mess hall space for storage purposes. In. a large
number of mess halls attic space was used for this purpose.
In two mess halls, supplementary store rooms were constructed.
These are the so-called secret store-rooms to which Mr. Best
refers. Since they were so constructed as to occupy ground
floor space in the middle of the mess halls, they were in no
way concealed.

Shortly before My. Best reported to Heart Mountain as Assistant

Steward, a new Chief Steward vras employee* He ordered the
general inventory to which Mr, Best refers in his statements.
He concluded that the storage of food in mess halls should
be discontinued but decided to reduce the stocks in the mess
halls not by moving them back to the warehouses but by reduc
ing future issues so that in the course of a few weeks the
stocks would be reduced by normal consumption. His decision
in this matter was carried out. By the time our investiga
tion was made early in April, in only two mess halls were
substantial quantities of food still stored in attics. In
four others, small amounts were on hand. These food stuffs
were removed to the warehouses following the investigation.

This was in no sense a secret hoarding of food by the Japan

ese. All foods issued to the mess halls were charged to
them at the time of issuance and all came within the cash
ration allowance of 45 cents per day — except in September
when the initial stocks were issued. In September the
ration cost averaged 46f cent« per person per day. During
the first three months in 1943, the reduction of mess'hall
stocks by the method adopted by the Project Steward "was re
flected in ration costs which averaged from 35 to 37 cents per
person per day.

Statement: An evacuee mess hall worker at the Heart Mountain Center

traded liquor for hams and other food.

Comment : Mr. Best has no actual evidence that transactions involving

exchange of food for whiskey have ever been carried out. We
have checked as completely as possible all the information
supplied us by Mr. Best in a signed statement on this sub
ject and have found little specifically supporting his charges.

C-0278-P4-BU-C0S-WP
 It is the policy of the Authority to enforce those liquor
regulations which under State and Federal law are generally
applicable to the territory in which a specific center is
located. An evacuee given leave for other purposes might
buy liquor and bring it into the Heart Mountain Center or
any evacuee mirght order liquor by mail. We have, however,
had surprisingly little difficulty with the liquor problem
on any center. There has been so little evident drinking
that we think the present policy has demonstrated its
soundnessy

Statements reported by the Associated Press in a dispatch from Los Angeles

dated June 12 and allegedly made before hearings of the Subcommittee by
Norris E. James, former Reports Officer at the Poston Relocation Center.

Statement: Boulder and Parker dams are in constant danger of sabotage

from residents of the Poston, Relocation Center.

Comment : Parker Cam is situated approximately 30 miles up the Colorado

River from the Poston Relocation Center and Boulder Cam lies
nearly 75 miles,-farther up stream. .No evacuee,at Poston or
any-other relocation center is permitted to leave the out
side boundaries without a permit at any time. After dark,
no evacuee is permitted even to leave the confines of the
community proper without a permit. The exterior boundaries
Of the center are guarded by a company of military police
and have been ever since the center was first established.

Statement: Trouble began at camp last fall after Poston had received 365
Japanese regarded by thp Federal Bureau of Investigation as
potentially dangerous from internment c amps in North Dakota and
New Mexico.-

Comment : Any person of Japanese ancestry who is transferred from an

internment oamp t o a relocation center has appeared before
a hearing board in the internment camp and has been parolecl
under the regular procedures of the Department of Justice*

Statement : the leaders of the strike emerged as leaders of Poston

Camp No.1 1.

Comment : All the evidence we have available indicates that present

leader's of Poston Camp No. 1 were among those most active In
trying to prevent the strike.

C- SE&pPT-BI^CX>S-WP
 - 4

4#
Statement reported by the AP in the dispatch from Los Angeles dated June
10 and allegedly made before Committee hearing by Harold II. Townsend, ^
former Chief Supply and Transportation Officer at the Poston Relocation
Center.
1
Statement:: ’’They (i.e. the evacuees at Poston) stated that they were
hoarding food, bread and other supplies for parachute troops
and for invasion forces....they had large cashes of food
throughout the desert buried that could be used for similar
purposes.

’’«.•♦ •that camp (i#e. Poston Relocation Center) is 100 percent

of the idea that Japan will have the United States in a few
months* Thei’e are over 1,000 Japanese soldiers and Japanese
officers In that camp. They tell you right off that they were
going to .win the war and that is the type of man who is drill
ing almost daily in military tactics right under our noses in
that camp. They drill them, in various ways, hut still drill
them, and they are making soldiers cut of them and they are
not kidding about it. They don’t even presume to hide it#”

Comment î 1r»e have no evidence to support these charges beyond the

statements attributed to Hr. Townsend who was discharged
from the Poston Center for incompetence and whose entire
testimony before the subcommittee is shot through with
inaccuracies, distortions, and downright mis-statements
of fact.v The charges were never brought to the attention
of project authorities while Mr. Townsend was on duty at
Poston but were made for the first time at the subcommittee
hearings in Los Angelos — nearly six months after Mr*
Townsend had left the center.

Statement:: During a riot at the Poston Center last November, the Japan
ese flag was hoisted on a pole in front of the jail* Loud
speakers stolen from the ■ warehouse*, ware installed and the
Japanese National anthem was heard throughout the camp,
’’with loud cheers and demonstrations toward setting fire to
the whole camp” . Meanwhile ’’the poor simpleton cowering
Caucasian employees stood around like whipped children lucky
to be spared and allowed to live from hour to hour.” The
ambulances were filled with disguised soldiers with machine
/ guns guarding their sleep so they would not be slaughtered
or burned, as was threatened*”

Comment : This statement is almost completely without foundation. There

was no riot at the Poston Center. In November, there was a
strike and demonstration which involved no violence or destruc
tion of government property. Sworn affidavits from-61 people
(members of the project staff and their families) indicate that
these people, who vrere in residence at the project throughout
the entire period of the demonstration* were at no time in fear
of bodily injury or any act of violence. Other affidavits from
the Internal Security Officer at the Project and a Catholic
missionary priest who was present during the demonstration
categorically deny that any Japanese flag was raised or that
Japanese marshal music was played over the-public address' systenl '
C-0278-P6-BU-C0S-WP
 - 5 -

at any time* The demonstration was on the whole, an orderly

one and never involved the disruption of vital community ser
vices such as hospitalization and mess operations*

r Statement: ’’Cases of milk were dumped and cartons of milk thrown at

anyone on the highway and around the camp.... The milk came
in every night during this riot and the rioters took the
trucks and ice cream and other supplies that came into the
camp, took them right over to their lines.”

Comment: This statement is wholly untrue*

Statement: The food served to the Japanese at Poston is ’’superior in

every way.•*.about 25 percent hette,r”than they give the United
States Army*

Comment? From the standpoint of quality, the food served at Poston

Relocation Center is and always has been equal or inferior
to that served in the U. S. Army. It has never been superior.
From the standpoint of quantity, the food served at Poston
is probably about 25 percent less than that served at Army
training camps and cantonment throughout the United States*

7 .

G- 0278-P7-Fir &l-KOBtT- COS-WP

 f

It,

Cements by the War Relocation

f*. ' Authority on Newspaper* Statements
Attributed to R epr e eentatlyes of
the House Committee on Un-American
Activities•

**■ *

- S D-P i o f 7-N0BU-C0S-4CP
 D uring th e p a s t few weeks th e House Committee on

tfri-American A c t i v i t i e s (p o p u la rly known as th e D ies Com m ittee)

h as been i n v e s t i g a t i n g th e program o f th e War R e lo c a tio n

A u th o rity # W hile t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n h as b een g o in g fo rw a rd --

and t o some e x te n t even b e fo re i t van f a i r l y u n d e r w ay--

numerous s ta te m e n ts on th e WHA and i t s program a lle g e d ly made

by members, i n v e s t i g a t o r s , and “spokesmen" o f th e Committee

have been a p p e a rin g i n th e N a tio n ’ s p r e s s . Some o f th e s e

s ta te m e n ts a r e t r u e ; some a r e c o m p le te ly w ith o u t fo u n d a tio n

i n f a c t ; and o th e r s a r e a compound o f h a l f - t r u t h s b le n d e d '{

w ith e i t h e r c a r e l e s s r e p o r t i n g , s lip s h o d in v e s t i g a t i n g , o r

d e lib e ra te d is to r tio n . To ru n a l l th e s e s ta te m e n ts down

and p re p a re a f a c t u a l comment on e ac h w ould r e q u ir e more

manpower and more money f o r com m unication w ith f i e l d o f f i c e s

th a n th e War R e lo c a tio n A u th o rity can a f f o r d to expend w h ile

engaged on a w ar program . The A u th o rity h a s , how ever, ta k e n

tim e t o s e l e c t same o f th e more f l a g r a n t l y in a c c u r a te s t a t e 

m ents a t t r i b u t e d to r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f th e Committee and has

p re p a re d f a c t u a l comment on them.

C-0296-R3-BU^0S-WP
These statements and the WRA comments are listed below:

1. The WEA is encouraging high government officials

to take Japanese from the centers as farm workers
or domestics! so that greater public trust in the
Japanese may be created«

(Statement attributed to a "spokesman” for the Committee

in a story from Washington appearing in the San Francisco
Examiner of May 23).

Comment: The Authority has never "encouraged" any government

official to employ an evacuee at any time. Like all
other employers, government officials are fully
entitled to forward job offers to the War Relocation
Authority for submission to the evacuees at the centers.

2. Both alien and American-born evacuees are being fed

so well through the Quartermaster Depot of the Army
thatthhey are sending packages of butter, coffee, and ,
other rationed food to friends outside the centers.

(Statement allegedly contained in a report submitted by field

investigators of the Committee and appearing in a story published
by the Washington Times Herald on May 28).

Comment: As the War Relocation Authority has pointed out on numerous

occasions, evacuees at relocation centers are subject to
the same rationing restrictions as all other civilians
in the United States, We have absolutely no evidence that
aiy evacuee has ever sent any rationed food to persons
outside the centers. If this were done, it could be done
only at the expense of the sender*s rationed allowance.

3. As many as 76 per cent of the Japanese in one camp

have refused to profess their loyalty to the United
States.

(Same source as that of Statement No. 2).

Comment: No comment seems necessary on this statement beydnd the fact

that it is completely untrue.

k, The disclosure a of the Committee have not hampered

the release of 27*000 for work in agricultural and
industrial communities and education at government
expense.

(Same source as that of Statement No. 2),

C -0286-P4-BU- COS ~WP

 B 2 B

Comment: At the time when this story was published, a total of

12,79.9 evacuees had left the relocation centers either
temporarily or permantently under the regular leave
procedures of the War Relocation Authority. Of this
number, about @ are students who left the.centers to
continue their education. Neither the WRA nor any other
Federal agency has provided any of these students with
financial assistance,

5« "...we have no evidence of proper check being made by

the War Relocation Authority before releasing Japanese...n

(Direct quotation attributed to Robert E. Stripling, Committee

investigator, in a United Press dispatch from Washington dated
May 29).

Comment: If the Committee had no evidence that proper check is being

made, this can only be because the investigators did not
take the trouble to examine the War Relocation Authority’s
leave procedures. Before granting indefinite leave to
any evacuee, the Authority checks all available records
at the relocation center. If there is any question
about the individual involved, a further check is made of
the records maintained by Federal investigative agencies.
The Authority firmly believes that, in granting leaves,
it has taken and is taking every proper prec-aution to
safeguard the national security.

6.
(a ) Evacuees in the centers are permitted large
quantities of gasoline for pleasure driving,
some using government automobiles.

0 5) They have been allowed to bring their own

automobiles to the centers and use them mainly
for "visiting back and forth."

(°) / One camp has clamped down on pleasure driving

and saved 1,000 gallons of gasoline the first
^eek.

(Statements attributed to Rep. 'Joe Starnes, Acting Chairman of

the Committee in a United Press dispatch from Washington
dated June 2. Rep. Starnes has categorically denied ever *
having made the statements).

C-02.95 -P5-BU-C0S-WP
 Comment: All of these statements are wholly unfounded. No evacuee
is permitted to use a personally owned automobile at any
relocation center. Only in a very few cases have evacuee-
owned automobiles even been stored within the centers, and
in all these instances, the cars have been impounded by
the War Relocation Authority. All evacuees who have used
their own automobiles in going out of the centers on
indefinite leave have obtained their gasoline through
the local ration boards and in accordance with the regular
rationing procedure.

7* Evacuees at the centers are allowed five gallons of

whiskey per person.

(Statement attributed to Acting Chairman Starnes by the Washington

Times Herald in a local story appearing on June 4. As in the
8A$e of the statements immediately above, Rep. Starnes has v r
denied ever making or even authorizing this charge).

Comment; This statement scarcely deserves comment. The only whiskey

ever made available to the evacuees by the War Relocation
Authority has been dispensed strictly for medical purposes
in accordance with the prescription of a practicing
physician. A small amount is Stored at each center for
this purpose and is kept constantly under lock and key in
the custody of the Chief Medical Officer.

Th07 rece^VG $50 from the WRA in addition to clothing

'and transportation when they leave relocation centers
Xd *Eake jobs. Many' make a practice of working a short
time, then returning to the camp and leaving again to
benefit a second time from the"ffi^'O-leaye-taking present.

(Same source as th&t of Statement No. 7; also denied by Rep. StarnoB).

Comment: The first half of this statement is partially true; the latter
half totally untrue. The War Relocation Authority does
provide financial assistance to eafch evacuee going for the
first time on indefinite leave to take a Job in cases where
the individual lacks the necessary ready cash to make the
trip and establish himself in his place of employment. No
evacuee, however, is entitled to more than one grant of
this kind. Those who return to the centers and then go
out a second time receive no financial assistance whatever
from the WRA in connection with the second trip.

C-0296-P6-BW-C0S-WP
V
-4 -

9* "They /th e Committee* s in v e stig a to r s/ have reported that

one of the main reasons why the Japanese are so b e llig eren t
is hecau.se of the influence and teachings of the Shinto
p r ie sts who are s t i l l permitted to preach anT"teach in
the relo ca tio n centers»17

(Part of a direct quotation attrib uted to Pep, J, Parnell Thomas,

member of the Committee, by *the Los Angeles Times in a lo ca l
story published on May 20).

Comment: The War Relocation Authority has never tolerated the preaching
or teaching of State Shintoism a t relo ca tio n centers and
has no intention of doing so.

C«O296^P7-Fina.l-N0HJ-C0S-WP
 STATEMENT OH TESTIMONY OF RARDOL H. TOWNSEND BEFORE THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES SUBCOM.=ITIEE OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE
o n u n -a m s h i c a n a c t i v i t i e s , l o s An g e l e s , c a l i f o r n i a ,
MAY 26, 1943, 2^00 F.,M.

i •
Harold H.-Tovtiasend, formerly chief Supply and Transportation officer
4 at the Poston, Arinona Relocation Center, appeared under oath before the
subcommittee in an executive session on May 26, oome time prior to June
=> , 1943, a transcript or excerpts from'Townsend's testimony were supplied
the press by the committee» Later a transcript was given the Project
Director of the Poston-Center. The Director and staff of the center have
reviewed the Townsend testimony carefully and have prepared documentary
evidence bearing on most of Townsend’s assertions. We. wish uo take this
opportunity to present for the record the comments of the War-Relocation
Authority on Townsend’s testimony.

There is scarcely a page of this testimony that does noe- contain

one or more false, misleading or exaggerated statements. While some of
these statements are of comparatively trivial consequence, there are many
others that misinform the Committee on fundamental aspects of administra
tion at the Poston Center. It is on these latter comments in -particular
that the War Relocation Authority baa prepared detailed comment.

Townsend’s complete unreliability es a witness is revealed in bis^

opening statement to the Committed when, in response to the direct question,
’’Have you ever served in th@ United States Army?” , he replies, yes, fox
six months in France in 1918. ( a matter of fact, Townsend never served
in the Army. For the entire period of American participation in the first
World War, Townsend was employed as a superintendent of-guards by the Carter
Oil Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In February 1919, three months after/tne
Armistice,- Townsend was sent as a TM-CA worker to France'Where, he served for
six months as a hut secretary.

Of much greater seriousness, from the point of view of the committee

before which Townsend appeared, is the false and misleading picture ¿own—
send presented of conditions at the Poston Relocation Center % particularly
during the period from November 18 to 24, 1942, during which one of the
three camps at Poston experienced a.sit-down strike and mass demonstr a g ion
by a number of evacuees against certain policies of the War Relocation
Authority and certain conditions at the center. During the strike townsend
became so emotionally upset and frightened that he reported a great many
imaginary dangers, talked so irresponsibly to other members Of the adminis
trative staff that he threatened to spread panic among them, and finally
left the center in a'government automobile.

* * * * ****** *

Presented before Costello Subcommittee of House Committee on Un-American

Activities July 7, 1943*

C-OT7D-PI of SE-BÜ-C S-W?

 FALSE STATEMENTS OF HAROLD H. TOWNSEND BEFORE THE HOUSE OF REPRE
SENTATIVES SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON UN-
AMERICAN ACTIVITIES, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,
M Y 26, 1943, 2:00 P.M.

Page 2

Question: ■ ’Have you ever served in the United States Array?”

Answer : ’’Yes.”

Questions ’U/hen?”

Answer : ”1918.”

Question: ’’Did you ser^/e in France?”

Answer: ’’Six months in Frime©.”

Comment

Records of the War Department of men who served in the United

States Army during the last war contain no record of military service
by Harold H. Townsend. Records of the Carter' Oil Company, Tulsa,
Oklahoma, show that Townsend, was employed by that company as a Super
intendent of Guards from March 1, 1917 to January 15, 1919. Records
of the YMCA indicate that Townsend served in France as a YMCA hut
worker after the last-war, from February, 1919 to August, 1919.

2. Page 9

Question: ”Do they have a hospital in Poston?”

Answer: ’’They have a very fine hospital, a very large hospital,

modern in every respect. Large enough to nandle ap
proximately 600 people and is usually filled.”

Comment

The official rated capacity of Poston General Hospital is 250

beds with 120 beds available for occupancy. The average daily census
of the hospital from July, 1942 to May el, 1943, is given in the fol
lowing table. The average daily census of patient for this period is
'98.1'.

C ~0333-P3-3u-nacUWT>
 Patient Days .
in Hospital Days Daily Average

July 2285 73.7

August 2827 ' 91.2
September 2886 96.2 %
October 3115 100*4
November 3285 109.5
December 3407 109.9
January 3457 111.5
February 3157 112.7 '
Mar ch 2913 93.9
April 2785 92.8
May . 2777 ;S.
Page 10

Question: "Do you recall how much food was consumed daily?

Answer: "We, by actual count, supplied 58 tons of subsistence

per day."

Comment

During the month of December, 1942 — the last month when Mr.
Townsend was on duty at the project — the average quantity of food
•delivered to evacuee mess halls was 27 tons per day. The evacuee
population in the center at that time was approximately 18,000.

4. Page 11

Question: "The amount of the food and the type of food was deter
mined by the WRA in Washington; is that correct?"

Answer1: "Largely so, yes, sir."

Comment

During the period when Mr. Townsend was on duty at the Poston
Relocation Center, supervision over the* requisitioning of food by the
centpr was exercised by the regional office of the War Relocation Au
thority in San Francisco, California. Since January, 194-3, similar
supervision has been exercised by the1
W ashington office.

5. Page 12

Mr. Townsend: "The information that was furnished me by certain

friendly groups was that they had' placed different
types of emergency food in secret cellars under the
mess halls for the invasion armies and parachute

C- !!+-P^-BU-COS-WP
 troopers. But in addition to that they had large
caches of food throughout the desert, buried, that
could be used for similar purposes. And this informa
tion was furnished by friendly Japanese who were en
deavoring to get special favors, and we were- constantly
trying to find out what was happening to certain sup
plies, and we always had a. number of Japanese-that
would give us information for an exchange of faiors.”

Comment

This story is entirely without foundation and was never men

tioned by Mr. Townsend during the time he was employed at Poston. It
is impossible that the evacuees could have stored food under the desert
conditions at Poston in a manner to preserve it more.than a few days.

. Page 13

Mr. Townsend; "At numerous times we had these thieves caught, and
produced.evidence and information about the process
of the entire thieving ring. The matter was placed
before Mr. Empie, and Mr. Head, and Mr. Gelvin, and
the M. P. authorities, and it was always stopped, be
cause there was no way that they could see that we
would be benefited by trying to prosecute them, lie
then established a daily loss of approximately .§500
through the thefts within- the camp, which- w a s .agreed
upon by all of us, and even "art that they would not
take any action towards prosecution.”

Comment

Records of the Poston Internal Security Office indicate that

Mr. Townsend made only throe complaints about what he considered il
legal activities within the project area. One was concerned with the
fact that property of an evacuee was missing from a shipment received
from the Salinas, California Assembly Center. Another had to do with
three small Japanese boys playing hide-and-seek in Mr. Townsend’s car.
The third had to do with an evacuee securing scra.p lumber from the
salvage depot without authorization.

7. Page 16j

Question; "Was the food that you served to the Japanese at pogton
as good or better than that being served to the Army?”

Answer "It was superior in everyway .... ...”

C-0336-P5-BU-C0S-VP
 Coramen'

Food at Poston v»as and is requisitioned through the- Quarter

master Corps. In qu ality it is equal to or lower than that, served
at training camps and other Army centers. In.quantity it. is suo-
stantially less than that provided by the Army as evidenced by tne
ration cost, which-has not exceeded 45p” per person per day.

;. Page 17

Questi on: ’»Were the Japanese served ice cream at Poston?” ;

. Answer :■ "Yes, sir, we had ice cream brought to us_ every uay
from the (Colder. State Creamery Company.”

Comment

With regard to this statement, we have the following comment

submitted by Mr. Joe A. Petta who has served as Assistant uni-.-f
Steward at the Poston Center since .June, 1942:

”No i.ee cream has oyer been purchased with government

funds for evacuees. Ice cream recexved at poston "is paid
for in one of the following ways:

”1. It is purchased by the community storeq using

evacuee funds, for rc-sale to evacuees.

'”2. Small quantities wore purchased occasionally

for the personnel mess during the summer of
1942. The personnel mess is operated us a
government mess, and its expenses are paid by
employees.”

i. Page 17

Question: ’’And milk?” .

Answer : ’’Milk orders ran from 8,000 so 12 ))) quarts of homo

genised milk every day.”

Comment,

Milk received at the center has never exceeded.;,000 quarts

daily. Deliveries reached this figure during part oi December 1942
and January 1943 as a result of increased requisitions authorized
by Mr. Townsend without consulting tne Froject Steward.

C0O33.5~P$-BU- C0S-WP
 -5

The current contract calls Tor maximum deliveries of 6,264

quarts daily, lut there is an agreement with the vendor that de-
* liveries to the center are contingent upon the needs of military esw
tablishments in the area ¡aid upon the requirements of other consumers.
The vendor has recently notified the center that deliveries are like
ly to be reduced drastically in the near future.

10. Page 17

Question: : "And butter?"

Answer: ’’Tie had the finest, grade of Challenge butter and other
high-grade butter that we. could buy.

Comment-

On January 23, 1943, the Aar Relocation Authority instructed

all centers to discontinuo the purchase of butter and to substitute
oleomargarine, unen point rationing on meats and fats was initiated
on March 9, 1945, the restriction on the purchase of butter was
lifted, with tiie proviso that two conditions must be met: (=) that
the regular civilian allowance of .16 points per week for meats and
fats should*not be exceeded; and (9) that in the event of civilian
shortages, butter purchases should be discontinued. Throughout unis
entire, period, the Poston. Center has continued to use oleomargarine
because of its lower ration point valuó and lower cost.

11. Page 17. •

Question: "Was there plenty of moot and sausage of all lanas

.supplied?”

Answer; "The finest cuts and grade A meats; quarters and full
carcasses of lambs and pork, arid the best cuts of oc.-of
wore brought in; on an average of one refrigerator car
' a day."

Question: "I believe you stated t;hat all of ft was of the very
best grade?"

Answer: "The finest grade that we could get."

Question: "Was the grade of food better than that obtained by

our own, citizens fn t.h/; -markets and stores?"

Answer: "Very much bettor than you can buy in the open market."

Comment

Meats procured at Poston and other relocation centers have gen

orally been II• S. Commercial (third) grade or lower. As a matter of

C -0336'-P7-HJ-C 08-V?
 5 -*
»
policy; the TTar Relocation Authority avoids .procurement of coimnoditics
known to be scarce in the markets where purchases are made. In
ITovembor, 1942, voluntary moat rationing was introduced in the six
western centers. This program was extended to the four eastern centers
in January, 1943. All mandatory rationing restrictions of the Office ■ ,
of price Administration are being and have been applied at all centers.

12. Page 19

Question: ""vVhat was dono with the garbage?”

Ahswer : "Sir?"

Question : "VThat was done with the garbage?"

Answer: "It was taken -- wc would load it onto equipment and dig
ditches and throw.it into the ditches and cover it up."

Question: "V/hat happened with reference to the idea of feeding it

to the hogs?"

Ansv/er: •"Up until January 30th there was nothing done at all.
About January 30th Washington wrote the director and
asked him how many hogs they had to use the 9 or 10
tons of garbage that we had in the. camp, and we had
been out trying to buy hogs, and we had every h©g in
southern California— through this same group that was
building this $25,000,000 corporation, w e had cv¡ry hog
farm and every cattle farm tabulated, and we knew- all
the hogs available, so ho had this hog man check tho hogs,
and at the time the letter was received there wasn*t a
hog ira the camp. They then, vdtliout any'"knowledge on
the part of the supply department, ordered in 9>> 9>>-
pound hogs, and they answered Washington by tolling
them that we nad 9>> hogs.

"I would like to enlarge a little bit.upon that. If you

know anything about hogs, you know you wouldn’t want to
start feeding 200-pound hogs. They are ready for the mar
ket. They bought 200 200-pound hogs and paid 25 cents a
pound for them. The same herd of hogs, as listed in the ‘
market, could have boon bought for 17 cents a pound, and
they were hogs that we were considering'buying for butcher
ing for pork. They were too old to be handled for feeders,
and that order should have been for hogs that would have
cost $10 or $15, to feed.the garbage to, instead of paying
25 cents a pound* How they have this number of hogs down
there, weighing 500 or.400-pounds, and they are not fit
for anything except lard."

C- 0336-P8-BU-C ÔS-WP
 Comment

During December, 1942, pursuant to a general policy adopted by

% the War Relocation Authority, on December ¡5, 1942, steps were taken
to establish a swine project at the. Poston Center* Three hundred
Digs were'Purchased January.18, 1948, in accordance with standard
# governmental procuremsnt procedure* The pigs averaged 145 pounds
each. Since then* 325 more pigs, averaging 115 pounds each, have been
purchased, All were garbage broke, double vaccinated feeder pigs*

Page 21 .

Question:- ”M r . Townsend, how many warehouses did you say were under
your'jurisdiction at Post on?n

Answer s ”180”

Question: ”130?”

Answer : ”180 warehouses.”.

Comment

There were 90 wareKouses on the entire project, including six

at the Parker railhead*

14*. Page *+'

Question: wHow many Japanese were employed in the warehousesI=
=

,-Answers ”2700, I. believe, in the — now, wait a minute! In the

warehouses, no* I think there were**— >”

Question: .”An approximation will be all right*”

Answer: "There were 680 Japanese and 4 white supervisors in the

warehouses»M r

Comment

The maximum number of Japanese ever to be employed in the ware

houses was ¡300. They were employed during the month of December, 1942,
and distributed as follows:

Unit No. 1 133

Unit No* 9 1C7
Unit No. 5 60

C~0336-P9-BU~C0S-WP
 #
Pare 22

Mr. Townsend: iiNow, as for the furniture, of course, the^Poston de

velopment includes a very marvelous Caucasian person
nel center. The plan showed 54 modern bungalows, and
two dormitories, three stories, one for women and.one
for men, and. the administration homes, which would cost
somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars.
There were to be four of them, and a beautiful, park
area, with swimming pools, and so forth. And this
furniture was purchased for that purpose, to furnish
those. It was all bought from Barker Brothers, and
the prices on it wore not reasonable# Ihey were very,
very high in consideration of the many, many carloads.
We must have had, oh, at least 9> carloads of that
type of furniture

Comment .

Quarters provided for the administrative staff at Poston include

eight four-room cottages built during the initial construction period
by°thc Army| twenty-four housekeeping apartments of from two to six
rooms in one-story barracks-type buildings of temporary construction,
similar to the theatre-ox-operations construction found throughout the
center| and =<; rooms size x = feet in barracks-type dormitories.
Each barracks dormitory contains a bathroom and from ten to twelve
rooms,

There are no three-story buildings, no modern bungalows, and no

Individual administration homes other than tho eight cottages built by
the Army,

In accordance with the customary practice in public or private

project's in such isolated locations as Poston, staff quarters are fit
ted with essential furniture. Furniture for the quarters at Poston was
not all purchased from Barker Brothers, but in fact was secured from a
number of vendors, chiefly in Los Angeles where the purchases were made
by the Office for E urgency Management.

All staff members pay rent to the government based upon the
size and character of accommodations furnished.

6-plO-BU-COS-VP
C-033
 _ Q _

16* Page 22

% Question: ”In addition to the food stored in the warehouses,

what else was stored there?”

Answer: ’’There were supplies and equipment of every conceivable

♦
type in the numerous warehouses* The C.C.C. had.sent
in hundreds of carloads of miscellaneous equipment«
We had warehouses that we moved the stuff into and
locked up, and they hadnft been opened for months, be
cause it was just miscellaneous equipment. We didn’t
know what it was.”
M
Comment

The Civilian Conservation Corps has not shipped in hundreds of

carloads of miscellaneous equipment» It is estimated that two (2)
miscellaneous carloads (100,000 pounds) would hold all the surplus
items, such as tools. The C.C.C. automotive equipment that has been
received did not exceed, at the most, ten (10) carloads. All ware
houses are opened and inspected regularly in the ordinary course of
business.

17• Page 24

Mr. Townsend: ,«Then there is another thing that occurs to me.

We were very anxious to get school buses. We brought
in — we had 400 teacher,

Comment

Elsewhere in the testimony- (page 34) Mr. Townsend states that

there are 100 Caucasian teachprs and 200 or more Japanese teachers.
In fact, 0n December 19, 1942, there were 203 teachers in the Poston
schools: 83 were Caucasian and 120 were... Japanese. These figures
include not only elementary and secondary teachers,' but also the
Director of Education, three high school principals, one elementary
principal, and twelve other supervisory educational personnel.

18. Page 25

Question: ’’Going back to the fleet of dump trucks bought in Los

Angeles, do you recall the name of the firm those trucks
were purchased from?”

Answer: ”1 think it was Finkelstein. Finkelstein is another

one of the swindlers that , bought hundreds of thousands

C-0356-P11-BU-C0S-WP
 1 1

of dollars of equipment from — this firm of Finkelstein,

and always there was a kick-back to the procurement rcp-
resentative,"

Question: "Is Finkelstein located in Los Angeles?"

Answèr s , "He is here, ^ <."

Question: "Is that his firm name?"

Answer : "Finkelstein and Company, one of these big salvage com-

panies,"

Comment

No trucks of any kind were purchased by the Poston Center from

Finkelstein,

Page 31

Questions "Fere many of those Kibei on the internal police force?"

Answer : "I didn’t get that,"

Question: "I asked you, wore many of the Kibei on the internal
police.force?"

Answer : "Yes, a large number of them were,"

•Question: "They composed the so-called goon squads that you have
referred to?"

Answer : "Yes, sir. The police force was largely built up of the
gestapo, as I have called them, because they tell you
that'they have tra5.ned under the German agents, and they
were, in my estimation, the men that were guilty of the
malicious beating up and all the malicious agitation in
the camp, because the police force woiild not permit any
decent American-born Japanese to take part, because he
might expose some of their under-cover work."

Comment

At the time of Mr, Townsend’s presence in Poston, there were three

evacuee officers in charge of the police departments in the three units.
All of these men were Nisei, or American-born/American-educated Japanese,
The officers who assisted them and who held the rank of Captain or
Lieutenant in the local police departments were all Nisei Japanese£
only one of these had over been to Japan at any time. This man held
the rank of Captain in tho police department of Unit Two and his loyal
ty and ability were unquestionable, A few Kibci were taken in to each

C-0336-P12-BU-C0S-WP
 1 111

of the police departments as patrolmen, particularly because

# their ability to speak Japanese^ and to deal' with some of
the older evacuees -ho had difficulty understanding English.
These.men were picked very carefully, and there has never been
any indication that any of them were involved in troublemaking
or subversive activities.

As to the testimony regarding the German training of any

of the young men employed as policemen in Poston, Mr, Ernest
L. Miller, Director of Police at Poston, reports that ”such
information has never been forwarded to me and I have to date
seen no practice which would indicate any such training. I
might add that, having spent some months in Germany in 1936
and surveyed. Nazi police practices, I am thoroughly familiar
with German methods of training and mannerisms, and I have
never seen any evidence of such training or contact among any
of the Japanese in Poston.”

20. Pa#e

Question: ’’Who is the head of the education department at

Poston?”

Answer:: ”Mr. Cary.”

Question: ”Do you know- anything about Mr, Cary’s background ?”

Answer : ”Ies. Mr, Cary and most of the Caucasian staff

were imported from Honolulu, and he was the
principal of the McKinley High School there.”

Comment

Out of a total of eighty-three Caucasian school personnel

at Poston, four (including Dr. Cary) were previously employed
in Honolulu.

C-O!!+ -PI! -BU-OOS-WP

 II—a

21, Pago 35

Mr, Townsend: Mr’ell, Dr. Gary and his assistant, Miss—

her name has slipped my mind — they drew
up the plan of education and put into
effect, and tho textbooks were ordered—
part of them were shipped, in from Honolulu
and part of them were ordered through the
School Board in Los Angeles, and then a
number of them were secured from various
other schools throughout southern California,
They were discarded school books that we'
were asked to go out and pick up, and I had
a letter from Dr, Gary asking me to pick up
textbooks from at least eight or ten different
communities around California.H

Comment

The first orders for textbooks were taken from the

official textbook lists used in the Indian Service. Shortly
after Christmas, the way was c3..eared to purchase textbooks
through the local procurement office. All'textbooks used are
standard texts, used by our American public schools, and printed
by reputable printing houses. None of the textbooks was secured
through the Los Angel.es school authorities. Ho textbooks were
shipped in from Honolulu. Fifty thousand textbooks were donated
to the schools by twelve California school districts.

22. Page 39

"The Chairman: Ts.s there any produce raised around the

camp and used there?"

"The Fitness: There wasn't when I left there. If there

was, it was put in there since.

C-0336-Pl^-BU-COS-HP
 Comment

In addition to products harvested and used from seventy-two

acres farmed within the residential blocks between the barracks, there
were ,89,720 pounds of vegetables harvested on the acreage farmed by
the Agricultural Division up to January 1, 1943. Since that time,
agricultural production lias been increased so that on June 1, 1943,
there was a total of 223 acres being farmed in addition to the acreage
in the blocks. The June fiz'st report shows a total of 901,896 pounds
of sixteen different types of vegetables harvested by the agricultural
department.

23. Pages 47-82

Most of the last half of Mr. Townsend’s testimony is devoted to

a lurid and imagined;ive description of what Townsend calls a riot at
Poston Center during the period from November 18 to November 24, 1942.
He states that government property was destroyed, that a violent mob
took possession of the center, that the lives of the administrative
personnel were endangered, etc.

Comment
■ "-■ »r» "in
n

A number of his specific statements are dealt with in detail

below. However, it should be pointed out that there was no riot at
Poston, no violence or destruction government property, and no harm
to Caucasian employees or their families.

Camp I at Poston experienced during the period in question a ,

sit-down strike, accompanied by a demonstration and mass meetings of
evacuee representatives. This was not a unified pro-Japanese movement
as Mr. Townsend has represented. In fact, Camps II and III ware in no
way affected by the incident. Only a part of the activities at Damp I
were suspended by the strike. Essential services were maintained, and
while there was considerable tenseness for a time in the relations be
tween evacuees and the administrative staff over the grievances which
were in question, there was no violence or disorder.

Immediate cause of the strike and demonstration was the arrest

of two evacuees suspected of having beaten other evacuees. Leaders of
the striking evacuees insisted that the two held were innocent, that
they were held more than seventy-txfo hours without charges, and that
they should be given a trial under the regulations of the Community
Council. Actually, in the judgment of competent observers who have in
vestigated the strike thoroughly, the protest about the arrest of the
two evacuees was merely the immediate cause of the disturbance v/hieh had
its origin in many causes, among them bitterness resulting from evacu
ation, inability of the Authority to provide school buildings, heating
stoves for the barracks, and other facilities which had been promised
at the time of evacuation, frustration resulting from, the discomforts of

C -0336- P15 -BU-C OS-WP

Agitation by actual pro-Japanese persons may have contributed, but there
is no evidence that it was a particularly important factor in the
incident.

With regard to the sensational report of the strike presented by

Mr. Townsend, the following statement was signed by sixty—one employees
and members of employees’ families who lived at Poston Camp I throughout
the strike?

”We, the undersigned, are living in Piston, Arizona

in barracks or houses provided by the government for the
administrative staff employed by the Colorado River War
Relocation Project. These quarters are located in Block
34 of Unit 1, which is inside the compound of the Colorado
River War Relocation Project. We further certify that we
were occupying these quarters ,in November, 1942, at w^ich
.time there was a disturbance in Unit 1 of Poston.

’’There have been several charges and allegations, made

under oath, such as the ’poor simpleton cowering Caucasian
employees, (were) standing around like whipped children,
lucky to be spared and allowed to live from hour to hour
with 'ambulances filled with disguised soldiers with macnine .
guns guarding their sleep so that they would not be
slaughtered or burned as hourly threatened.’ We .wish to
testify that-there was no terrorism or violence at any
time, nor were we afraid of bodily injury at any time.
To further substantiate this, those of us with children
felt at ease to have our children remain in Poston through
out, the disturbance. We continued to move freely through
out the camp in the course of our regular assigned duties.”

■ The best evidence showing .the falsity of the,statements Mr. Town

send presented to the committee, however, is provided by Townsend him
self ,■ During the strike Townsend became emotionally upset, He spread
wild-rumors among his administrative'associates, At .the height of the
strike he left his post of duty without authorization and went to Los
Angeles. He returned to Poston about November 29. On December 1, 1942,
Townsend Was interviewed by the Project Director, Wade Head. There
follows a stenographic transcript of that portion of the interview, bearing
upon the period of the strike:

Head: ’’Good morning, Mr, Townsend.

Townsend: ’’Good morning. I just got your memorandum and want to

discuss it with you. Please let me apologize for my
• actions during the strike. X. must have been so upset 'I
didn’t real.ize what I was doing, I was afraid that .I and
the other employees were going to be slaughtered by
the Japs.

C-0336-?l6~£U-C0S-WP
 •14-

Head: HMr • Townsend, if you do not mind, I am going to have

notes icept on this conversation, inasmuch as your actions
of the last few days have been such that they cause me to
v doubt your honesty and reliability.. Do you object?

Townsend:! "I don’t blame you for wanting a record of everything I

have to say.

Head: "Nov/, M r ..Towns end, you said you were, frightened; did
you actually see,^personally, any signs of violence on-
the part of the people or the destruction of any govern
ment property?

Townsend: "Since having time to calm down I realize that there was
no sign of violence, and now that the trouble has been
settled and I have had time to look around, it is easy to
see the crowd must have been peaceful all the time
and there was no sign of any damage to any government
property.

Head: "Do you consider that sufficient reason for.leaving

the project and failing your duties during the time of
trouble?

Townsend: "I don’t know what X meant, I lost my head, I guess.

I would have done more harm than good in that condition."

24.Page %0

M r . Townsend: "......The M, P . ’s were not allowed to be in

uniform on our side of the highway, so Captain Dougher
t y took the hospital ambulance and mounted machine guns
on it, and set the ambulance at the rear of our Cauca
sian sleeping quarters, with soldiers in civilian clothes
to keep, the Japanese from approaching the barracks and
burning them up, as they ‘said they would. And we were
only comfortable when those ambulances were sitting out
there. But they were not in uniform."

Comment

The hospital ambulance was in the charge of the. Chief Medical.

Officer of the center and was at no time used by Captain Dougherty or
any other officer of the M. P* company. No machine, guns were mounted
on it* It was not stationed in the rear of the Caucasian sleeping
quarters and was not manned by soldiers of the United States Army,
either in uniform or in civilian clothes. Captain Dougherty was not
at Poston during the strike but had been transferred from this station
several days prior to the period in question.

C-0336-P17-BU-C0S-WP
 -1 5 -

25. Page 51
)-
Mr. Townsend: ’’Now, I don’t know that I mentioned it in here, but
there are over one thousand Japanese soldiers and
Japanese officers in that camp and I have talked to
them and have been told very definitely about'their
program, that this group of men on- Terminal Island
were in that category. And they will tell you if you
ask them. They are the most indifferent fellows. 'If
you ask them, ’Were you fellows organizing on the West
Coast?* they say, ’yes, we had our program all set
up,’ I have asked them, ’What were you going to do?’
and the answer was, ’As soon as our soldiers came over,
we were going to help them,’ They tell you right off
that they were going to van the war. And that is the
type of man that is drilling over there almost daily in
military tactics, right under our noses in that camp.
They drill them in various ways, but still drill them,
and they are making soldiers out of them, and they are
not kidding about it. They don’t even presume to hide
it.

’’For instance, I can take you down to an admiral down

there. He was our chef in Camp 3. I can’t quite recall
his name. I talked- to him* I know he was an admiral
in the Japanese Navy, and he was running a fishing boat
at San Pedro, I said, to him, ’Is it a fact that your
boats were eqi&ippsd Jar military purposes?’ ”He said,
’Yes, all of cur boats were equipped so we could
convert them.’ He said that all the Japanese fishermen
are military men. He is' a fine Jap, if- you can stomach
that sort of stuff.”

"Comment

This story is entirely without foundation. It is significant that

Mr. Townsend had not reported such a situation while he was employed at
Poston and has presented absolutely no evidence in support of his statements.
Specifically, he has not supplied the name of the alleged admiral.

26. Page 55

Mr. Townsend: ’’.....Schools closed^ the hospital was ordered to

close by the mob, but remained open against orders
E-

C-0336-P18-BU-C0S-WP
 -16-
I
Comment

Schools were not closed» Two teachers out.of 1C1 in Camp I dis
missed classes the afternoon of November 18. The next day, and all re
maining days of the strike, all classes were in session. Camps II and
III were at no time affected by the strike. There was no interfex^ence
with the employees of the hospital or with the operation of the hos
pital in any manner whatsoever.

27. Page 60

Mr. Townsend: "Nov/ that condition came about because the milk truck
came in, and the Japanese met the milk truck. It was
driven in by truck and trailer from the Golden States
Dairy, -and the driver was in the habit of taking the
# milk directly to the warehouses. They met the milk
truck and jumped on the truck and diverted it*”

Question: ’’Was there a Whits man driving the truck?”

Answer: ”Yes, the Golden States Dairy delivery man, driving a

refrigerator truck. He refused to drive the truck
over to the group, so they started to unload the truck,
and did unload the truck and started to throw it out., •
I went into the dispatcher’s office, and there was a'
cai*ton of milk thrown through the window.”

Comment

Elsewhere Mr. Townsend says ”cases of milk .were dumped and car
tons of milk thrown at everyone on the highway and around the.camp.”
The Golden States Dairy Company denied that part of this statement
having to do with stopping and diverting the milk truck. With regard
to the rest of the story, we have the following statement from Dr.
Edward.H. Spicer, a member of the administrative staff at Poston:

”1 went over to the motor pool about 7:00 P.M. on

November 18. Mr. Townsend and the Truck Dispatcher were
there. Mr. Tovmsend in an excited manner told me that
two cases of milk had been dumped somewhere in camp and
that a can of. milk had been thrown through the window of
the Truck Dispatcher’s office. Dr. Leighton, who was with
me,, asked where the milk can was. Mr* Townsend pointed to
a cardboard quart carton about thirty feet from the Dis
patcher’s office. It was empty lying on the ground, and
there was no evidence of milk having been spilled around’
it. It appeared to have been tossed there empty. There
was no evidence of any window having been broken by this
or any other milk container.”

C-0356-P19-BU-C0S-WP
 M*** Townsend-; ”At 9:00 o ’clock, in fro.nt of the Caucasian barracks,
the chief of the fire department and his assistant —
F "the chief of the fire-department, Mr. Fien, and his
assistant, Mr. Woodhouse, were accosted.by a group of
Japanese policemen and a fight started because the fire
department car had been driven into a part of the camp.
It was necessary for more than a dozen Caucasians with
pea-shooters to go out and stop the attempt made by.the .
police department to beat up the fire chief and his
first assistant. This created a considerable disturbance
and it was thought it would be necessary to move
the Caucasian personnel over to the military quarters.”

Comment

The fire chief and his assistant were stopped while driving in
excess of the speed limit through the project area by evacuee policemen
on traffic duty. They were not molested; there was no fight; and it
was not necessary for other administrative personnel to rescue them-.

29. Fage +?

Mr. Townsend: One of the most 'disturbing things was the

removal of our flags from all parts of the camp and the
need of our Caucasians putting up the large flag at the
office, under threats that it would be removed, with
all replaced by the ’Rising Sun.’

’’Loudspeakers, stolen from the warehouses, had been

installed, and during day and night the Japanese national
anthem was heard through the length and breadth of the
camp, with wild cheers and loud demonstrations toward
.setting fire to the whole camp, which they had threatened
to do if the military forces were brought in, or crossed
the highway. That is the way they put it.”

Comment

Elsewhere in his testimony Mr. Townsend states that the American

flag was taken down and the Japanese flag flown» We have affidavits
from^ eight responsible of ficials of the Poston Center that the two
American flags which customarily were flown over Camp I were flown all
day and every day during the period of the strike, November 18 to 24,
and thereafter. No guard was placed over either flag and neither was
lowered except at the customary hour of sunset.

C~O336-P20-BU~C0S~yP
 ~i&

With regard to the assertion that the Japanese flag was flown
during the strike and that the Japanese national anthem was played
over a loudspeaker system, we have positive evidence that the claim
is without foundation. Included m the ev'donee is the following
statement from Father Clement, M. M . , of Parker, .Ariz.cna;

MThis is to make known and to testify that in the

recent mass meetings of the strike, which were held at
Block #28 in Poston, the banners and flags that were used
and seen, were signs to signify merely the presence .of
representatives of the different blocks of the damp, and
in no way were these flags or banners used to denote a
pro-Axis sentiment,

‘’Likewise, in regard to Japanese music that was

played over the“ public address system at these meetings,
there was no martial or Japanese patriotic music played,
It has been alleged, however, that one song, “Aikoku-Ko—
Shinkyoku’ usually played for departing soldiers had been
played. This can be readily explained, however, by the
fact that it is my certain knowledge that miners who could
not read Japanese titles, selected records at random, from
the large assortment which included this record.

“As a Catholic priest and Chaplain working for the

welfare and morale of the whole camp, I testify that I
have neither seen the Japanese flag used, nor heard martial
music ployed during the recent emergency. From having in
terviewed many Japanese, I do not believe that such music
has been played, nor the Japanese flag/iisplayed,

(Signed.) Father Clement, M.M,

(Faryknoll Missioner)
Parker, Arizona“

30. Page +D

Mr. Townsend: "About 12:00 o ’clock midnight on the third day of mob
control about * of the mob advanced to the motor
pool, where they reached the highway across from the
pool. They were.halted by the M.P,, and advised they
were not allowed to cross the highway, * They started to
move forward, and the M.P, fired over their heads. His
orders were to fire over their heads, and then into them,
. He was at once supported by another M.P, with a machine
gun. The mob that had advanced in regular military wedge
formation stepped, and in a few minutes the entire M.P.
company was there in trucks rith fixed bayonets ready
for action. The Japs retreated,

C - 0 ^ 6 rP2 l-BU-COS-WP
 -19-

' 5$
M , Standing behind the M.P., seeing the., deter
mined look and the immediate response of his buddies, all
heavily armed, and the angry mob facing their first set—
; V- . back, defiant and ugly but still without, a leader, make >
things look pretty near a crisis,M

Comment

With regard to the above, we have the following statement by

'Mr, Ernest.L. Miller, Chief of Internal Security, and‘Mr, Leonard L,
Nelson, Unit I Administrator, Poston:

”0n the night of November 18th, about 11:00 P.M.,

■ Chief Kiyoshi Shigekawa and. six of his men came to the
administration building and asked if it would bo possible
to get another truck for patrol. While the Chief was in
side discuss.ing the matter with Chief of Internal Security
•Miller and Acting Project Director Evans, the six boys ap
parently thought they might as well go and pick up the
truck, as they must have been over-confident that the truck
w^uld be given to them, \ L. L, Nelson was walking toward
the motor pool at this time and saw the police approaching
the M.P. guard stationed in front of the pool. There were
four or five M.P,*s standing by the pool and a weapon car
rier loaded with six or eight more soldiers drove up at
this moment, The:soldiers ordered the police to halt which
.they did. They said they were from the police department
and were supposed to pick up a truck. The soldier told them
not to come acro-ss the road but they started to cross. They
said it was all right as they had permission. One M.P, shot
over their heads and the policemen ran back to the administra
tion building,n

31, Page 66

Mr. Townsend: M ........ Many of the Caucasians had left with 'their
families, who had-been confined t a t heir barracks.”

Comment

Mr. Townsend, himself, is the,only employee definitely known to

have left his post of duty on the project during the strike.

32. Page 67

Mr, Townsend: ..... . and at 8:15' the goon squad went into the
barracks of one.of the Japanese informants that had
been working with the F*_P.,I. and the young man being
absent, this goon s uad beat up his mother and father
to a point where they were not expected to live,

C- 0356-P22-HM30S-WP
 - * -

breaking the arm and ankles of the father , and breaKing

both arms and fracturing the skull of the mother, and
bruising her in nearly every portion of her body.”

The Chairman: "Do you have the names of those Japanese?"

Mr. Townsend: "I have, in the records some place."

The Chairman: "How long did they remain in the hospital?"

Ur. Townsend: "I'went in to see them the following morning after this -
had happened, or, I went in the next evening, and the
next morning or about mid-day the following day there
were other victims put in the hospital, and these people
had disappeared."

The Chairman: "In two days they had disappeared from the hospital?"

Mr. Townsend: "Disappeared from the hospital."

The Chairman: "Did you. ever see them afterwards ¿o tne camp? g.

Mr. Townsend: :<

No, I never saw them, and the riot followed soon after
that, because this squad, this goon squad, went out and^
wanted to beat'up everybody that had given any information
to these F.B.I. men."

Comment

The following information is taken from the records of the

.hospital concerning all patients submitted to the hospital as a re
sult of the beatings in question:
Condition on
Admitted Diagnosis Treatment Discharge
Name

Seta, Francis Joe 10-18-42 Laceration Suture - - *+ ?*

of scalo wound Fully recovered

Kurisaki, Lyle II-I ?* Laceratici! Suture 11-5-42

of head wound Fully recovered
Contusion
n, ' -- || H
of body

Ni shimura, Kay 11-15-42 Concussion Suture 11-30-4*

of brain wound Fully recovered
Multiple of
laceration

C-0336-P23-BU-C0S-WP
 - *--

Condition on
Name Admitted Diagnosis Treatment Discharge

Yamada, Sawa 11-15-42 Laceration Suture 11-26-42

of hand laceration Fully recovered

Yamada, Jisuke 11-15-42 Laceration Suture ; 11-26-42

of skull wound Fully recovered

Yamada, Hatsumi --- ** ?* Neurosis Sedation 11-26-12

due to fear Improved

Kido, Sabu.ro 1-31-43 Contusion of Suture 2-15-43.

head and wound Fully recovered
face. Lacer
ation of hand

These patients were discharged upon full recovery and completion of

treatment. During their stay in the hospital, visitors were restricted
to immediate'members of the family, police and project officials upon
direct authorization of the Chief Medical Officer. Strict orders were
given that no one was to be admitted except on a pass signed by thé
Chief Medical Officer. A complete record, of all visitors was kept.
This record indicates that Mr. Townsend at no time visited these pa
tients' nor requested to visit them.

3* Page 70

Mr. Townsend; ’’The mob had used five thousand gallons of gasoline
the' first two days.”

Comment:

During the first two days of the strike, November 18 and 19,
the total amount of gasoline used in Unit I was 1,726 gallons. This
included'gasoline for trucks carrying supplies from Parker to Poston,
distribution of food And other supplies in the unit, ambulances,
water trucks, and other normal functions* The consumption of gaso
line on the 11th and 12th of November, two normal working days previous
to the strike, was 2,080 gallons,

4* Page 75

Mr. Townsend: ”....... Up to date there has been no prosecu

tion for any offense or for any outlawry or crime in
any of the camps. On the Poston battlefronts the
Japs have won all battles up to January, 1943*n

C-0336-P24-BU-C0S-WP
 1 44 1

Comment

Up to the present time, our records indicate that there have

been eight (8) men tried in the Soate of Arizona courts for state of
fenses, seven (7) of these men wore found guilty and sentenced, inere
have also been five (5) men taken to the Federal courts in Phoenix,
Arizona, tried for Federal offenses, and convicted. This number does
not, of course, include persons tried on the project for violations
of project rules and regulations, or persons transferred to intLeriiuiont
camps because of evidences of loyalty to Japan or because their ac
tivities were such that their presence was detrimental to the welfare
of the project.

page 76

Que stiori: "How many so-called pleasure cars eld you have.at
Poston?”

Answer: ”About 70 or 30.”

Question: "Were they all owned by the government?”

Answer : ”A11 Cfoir"rimiont sodan s■ ”

Question: •*'Government sedans. Were these automobiles used by

the Japanese at night?”

Answer : ”Exclus ively.”

Que stion : ”What did they usb them for?”-

Answer :• "Pleasure, running around the camp in the remote areas,

for' scooters, and playing around, as would be expected.”

Comment

From the beginning motor equipment has been handled at Poston

through a centralized motor pool, with' passenger cars on permanent -as
signment only to the police force, the hospital, and one or two key
administrative persons. There is absolutely no foundation ior the
statement that evacuees were allowed to use official cars at night
or at any other time for pleasure driving.

Page 76

Mr. Townsend: ”3y pooling the trucks, we saved 1,775 gallons of

gasoline in the- first weekend, Saturday night, Sunday
and Sunday night, and continued to save 1,000 gallons
per day, by actual pump records. That .is by the trucks
that were impounded. Then later on, if you want to
bring in the cars, wo did the same thing and saved 500
gallons a day by taking the cars away from them."

C-0536-E25-BU-C0S-WP
 - 23 -

Comment

The assertion that 1,000 gallons of gasoline per day were

saved by establishing a pool system while Mr. Townsend was at the
center has no foundation of fact.

37. Page 77
,' V
Question: "While you were at Poston did the Japanese who were
interned there?, make automobile trips to visit their
relatives and friends in the Midwest and East?"

Answer: "They did, with written orders by Mr. Head to supply

them with transportation."

Question: "What was the reason for these trips?"

Answer: "Any excuse• Sickness in the families or for the

purpose of looking after a sold automobile that
payments had not been made on, being unable' to make
collections on crop sales or various agricultural
ideas, and for any miscellaneous excuse the Japanese
were allowed to take government equipment and make
trips up to 2,500 miles, using government credit cards."

The Chairman: "All their own cars had been left at their homes by
the evacuees?"

The Witness: "Oh, 'yes. They didn’t have their own cars, except
those which we leased from them, you see."

The Chairman: "And they used the government equipment?"

The Witness: "They used to use them, these big sedans, and drive
them into these metropolitan centers out there. With
soldiers sitting out there in the desert and seeing a
load of Japanese going by in the big government cars
and giving the boys,a big horselaugh. It was terrible,
and is Still going on, but not quite so viciously, because
the camp has been under quarantine."

Question by Mr. Steedman:

nYou say that some of the cars traveled as high as

2,500 miles. Did the speedometers indicate that when
they returned?"

C-0336-P26-BU-C0S-WP
Answer: M?ee* In starting them on the trip it was usual to give
the® a credit card -and to keep a complete record,' so we
took the speedometer reading upon their leaving and upon
their returning,”

Comment

No evacuee has ever been allowed to take a government car on a

trip outside the project on personal business« No evacuee has
ever been authorised to use a government credit card. Evacuees
have in some instances been taken to Los Angeles and Phoenix for
special medical treatment, or for similar purposes involving
serious emergency* In all such -cases the evacuees were accom
panied by Caucasian escorts * On two occasions, March 20 and
June 3, 194-3., Thomas Masuda was sent in a government car from
Poston to Phoenix, Arizona, to transact official business for
the center with officials of the State, Since he entered no
restricted sono, he sia.de the 'tripswithout escort.

During the period Mr * Townsend was employed at Poston,

no evacuee was permitted to leave the project area without an
escort* No trip of (( much as 2,500 miles has been taken from
Poston in a goverrimni car, except one unauthorized trip bo
Oklahoma City which Hr, Townsend, himself, took without the
knowledge yor•permission of the Project Director,

c - D!+-PPF-Pina1-NOBU-COS-T
f

If

Supplementary Comments by the

War Relocation Authority

on Newspaper Statements Allegedly

Made by Representatives of the

House Committee on Un-American
Activities.

* * % * *

G-0265-Covor-N0FJ-CDS -VP
-.

The San Francisco Examiner in a story from Washington on May 11 attributed

the following statements to an "informant" in the offices of the Committee:

A report to be submitted by a subcommittee (of the Committee

"on Un-American Aclivitiesy~in about three weeks, will oppose
release of any Japanese whatsoever, American citizen or
alien, from confinement. This report •will insist that
"known, subversives", estimated to number more than *D%
in the centers, be taken from their -'comfortable environ
ment" and placed in rigidly guarded Department of Justice
detention camps for enemy aliens.

Comment: The most significant fact about these statements is that they
appearediripri nt on May 11 -- the very day the Committee
started its investigations at the Manzanar Eelocation Center.
If the statements are accurately reported,, it would seem quite
obvious that individuals directly connected with the investi
gation had reached conclusions'and formulated recommendations
before the investigators had ever visited a relocation center
or requested any information from the War Eelocation Authority.

If the Committee has evidence that there are more than 25*000
"known subversives" in relocation centers, we earnestly hope that
it will be turned over to the authorized investigative agencies
of the government and to thie agency with all possible promptness
.As this is witten, the Committee has submitted to the War E^loca
tlon Authority no evidence whatever in support of this charge.

2. "Eecords of the Dies Committee show., that prior to Pearl

Harbor, there was a Japanese-American Veterans Association *
in Los Angeles, Our investigation revealed that this was
not a harmless organization of ex-servicemen, but actually
a division of the Japanese arm;/. In Japanese records,
which we have recently obtained, the Japanese themselves
called this organization the Japanese army reserve and
listed company commanders and where the commanders were
located. Our records also show that the Japanese had a
completely trained infantry unit on Terminal Island on
December 7, ¿9^-1. Why they did not strike then I do not
« know".

{Direct quotation attibuted to Eep. J. Parnell Thomas, a member

of the Committee, in an Associated Press dispatch from Los Angeles
dated May 13).

Comment: Although this statement contains no direct charges against the

War Eelocation Authority, it does carry the clear implication
that a large number of the evacuees in relocation centers con
stitute an active military threat to the United States. The
statement probably refeis to the Imperial Veterans Group of
Southern California, an organization centered mainly in Los
Angeles County in the days before Pearl Harbor. The Group was
composed mainly of veterans of the Eusso-Japanese War of 190^-
5 -•* men well over 50 years of age. Information available* to

C-O*AA-PI of l^-WOBU-COS-WP
 v 2>-

us indicates that the organization probably never had

more than 140 members at any one time*- All alien members
located within the United States have been apprehended *
as enemy aliens and have never been under the supervision
of the War Relocation Authority*

3* — .»-«i- the War Relocation Authority is in fact releasing

thousands of the Japanese as routine procedure, it must
be releasing many who are not 1oval to the United States,
who, would become distinctly dangerous should’opportunity
present itself.”

(Part of a direct quotation attributed to a ”spokeman” for

the Committee by the Los Angeles Examiner on May 14).

Comment I To characterize the leave procedures of the War Relocation

Authority as ”routine” shows a gross misunderstanding of
those procedures and of the manner in which the Authority
is conducting its program. In granting indefinite leave
to evacuees, the Authority checks all available records on
the individual involved at the relocation center. If there
is any evidence of questionable activity, a further check is
made of the records maintained by the Federal investigative
agencies. Every proper precaution has been taken and is being
taken to safeguard the national security.

In.a dispatch from Los Angeles on May 19, the Associated Press
reported that Rep. Thomas had telegraphed President Roosevelt
urging that WRA stop release of evacuees from relocation centers.
The Congressman was also reported to have.commented on the case
of a wealthy Japanese from Los Angeles who had been apprehended
by the FBI and sent to Camp Livingstone, La. The following state
ment was attributed to Rep. Thomas as a direct quotei

-It has been reliably reported that he (the interned

Japanese) has stated the food and wine at his camp
are excellent-vand that he is concerned only with his
expanding waistline. Are we to release this fat-waisted
.Jap while our American boys on Guc-nlacanal are barely
receiving enough food with which to keep alive?”

Comment: The clear implication of the remark allegedly made by

Representative Thomas is that the interned Japanese may
well be released from Camp Livingston under the leave
procedures of the War Relocation Authority. Camp
■ Livingston is an internment camp administered, by the
Department of Justice, Its inmates are in no way ,
eligible to'apply for leave under the program of the
War Relocation Authority.

C-0299-Pg.-3-BU-COS-WP
 ”Certaiif*Rcy^naj^e-at pfficials resppq^^Le for administration
of .the have last si ¿it of the" f that M e r i c a is at
war, tfrst America has en£$tek$. ¿ d the Japanese m and out
of America are as much* our enemies as - . /01
(Direct quotation attributed to Rep. J. Parnell Thomas in
a United Press dispatch from Los 2 dated May 19)*
Commenti The War Relocation Authority has not lost- sight of these facts
and has no intention of doing so. Our belief, however, is that
all loyal Americans and law-abiding aliens — regardless of
ancestry — should be given a chance to contribute their ener
gies and skills in the battle of production» We also believe
that unwarranted confinement of our people of Japanese descent
gives the Japanese government a powerful prcpoganda weapon to
use in convincing the peoples of the Orient that the United
States is conducting a racial War*

+.
The Committee wants' to know why the personnel of the WRA includes
' many members of organizations which have been characterized as
communistic by the Department of Justice.

(Statement allegedly made by a wspokesman” of the Committee in an

interview purported by the Los Angeles Examiner from Washington
on May 20).

Qomment: All employees of the War Relocation Authority are investigated

as a regular procedure by the Office for Emergency Management
Investigations Division. One copy of the investigation re
port is sent to the War Relocation Authority and another to
the Civil Service Commission.

In all cases where the Civil Service Commission considers an

employee unfit to work in a. war agency, the WRA is informed
of this fact and ordered to terminate the employee* Of the
employees so far terminated under this procedure by the
Authority, none have been dismissed because of affiliation
with a subversive organization. In fact, our review of the
investigation reports has not revealed a single employee of
the Authority who holds membership in any organization con
sidered subversive by the Department of Justice*

7.
(a) Many Japanese released from relocation centers have
been trained in espionage and sabotage, in a school
operated in Tokyo,by the imperialistic Black Dragon
Society how to carry out a program of destruction
in the United States in the event off war;

(b) The school ivas knoxvn as the North American school of

Military Virtuef
 - 4 -

Xtyg g r a q u a t e p i n t h i s cp ua t r y juy>';b <7r 10 f k 0• %

(Statements attributed to Robert E. Stripling. Chief Investigator

of the Committeej in ah AP- dispatch from Washington dated May 29.) l

Comment; The school in Question is apparently the Hokubel Butcku Sal

Kodo Gakuin which seems to ha-ve -.been established on the
outskirts of' Tokyo some time in 1938« Information available
to us indicates that this school was intensely nationalistic
.&nd included a practicing hall for Kendo,, the art of Japan- V
«se fencing. „The Dean of the school was Takichi Nakamura,
leading Kendo expert of Japan. The sponsor of the school
was the Military Virtue Society of North America, a group
organized, in. Japan to inculcate the .7 oan.es - spirit over
seas, ..Sometime during March-1937, Nidcartuora issued a
"Manifesto, bn the Enlargement of the Activities of the
.Military Virtue Society of North America1’ at San Pedro,
California. This Manifesto contains the following infor
mation:

"Within the last .several years-,;many members of ‘

-• our Military Virtue. Society, have ¿one. to Japan
for study, but their record has not been verv
good. In fact, there were many who returned with
\ bad habits ..» Not only did these.Nisei, who went
to^Japan, fail to'grasp the Japanese.spirit or
gain anything, but many of them returned to the
United States definitely disaffected.”

The U-ar Relocation .Authority has made, a rather careful study

of the number of American-born Japanese in relocation centers
who have received all or part, of their education in Japan.
Oi the more than 70,000_ American-born Japanese in relocation
centers, our records show that about 2,000 have had schooling
m Japan since 19.38, the, year the Military Virtue School was
founded. This figure includes not only adolescent males,
but girls and extremely young boys. In the light of this
fact, it is difficult to see how there could possibly be
"10,000 graduates” of the school in the United States.
8
has acquired a list of the 10,000 members
^Butoku-Kaj", an organisatibn -affiliated“with
^ig-jy^-iLJ^ragon Society'of Imperial Japan ano"composed
of young American-born Japanese'~ — — —— -

MgSI^. ^ b Q ^ m e m b ers of this organization are now being

ee sed f ro r, ralqc at ion ~c eno ers. ' ■ ~

(Information allegedly gathered at headquarters of the

Committee and published by the San Francisco'Examiner on
May 22 j .

Comment: The War Relocation Authority has never seen any list of
.membersof the Butoku-Kai. If the Committee has such a

O-0299~Pp~BU~C03~UP
 5

list, we hope that it will he made available to us at

t
the earliest possible date in order that we may use it in
connection with the investigation previous to the grant— •
ing of indefinite leave.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer service, in a story from Washington dated

^ay 2« , reported that the Committee was expanding its investigation to
include the following points:

^a ^ A report that the .WRA is planning to import Japanese

evacuees from South American allied countries for eventual
■ P.g-l.-ease in frfcs United States after periods of nominal con-
finement in relocation centers. * ^ ----

The formal report of investigators that disloyal

Japanese at the Rivers Relocation'Center, Arizona have
disrupted attempts to maintain camouflage net factory
there. ’ ’ ' = ~----

incidence that a recently reported Japanese

-invasion plan -mentions contemplation of use of
¿0»POO, Japanese Americans» while almost exactly that
names compose a list of the American membership
of the loath Movement of the Black Dragon -Society, the
jrorld-wide secret society operated by the Jananese war
office. ! --------- 3-- --- 3---------

Comment: (a) The .Authority has never contemplated any plans to

import Japanese evacuees from any South American
? country and has neither funds nor authority with
which to do so.

(b) It is true some few of the evacuees at the Gila

River, (or Rivers) Relocation Center did attempt
to dissuade the residents from collaborating in
the establishment of a camouflage net factory at
the project. All the evacuees known to have en
gaged in such activity have been removed from the
center and sent either to internment camps or to
*an isolation center. The factory was established
according to plan and has achieved an excellent pro- .
duction record.

(c) See comments on Statements No. and No. ;.

10
nWe are not so sure -that the top directors of the WRA know
everything that is going, on in their organization, " h a t is
wThy we are going to „search thoroughly.for the origin of the
program under which thousands of Japanese from the cantors
are' being liberated
country V «.
,for willy-nilly distribution over the
 — o

(Direct quotation attributed to a "spokesman” for the Commit

tee by the ;an Francisco Examiner in a story from Washington *
published on May 23).

Commenti The suggestion that the leave program of the War Relocation $
Authority was initiated without the knowledge or consent of
the Authority's ranking officers is completely without foun
dation. The Director of the Authority takes full responsi
bility for origin of the program and for its execution.

11
==What persons, what influences, are responsible for the flagrant
discharge of the Japanese from the centers at the rate of 1,000 ,
weekly in the face of the proof we are offering that perhaps as
many a,s 40 per cent of the Japanese are loyal only to Japan and
that thousands may become active traitors, spies, saboteurs, and,
fifth columnists in general?"

(Direct quotation attributed to Ren. J. Parnell Thomas by the

Seattle Post—Intelligencer in a, story from Washington dated May 24) ^

Comment; . The comment directly above is also applicable here. It might

be added that the--Commit tee has never offered any proof to the
War Relocation Authority regarding the loyalties or disloyal-'
ties of any evacuees at the relocation centers.

12

The "San Francisco Examiner, in a. story from Washington dated May 25, at
tributed the following statements to* Ren. Thomas in tthe form of-''a direct
quotation;

(a ) "The Dies Committee investigators and I found conditions

very bad in the War Relocation centers.". ,

(b) ' "At one camp the Japanese, objected to a fence which confined
them. They tore ,it down . It stayed down and the Japs are
still roaming; around there at will..."

•(c) "Camp newspapers are virulently critical of anyone who' op

poses Japanese interests ..." .

(d ) "Short wave radios are permitted, although even a Japanese

subject may not own or use one in Japan."

Comment: (a) Representative Thomas had never visited a relocation cen

ter a.t the time this story appeared,

(b) It is true that a. section of the fence surrounding the

Minidoka; Relocation Center in Idaho has recently been
removed and has riot yet been replaced. This particular
section of tho. fence was so located that it cut off
some of the project farm lands from the community proper

C-0299-P7-3U-C0S-WP
 and its removal was in the interest of efficient
operations. It was removed by evacuee labor crews
working under orders of the War Relocation Authority
and with the full knowledge and consent of the
military authorities#

The statement that evacuees at this center are per-

mitted to ”roaum around at_will” is vtio^ly inaccurate.
At Minidoka, as at all other relocation centers, no
evacuee is permitted to leave the relocation project
area without a permit at any time# And after dark, no
evacuees are allowed even to leave the community
proper without a permit#

(o) If the ”Japanese interests” referred to are those of

Imperial Japan, this statement is xcholly without foun
dation. The War Relocation Authority has reviewed re
location center newspapers since they were first
established and has never seen one line of criticism
directed against any person because of his opposition
to the interests of Imperial Japan. If, on the other
hand, the statement refers to the interests of the
Japanese-Americans, criticism seems wholly in accord with
the American -principles of free speech. Like any other
group of Americans,'the évacuées at relocation centers
aré naturally critical of those who oppose their
interests.

(a) In accordance-with plans formulated some time ago, the

War Relocation Authority recently prohibited the use of
short-wave radios at all relocation centers. Prior to the
time when this regulation went into effect, American
citizens among the evacuees were permitted to use short
wave sets at the four centers .which lie. outside the
Western Defense Command.

”Th.e agents report that ‘P o n í a used direct physirai threats to

güín anything they wish.. They, rule’peaceful Japanese with a brutal
hand and white supervisory official’ s, we ere informed, l-rowtow
of!:doepjy to their wishes.»- Their common act is t o walk
i,nco ,comx osarteS and demand- an extra side’ of. beef, or something
like that*1’

(Direct quotation attributed to a ’’spokesman” for the Committee

by the Baltimore News Post in a stcry from Washington dated May,
27).

Comment: ih-P term ^onia* may be freely’translated to mean ’’gangster” .

Although there have been trouble-makers in some of the reloca
tion centers, all those who cc-uld be identified as such have
been removed either to internment camps or-to an isolation
center operated by the War Relocation Authority# The state
ment that trouble-makers have walked into a commissary and
’’demanded an extra side of beef or something like that” is
utterly false.
C-0299-P8-BU-C0S-WP
 Ik
The pro-Japan element is determined to stay in confinement
because "something terrible is going to happen on the
West Coast by October 1,"

(Statement attributed to Robert E. Stripling by the

Milwaukee Sentinel in a story from Washington pub
lished May 9 ).

Comment: This statement stands in flat contradiction to statements

allegedly made by Mr. Stripling on other occasions to the
effect that "many” pro-Japanese hay©’been and are being
released from relocation centers.

15*
(a ) Transcripts of questioning of Japanese by camp directors
showed the latter pleading with the evacuees to change
their answers from "no" to "Yes" on a question concerning
loyalty to the United States. Young Japanese in particu
lar were urge d ‘to assert their loyalt~r so nhey could be
released for work in American communities.

(b) The camp directors., many of them, recruited from the WFA,
are, anxious to release Japanese despite the?r
assertions that they are not loyal to the United States.

(Statements allegedly contained in report received in

Washington from field investigators of the Committee and
appearing in the Washington Times Herald on May 28)/

Comment: (a) Since other newspaper stories dealing with questioning

of evacuees have referred specifically to Mir. Ralph P.
Merritt, Project Director of Manzanar Relocation Center,
we have asked for Mr-. Merritt’s comments. Ip a teletype
message dated June 7> he malees the following report:

"The story from the Dies Committee (representatives)

that I urge disloyal Japanese to say they are loyal
is complete abuse of material I voluntarily offered
them to show the thoroughness with which records
were developed to clarify loyalty or disloyalty and
to recommend to you denial of leave clearance to each'
of the cases quoted in this article. Men questioned
are group known as kibeSL who have American citizen
ship but for most part éducated in Japan and. speaking
only Japanese. During registration due to language
difficulties it is claimed that errors were made by
interviewers and to clear all records we reviewed
each case with results shown in interviews which
will become basis for denial of leave to legally
detain such types of citizens. If Dies Committee
honestly desires to assist our work in securing
necessary records such stories which cause confusion,
weaken authority, and interfere with war effort will
cease. Quotations by use of evacuee names has put
all evacuees on notice not to testify freely as be
fore. We have recommended no leaves as yet but when

C-0299-19-BU-CQS-WP
 -9-

ve do, no doubtful cases will be on our list."

(t) None of the ten project directors at relocation

centers was recruited from the Work Projects Adminis
tration and none has ever favored granting indefinite
leave to evacuees who are disloyal to the United States,

= .
(a) Evacuee residents of one camp, receiving monthly wages
from the War Relocation Authority, refused to unload
coal, shipped, in for their own use, with the result
that camp authorities employed, residents of nearly Klamath
Falls, paying them 90 cents an hour to do the work.

<=> A dinner was given at.the Minidoka Center in honor of

Charles Takahashi., who is under a four-year Federal prison
sentence for having sold scrap iorn to Japan after a tan
!ras placed on such activity, Af this dinner;, George Town
send, an assistant WRA director, served as'toastmaster and
jj^800 pounds of turkey was served. At the trial of Takahashi
and Osawa,■ his partner, H. R. Sprinkel of the Minidoka WRA
gtaff appeareci before the court and pleaded for leniency.
Sprinkel returned to the center in Takahaihi=T^adiIlac~'sedan
driven by Takahash i . Takahashi has "been allowed to keep
hj._s car at the camp, using it to drive to Twin Falls cdaily,
although the m achine Carries only an "A" sticker.-

(Statements attributed to Committee investigators, Tom Cavett

and. Gene Hagberg, in a story appearing in the'Denver Post v
of May 29).

Comment (a) The WRA has experienced some d-ifficulty in maintaining

coal unload.ing crews at a number of the relocation centers
for the obvious reasons that the work is dirty and unpleasant
and brings no more compensation to the evacuees than other,
less arduous duties. The center referred to in the story
is quite obviously Tule Lake project which is located about
30 miles from Klamath Falls, Oregon. The d-irector of this
project specifically denies employing residents of Klamath
.Falls or an^y otner community to unload coal at any time.

(b) Mr. I|arry L . Stafford, Project Director at the Mini

doka Relocation Center, in a teletype message dated June
45 194-3; has made the following statements on the charges
centering around Mr. Takahashi:

No dinner tendered C . T. Takahashi. Dinners referred

to and turkey purchases appear confused with banquet
tendered by administration to volunteers for United
States ’Army and their parents, at which time turkey was
served .. Turkey justified for volunteers banquet on
basis that our daily meat and. fish costs are $ =,>=:
while turkey requisition amounted to $=,;>; and was*
used for two days making cost per day $:> . =/ or cheaper
than normal meat expense per day. Only other time turkey

C -0299- F10-BU--C OS -W?

 B 10

ever purchased by project administration was for

Christmas Dinner

wDinndr referred, to ...¿is having been given to

'Takfchashi..•.was a personal party given by members
of the coal crew members and was not purchased with
project administration funds.’

Purchase was made fron independent meat company, of

Twin Falls, and amounted V;» 150 pounds turkey, paid
cash $>70.00. The so-called dinner for Takaheshi was
held January 24 in mess hall 5 and only cost to govern
ment was use of facilities. Coal crew, under Takahashi
completed a successful effort to unload 38,000 tons by
hand and party was in nature of a celebration. Dyke
Miyagawawas toastmaster at this dinner referred to.
Takahashi is not in charge of motor pool and never has
been.,f

^Reference to Townsend as toastmaster may have been

confused with feet that Townsend organized banquet
for United States Army volunteers. He is not assis
tant Project director but is chief of community ser
vices.”

’’Sprinkel did not appear in defense of Takahashi and

Osawa. He was.. .escort (required under military rules
for evacuees entering the restricted West Coast area)
and attended court sessions called specifically for
purpose of giving sentence and was asked by defense
attorney, with permission of court, to answer questions•
about their behavior at Minidoka for purpose- of further
bail which court subsequently allowed, permitting these
individuals to return to project while case is under
appeal.”

’’Western Defense Command, in travel permit, authorizing

Takahashi- and Osawa to travel through excluded area,
authorized use of Takahashi’s car, and supplemental
gas rations permitting travel was issued by Seattle
ration board for one-way trip to Eden, Idaho. ”A”
card rations are granted all car owners regardless
of need and his were issued by ration board in nearby
community. C. T. Takahashi has storage for bis car
in Jack’s Garage, Eden, Idaho. He does not have
authoi'ization to travel daily to Twin Falls....”

17.
la) The 85.000 Japanese in relocation centers are among the best
fed civilians .in the world.

(b ) Reports show a plentiful supply of beef, pork, mutton, canned

pork and beans, potatoes, coffee, canned fish, and chocolate
bars in the centers.
 - 11 -

(c) A week*s shipment to Manzanar from the Quartermaster Depot

at Mira Loma, California,.included 22,500 lbs« of white
* potatoes, 1,350 lbs. of coffee, 12,000 lbs, of hard wheat
flour, =94>>> lbs, of soft-wheat flour, =94>>> lbs, of pan-»
cake flour, more than 5,700 .-jars of marmalades and jams,
14,400 cans of evaporated milk, 130,000 lbs, of rice, 7,200
lbs, of spaghetti, 21,50Q~ lbs, of sugar, 2,500 lbs, of
bananas, =9> boxes of grapefruit containing >>> grapefruit per
box, 240 boxes of organs containing 9>> oranges per box,
240 boxes of apoles and,26,000 lbs, of fresh vegetables,
10.000 lbs\ of beef, 5,000 lbs, of pork, 2,600 lbs« of
mutton, =49>> lbs, of salt pork, 949>> lbs, cf frankfurters,
9>>> lbs, of pork l i v e r s 4>>> lbs« of corned beef, 2,800
lbs« of fresh pork sausage, and 949>> lbs, of bologna.

(Statements attributed to investigators of the Committee in an

AP dispatch dated May 51).

Comment; (a) The' statement that evacuees at relocation centers are

’’among the best fed civilians in the world” is highly dubious
and definitely misleading. In March, 1943, when point
rationing of food became effective, the YJRA registered with
the 0PA as a ’’institutional user” of rationed foods and became
subject to all rationing restrictions applicable to such users
The Authority has gone beyond CPA requirements for institu
tional users and has established food consumption quotas
for relocation centers on exactly the same -per capita basis
as those applicable to the civilian copulation of the United
States as a whole. Even before point rationing went into
effect, the Authority practiced voluntary rationing in accord
ance vjith quotas suggested by the 0PA. The cost of food
served to evacuees at the centers has never exceeded 46 cents
per person per day and it has been the constant policy of the
Authority to avoid purchase .of foods-which are not available
to the public generally or which are locally in short supply.

(b) The statement thatomned pork and' beans have been pur
chased and stocked at relocation centers is wholly untrue.
The phrase ’’chocolate bars” , conveying the impression that
evacuees are being provided with candy' bars, is misleading.
The Authority has occasionally purchased baking chocolate as
a substitute for-cocoa when the latter commodity was not
available. Candy bars, how/eyer, have never been furnished
to evacuees in the messhalls at relocation centers.

(c) Whether intentionally or not, this paragraph clearly

conveys the implication that the quantities indicated were
intended for one week’s use at Manzanar. The fact is that
only coffee, meat's, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, cairy
products, and lard are received weekly. Other foods are
received monthly. As previously noted, consumption of»all
rationed foods is striqtly limited to civilian quotas, and
the per capita cost is also strictly limited.

C-O299-P12-BU-C0S-UP
18.
The committee is investigating information that the War
Relocation centers are t{heavily staffed” witli Caucasian
conscientious objectors.to v/ar.

(Statement attributed to Robert E. Stripling by the New York

Journal American in a story from Washington> dated June 2).

Comment: Of the approximately 1800 employees of the WRA, there are

two who have been classified as conscientious objectors by
the Selective Service System and who were assigned to the*-
Authority from Civilian Public Service Camps. If any
other employees of the Authority should be classified as .
conscientious objectors, they will be removed from the WRA
payroll and sent to Civilian Public Service Camps in accord
ance with Selective Service procedure.

19.
nWe do not want any representative of this agency (i.e. the
War Relocation Authority) to come here and attempt to censor
any testimony developed,in this•hearing. I have declined
Mr. Myer’s offer. I have read most of the newspaper accounts
of these, hearings and trey have been very factual; in fact
I think the cress has made- every effort to give a fair and
accurate account of the testimony.”

(Direct quotation attributed to Representative John M.

Costello, member .of the Committee and chairman of the
subcommittee investigating Japanese-Americans,. in a .
United Press dispatch from Los Angeles dated June IS.)

Comment: The offer to which Representative Costello refers was.

contained in a telegram addressed to him by Director Myer
on June 7. The text of this telegram is quoted in full:

J= am informed that a sub-committee of the committee

on. un-American activity under your chairmanship is
opening hearings today in Los Angeles to investigate
activities of Japanese'and Japanese-Americans in this
country. The War Relocation Authority will welcome
the opportunity to cooperate'with the committee by
supplying information on those phases of the problem
for which this agency is responsible*

Because, of recent statements in the press attributed

to members and. representatives of your comlnittee in
which facts have been garbled I suggest'it may be
helpful to have statements concerning policies and
procedures of the'War Relocation Authority checked
before statements are released to the press. To this
end, while you are on the coast, I am glad to of^er
you the services of Mr. R. B. Cozzens, field assistant
director of this Agency, whose headquarters are in the
' Whitcomb Hotel, San Francisco. Mr. Cozzens is thoroughly
conversant with WJ.R.A, program, and he will be at your
disposal to assist in any way by supplying or checking
information.” - C«>P::*Pl^-BU-C>S.t.rp
 - 13

20.
«We have a definite report that at camps No. 1 and. No +
?
> Poston, Arizona, on the Colorado Fiver Indian Reservation
the Government snent *$100,000 in constructing inclos&PQS
with the idea that they would be valuable in the event the_
camps vere ever used for prisoners of war«

"Our investigators say that Japanese gangsters in the camps

circulated a petition that the fences be removed. When the
petition met no response these gangsters tore great sections^
of the fences down and dared the camp officials to have them
erected again."

(Direct quotation attributed to Mr, Robert E. Stripling by

the Los Angeles Examiner in a story from Washington dated.
June 1*)

Comment: This statement is almost wholly unfounded. No fence has

ever been erected around Camp No, 1 or Camp No, 2 at the
Poston Relocation Center. A fence has been built around
the entire relocation area, embracing three separate commu
nities and a total of 80,000 acres of land, at a .total cost
of |17,000.00,

A few sections of this fence were removed under supervision

of the construction foreman in order to facilitate land
subjugation, road construction, and other work at the center.
All these sections were closed as soon as the work was com
pleted, and the fence is now wholly intact*

21
Officers of the Japanese-AmericaA Ditizens League attend so
many confidential staff conferences of the War Relocation
Authority that Myer has expressed feeling that Congress
would "jump down his throat" if it knew to what extent the
League was formulating WRA policy.

(Information allegedly discovered by "agents" of the Committee

in a raid on JACL Headquarters in Washington and reported by the
New York Journal American in a story from Washington dated
June 17.)

Comment: No officer or member-of the Japanese American Citizens

League has ever attended any staff conference of the WRA,
either confidential or otherwise.

C~ S ~Rl^~FinaJ^BU-C S~WF
 STATEMENTS REGARDING RUMORS OF SABOTAGE IN HAWAII

Rumors of sabotage by Japanese at Pearl Harbor are s t i l l being repeated and believed
by reputable people in California eighteen months a fter December f, iv4-U
In order to privide authentic refu ta tio n 'o f some of these s to r ie s , the Committee on
American P rinciples and Fair Play have obtained, through Charles_F. Loom !s.Director
of the Morale Section of the Hawaiian M ilitary Government, o f f ic ia l s tatementsfrom
W.A. Gabrielson, Chief of P olice of Honolulu, and Colonel Kendall J . Fielder ot tne
M ilitary In telligen ce Headquarters.

POLICE DEPARTMENT
City and County of Honolulu
May 12, 1943

1, The statement that Japanese trucks in Honolulu deliberately put out of commission
several American airplanes is an absolute lie. The Military and Naval Intelligence
services and the F.B.I. can verify that there were no Japanese trucks on any air
field, nor did any such trucks do any damage in Honolulu on December ft .

2.. There was no congregation of crowds, and the Army, Navy or Marine Corps was not
called on to preserve order in the city. No American machine gunners cleared Hono
lulu streets of any Japanese before, on or after December 7th.

3, The statement that all over Honolulu had signs which read, "Here a Japanese
traitor was killed", is another absolute lie.

A, There was not one act of sabotage attempted by any Japanese or any other person
during December 7th or thereafter.

5, The Japanese bombed Oahu twice: on December 7, 1941, and sometime during the
latter part of 1942, when four bombs were dropped in the hills back of the city.

6. There was no dynamite planted by any Japanese or anyone else in or about Hono
lulu in December; and no civilian ever used a truck to pick up any ynami e.

While no acts of sabotage were committed, the Japanese did maintain an excellent

system of espionage. (Signed) W.A. Gabrielson, Chief of Police

HEADQUARTERS HAWAIIAll DEPARTMENT

Office of the A ssistant Chief of S ta ff fc r M ilitary In telligen ce
17 May 1943

I was surprised to learn that some of the many Island rumors about the Hawaiian Is
lands during the first few days of the war are still prevalent on the mainland. They
have been repeatedly denied by all authorities.
In connection with the six statements that Mr, F. enumerated in a letter to you, it
can be positively stated that all are untrue. It is hardly worthwhile^to refute them
individually, but it might be of interest for you to know that the movie, Air Force
was censored and the scenes about the misuse of the Japanese trucks and the Japanese
snipers on Maui were deleted before the picture was permitted to be shown in Hawaii,
Having been in charge of military intelligence activities since June, 1941> I an* in
position to know what has happened. There have been no known acts of sabotage, es
pionage, or fifth column activities committed by the Japanese in Hawaii either on or
subsequent to December 7, 1941«
(Signed) Kendall J. Fielder
Colonel, G.S.C., A.C, of S., G-2
 TEXT OF TELEGRAM SENT NOVEMBER 2 5 , 1942
As a Pacific Coast "body which recognizes many of the difficultie

in administering the Tulelake Segregation Center, difficulties due in

part to the diversified groups within the center, in part to the un
justified political and journalistic exaggeration of the disturbances
inevitable in such a center, we urge that the following facts be con
sidered by any policy making bodies.
1. The War Department has repeatedly expressed reluctance to
assume permanent control of any center.
2. The War Relocation Authority, while established primarily
as a relocation agency, has worked out satisfactory tech
niques for administration of various types of centers.

Unless the War Department wishes to control and operate Tule

lake may we respectfully submit the following proposals:
1. Continued operation of Relocation Centers by W.R.A. with
emphasis upon resettlement of loyal evacuees.
2. Immediate separation of troublemakers in Tulelake from
lawabiding members of the colony, and secure incarceration of
aforementioned persons in areas established and secured by
the 'War Department for that purpose.

2. War Department responsibility for external security of entire

Tulelake Segregation Center.

4. Administration and operation of the Tulelake Center by W.R.A.

whose authority and personnel shall be strengthened to meet
local conditions.
5* Full public interpretation by the War Department of the local
situation.

6. Full public interpretation by the State Department of the

international implications involved, since segregees are not
prisoners of war.

Most respectfully submitted,

PACIFIC COAST COMMITTEE ON AMERICAN PRINCIPLES AND FAIR PLAY

(signed)
Mrs. Ruth W. Kingman
Executive Secretary
c:*„ *
Excerpts from an address by the Honorable Joseph C. Grew, Special Asst, to the
Secretary of State, at.the annual banquet of the Holland Society of New York,
New York City November 18, 19^3.

One of the proudest achievements of our country is our assimilation of

many different races within our borders. We take well-justified pride in the
term *melting pot” as applied to our nation. The existence and purpose and
membership of the Holland Society are a living testimonial to that great prin
ciple, and it is especially interesting to note that even three centuries ago,
when the Dutch West India. Company had extended to all friendly European coun
tries the privilege of trading with the then province of New Amsterdam, the
town of New Amsterdam rapidly assumed the cosmopolitan character for which it
has ever since been noted and that according to contemporary reports, eighteen
languages were spoken among its kOO or 500 inhabitants in 16^3.~

The point X wish to make is this. In time of war, blind prejudice is

always rampant. In the last war I remember that even loyal Americans with Ger
man names were all too often looked at askance. That bigotry fortunately does
not exist today, but it does exist today among a large proportion of our fellow
countrymen with regard to American citizens of Japanese descent. In fact many,
perhaps^most, of our compatriots refer to those fellow-citizens of our quite
indiscriminately as ’’Japs” . In reading the many letters I receive from all
oyer the country on that subject I very seldom know whether the writer is refer-
ring to Americans or to outright enemy aliens. There is, or should be, a great
difference there.

In time of war, especially, we must take every proper step to protect our
country from hostile acts, especially from espionage or sabotage within our
gates. We have competent official authorities to attend to that consideration,
and they are attending to it, constantly and effectively. I do know that like
the Americans of German descent, the overwhelming majority of American of
Japanese origin wish to be and are wholly loyal to the United States, and not
only that,^but they wish to prove that loyalty in service to their native land.
Reiman Morin, of the Associated Press, reports from the Fifth Army in Italy
that the^first unit of American-born Japanese troops went into combat smiling
with satisfaction as if they were going to a baseball game• their motto is
Remember Pearl Harbor'*, and their commander said that he wouldn't trade his
command for any other in the Army. Their officers, said Morin, are unanimously
enthusiastic about the quality and spirit of those men and said they never had
seen any troops train harder and more assiduously’and never had any doubt as
to what to expect of them in combat. A German prisoner was brought past their
encampment one day; he gaped with surprise when he saw their faces and asked
if they were Japanese. An interpreter explained that they were Americans of
Japanese parentage. The German shook his head in wonder and said: "Ach: that's
American.” There are camps in our country today engaged exclusively in train
ing these men for military service. I have met and talked to them. Their
officers are proud of their charges.

What I^wish to say is merely this. Those Americans of Japanese'descent

have grown up in our country, in our democratic atmosphere. Most of them have
never known anything else,. Among those few who have been to Japan, most of
them could not stand the life there and soon returned to the United States.
The overwhelming majority of those men want to be loyal to us, and, perhaps
surprisingly, the few who don’t want to be loyal to us often say so openly.

OM-612
 - 2 -

It does not make for loyalty to be constantly under suspicion when grounds for
suspicion are absent. I have too great a belief in the sanctity of American
citizenship to want to see those Americans of Japanese descent penalized and
alienated through blind prejudice. I want to see them given a square deal.
I want to see them treated as we rightly treat all other American citizens
regardless of their racial origin-with respect and support, unless or until
they have proved themselves unworthy of respect and support. That fundamental
principle should apply all along the line-to every citizen of the United States
of America.

Once, again Gentlemen, I heartily thank you for the honor you have
.accorded me tonight.

OM-612

The Japanese in Hawaii
The editors of The New Republic do not know the
facts regarding the loyalty of the Japanese-A mericans
in Hawaii, which has recently been the subject of sharp
debate in the press. We present, however, for its intrin
sic interest the article below by a man whose views on
the subject are entitled to respectful attention. Air.
Clarkf who taught at the University of Hawaii from
1930 until very recently, is the author of the popular
booky “Remember Pearl Harbor ** in the writing of
which he had access to official sources. —t h e e d i t o r s
/ ^ V NE o f t h e f i r s t t h i n g s mainlanders ask me
I I is, “W hat are you people in H awaii doing
with all those J aps out there? H ave you got
them in concentration camps?”
J udging from the number of times I am asked this,
a great many mainland Americans believe that most
of the J apanese in H awaii are hiding around in the
canefields, ready at a signal to leap out and stab us
in the back. T his “ news” doubtless accounted for the
hasty removal of the J apanese from the W est Coast.
T h e feeling in the mainland U nited States that the
J apanese in H awaii cannot be trusted is the direct re
sult o f the many rumors which came with a whirlwind
rush along with the blitz of D ecember 7. “T h er e was a
great fifth column in H awaii! T h e attacking J aps had
wonderful information,” it was said. “T h ey knew just
where each battleship was to berth. T h ey bombed the
useless old U tah mercilessly because the fine air
plane1carrier L exington was scheduled to be there in
stead.”
“A H awaiian J apanese fifth columnist cut a broad
arrow in a canefield,” it was said, “directing enemy
pilots straight toward P earl H ar bor !”
“O n e of the J ap pilots shot down had on a M cK in
ley H igh School ring.”
“J apanese saboteurs stalled old jalopies across the
road to P earl H arbor, blocking traffic, holding up
ambulances carrying the wounded, keeping officers and
men from reaching their battle stations.”
H ad our intelligence forces been asleep? H ad organi
zation for all these anti1American activities been going
on while officials talked of the necessity of trusting the
local J apanese?
N ow let us examine the facts. P earl H arbor has been
exposed to public view for years. Y ou can drive along
the public highway or take a hike over the hills behind
the harbor and observe at leisure the navy’s vital in
stallations and warships. N o doubt J apanese consular
agents took these jaunts frequently. T h e navy pro
tested against this situation, but Congress refused to
pass legislation condemning property overlooking the
harbor. T his failure made it fairly simple for the J apa
THE N E W REPUBLIC
nese consuls stationed in H awaii to get information
about the habits of the fleet.
A dm ittedly, we do not know just how much in
formation the attacking J apanese had. T h e truth is
that, regardless of what advance knowledge they did
have, they needed no fifth column to provide it. A
general idea of whether ships were likely to be in the
harbor was sufficient. A battleship is a huge object,
visible for miles. I t is about as difficult to make out as
the C hr ysler B uilding would be i f it were lyin g on its
side in the H udson R iver. O nce the J apanese knew
where P ear l H arbor is— which any tourist map of
H awaii clearly shows— they did not need to know
what berth each battleship normally took. T h e attack
ers struck at every battleship in the harbor, regardless
of position, size or age.
Corroborating evidence that the J apanese did not ap
proach with the help and direction of fifth columnists
has just come to light. T h e J apanese submarine which
was sunk outside P earl H arbor an hour or more before
the attack has now been raised, and the ship’s log has
been 1translated. I t tells how the submarine entered
P earl H arbor trailing a garbage scow, and cruised
about, noting the types and numbers of warships inside.
I t then left and sent a radio message to the J apanese
carriers, relaying the information.
T h e man cutting the arrow in the canefield was not
needed, nor, as a matter of fact, was he there. H e was
an unconfirmed rumor.
N or was any special information needed by the
J apanese pilots in order to locate the hangars at H ickam
F ield. I do not know why these hangars were not built
back in the mountainside, where they would be hidden
from view. B ut there they lay, not only the biggest
objects on all the island, but, furthermore, painted
white and gleaming in the tropical sunlight. T h ey were
an invitation that the J apanese pilots could see for more
than twenty miles. T h e attackers apparently needed no
information that an observant person in the J apanese
consulate could not have furnished in one week’s time.
T h e M cK in ley ring, like the cane1cutter, never ma
terialized. A censor, whose business it was to run down
rumor, told me he had checked with every official who
had looked through the clothing and possessions of
slain J apanese pilots. N one had seen a M cK in ley ring.
I f the local J apanese had blocked traffic on the road
to P earl H arbor, they would have committed the most
effective sabotage possible that day. T his is the obvious
kind o f sabotage an organized group would commit.
T h e three1lane highway had been a bottleneck of traffic
long before the enlarged defense program began two
years ago. O n D ecember 7 the narrow road was a
bedlam of racing emergency ambulances, trucks, taxis
 f
SEPTEMBER = 4 =: 9
fight was there. B ut there has been so much bungling
and plain dishonesty in the war industries themselves
that the workers have a feeling that their extra efforts
are wasted. W orkers in a plant which is running part1
time and inefficiently aren’t going to stay steamed up
about giving up half1hour lunch periods. T h e actual
desire of the worker to contribute his efforts to win
ning the war is not being used. I nstead they send out
traveling lecturers to sell patriotism to him.”
A sales engineer for a group of small Oklahoma
companies who gave me a lift at a bus stop on a high1
way: “ E ver since they caught those sales engineers
making big money for getting contracts out of the
army and navy— that guy making $400,OCX) in a year
and all like that— sales engineers have had a pretty
bad name. W ell, they’re all different kinds. I ’m a little
one, and honest. W hen I first got up here from O kla
homa and began humping around to find some con
tracts for army kitchenware, this friend of mine says,
‘H ell , Steve, you’re not going to get any business
that way. L ast year I got three million dollars’ worth
of business. I had to pay $55,000 in kickbacks to
get it.’
“ I told this guy, look, I was trying to get contracts for
three small outfits, and i f I got a hundred thousand
dollars for all of them that would be the difference
between them staying in business and folding. A nd if
I couldn’t get a measly hundred thousand honest, the
hell with it. W hat I want to know is why they don’t
carry through with an investigation like that fel
low who made the $400,000. L isten, do you think
anyone with the power to let contracts is going to give
away even the government’s money to a rank outsider?
H ell, no. I f you knew m y business you’d know the
only way a sales engineer can make $400,000 is by
paying kickback money to the guy who is letting the
government’s contracts and allowing the profits. W hat
I want to know is why all these here clean1up investi
gations get to the sales engineers, but why they always
stop before they get right on up to the guys inside the
government who are taking the kickbacks.”
A civilian employee of a government agency:
“T her e are over ten thousand people in my agency.
W e have a guy for personnel director who has a very
little mind. H e used to play in an orchestra around
W ashington and then someone got him a government
job for about $2,600. P eople have been promoted
indiscriminately. N ow this monkey makes $5,600.
H is old pals from the music world come streaming
through the office and he still books orchestras— during
office hours. H e’s an affable, inoffensive guy.
“ H e would be funny in this job i f he weren’t part
of a tragic thing about W ashington right now: incom
petent people in jobs that are too big for incompetence.
H er e’s how a man like this can clutter up a wartime
) fe
307
agency. H er e is a letter he wrote to a field director—
and circularized to all the rest of us in the agency—
discussing the personality problem of a woman secre
tary. R ead this thing. H er e is a ridiculous ignoramus
sitting in W ashington giving what he thinks is a high1
powered lecture on psychology to a field chief a thou
sand miles away, about a woman he has never seen.
I t would be all right to fire her. B ut that’s not enough.
H e has to clutter up a vital agency with a stupid letter
for everyone to initial— a piece of red tape that adds
nothing to winning the war, but makes his position
seem just a little more important— he thinks.
“ T his is a little thing. M icroscopic when compared
to the war effort. B ut it’s an example of what W ash
ington is eaten through with. W hat to do about it I
don’t know. B ut I know one thing. T his guy, i f the
army doesn’t draft him, could probably hold on to his
job as long as there was a W ashington. B ut let a good,
fighting, liberal, anti1Fascist get into the same kind of
a job and i f he had ever made a public statement that
he wanted F ranco to lose in Spain the chances are that
D ies and the civil service would be after his job in a
month.
“T h e P resident has issued an order against racial
discrimination. R ight here in this agency we require
job applicants to submit photographs of themselves.
I f their skin is dark or their names end in ‘ski’ there
are no openings.”
A Negro newspaperman: “ I sn’t the P resident wor
ried at all at the way people like T alm adge and D ixon
are whipping up race1hate in a cold1blooded attack on
the N ew D eal? W h y is he letting this business go by
default? T alm adge is giving the bigots leadership.
B ut why hasn’t the N ew D eal made any effort to give
some leadership to the men of good w ill who want to
fight this thing? D oesn’t he know this is a crisis with
real military importance? W h y hasn’t he made a fire
side appeal to the simple decency in people, and why
hasn’t he tried to expose this thing as a cold1blooded
campaign to hijack the N ew D eal in the South?
“T h e N egro needs real help. H e needs it bad and
he needs it now. A nd he needs more than liberal white
journalism. A l l that M arshall F ield’s Sun and P M
can publish would not 1have as much effect in breaking
down economic barriers as fifty well trained colored
girls in M arshall F ield’s store or in the Sears, R oebuck
of D onald N elson, who is managing all the war indus
tries in which the P resident says there must be no
discrimination.”
T his is how people are talking in W ashington. I t is
unfortunate that, because it is wartime and they do not
hold important credentials, the P resident no longer
stands close enough to hear their voices.
% )"' & & %"
Washington
 >-
*’
SEPTEMBER I4 , 1 9 4 2
and motor1corps cars. B y disrupting this traffic, the
J apanese could have cut the lifeline of island defense.
H owever, officials found no indications of any such
attempt. T h e rumor soon died in H awaii. I t was re
futed by hundreds of local people who used the road
that day. H owever, it has persisted on the mainland,
and a question I am often asked is, “D id they shoot
those J apanese who blocked the road to P earl H arbor?”
I n W ashington I was told that a navy captain who
had been at P earl H arbor had given this story of the
road1blocking to the press. I immediately talked with
him. H e explained that what had happened was this:
H e had jumped into his car in M anoa V alley, which
is some five miles from the P earl H arbor highway,
and as he drove down M anoa R oad he almost collided
with a carload of Orientals. T h ey were driving wildly
and seemed excited. T h e captain told this story to a
gathering of newspapermen in response to the repeated
question, “D id you see any confusion?” H e said that
this part of his interview, which was only an incidental
recollection, was picked up by several of the news
papers to the exclusion of the rest of his story and
given wide publicity as a sabotage story throughout
the mainland U nited States. H e did not claim that
these Orientals were J apanese or imply that they were
sabotaging. T h ey might even have been volunteer
truck drivers rushing to their battle stations. T h e
captain claimed he was sorry he had even mentioned
the incident to the reporters.
J ust the day before I left H onolulu, the chief agent
of the F ederal Bureau of I nvestigation in H awaii told
me, “ Y ou can say without fear of contradiction that
there has not been a single act of sabotage— either be
fore D ecember 7, during the day of the attack, or at
any time since.” Chief Gabrielson of the H onolulu
police, which works in close collaboration with the
army, told me the same thing. “ I f the J apanese here
had wanted to do damage, D ecember 7 offered them a
golden opportunity,” he added.
“ W here were the J apanese on that Sunday i f they
were not out sabotaging?” you ask the chief of police.
“ H undreds of them were actively defending the
territory,” he w ill tell you. “ M embers of the Oahu
Citizens’ D efense Committee, most of them J apanese,
rushed to their posts as volunteer truck drivers. T h ey
stripped a hundred delivery trucks of their contents,
inserted into them frames prepared to hold four litters,
and went tearing out to P earl H arbor to aid the
wounded. Some of these J apanese got there so promptly
that their trucks were hit. by flying shrapnel. T h ey
proudly display these pieces of steel now as souvenirs.”
W hen the call came over the radio for blood donors,
again the J apanese were among the first to respond,
and by the hundreds. T h ey stood in line at Q ueen’s
H ospital for hours, waiting to give their blood to save
the lives of American soldiers.
A t P earl H arbor, two J apanese boys saw a machine1
* 309
gunner having some difficulty setting up his gun. T h ey
ran to him, helped him steady it for action, and fed
him ammunition. Both worked so fast that they had to
have emergency treatment for burns at the hospital.
Soon after the litter1bearers arrived at T r ipler H os
pital with the first wounded, Surgeon K in g sent out
an emergency call for surgical teams. A t that moment
J apanese surgeons were sitting with other H onolulu
doctors, listening to a lecture on war surgery. T h ey
leaped to their feet with the rest and were at T r ipler
within fifteen minutes. T h er e they stayed, working
swiftly and accurately for long hours, saving the lives
of their fellow Americans. M any an A merican mother
today owes the life of her son to their skill.
T hese loyal Americans of J apanese ancestry are on
the spot. So far they have been remarkably level
headed. T h e strain on them is going to become even
more intense as the weeks and months go on and the
prospect of an attempted invasion of Oahu by the
forces of J apan comes nearer. T h e pressure on them
from Americans who distrust them w ill become greater.
T his pressure comes from the white man who says,
“ N o matter what a J ap says, don’t trust him. Once a
J apanese always a J apanese. J ust let a J ap make one
false move when I ’m around!”
T his man believes that skin color and race are more
powerful than democracy. H e is making it difficult for
the intelligence forces in the islands to proceed on a
basis of fact rather than on a basis of rumor and hys
teria. A ccording to the findings of the intelligence
services, the fact is that not all J apanese are the same
— that the second and third1generation J apanese in
H awaii can be counted upon in any emergency, and
that although the grandparent generation contains indi
viduals who are sympathetic to the homeland in a
nostalgic sort of way, they are not organized and the
potentially dangerous have already been locked up.
T h e younger people have been grateful to their
friends in H awaii for not turning against them in this
crisis. T h ey were ver y thankful to M r . L eslie H icks,
prominent H onolulu business man, when he gave a
widely broadcast talk in favor of tolerance and fair
treatment to the J apanese in H awaii. H e praised them
for their fine record in the past and asked the American
workers who arrived from the mainland recently to
make a distinction between the J apanese imperialist
government and the J apanese people livin g in H awaii.
T h e J apanese in H awaii have found the U nited
States A r m y absolutely fair and impartial. A t first
there was a rumor that no J apanese would be taken into
the army, and they were afraid that such official dis
crimination would foster all sorts of anti1J apanese feel
ing. T h ey were relieved to find themselves drafted.
“ N ow we have a chance to prove our loyalty,” they
said. T h ey are convinced that they get a square deal
in the army. O n the day of the blitz a J apanese private,
first class, rushed to his battle station, where he set such
J
m
 3 io
a good example o£ alertness and quid: thinking that
he was promoted to the rank of corporal the following
week. T h is recognition reaffirmed the local J apanese
belief in the fairness of the army.
O ne of the few ancient J apanese customs which has
persisted during this conflict is that of giving the
drafted youth of the family a farewell send1off to the
wars. E ver y so often, you see in one of the J apanese1
language newspapers a little block advertisement, say
ing something like this:
M r. and M rs. K . H arada wish to thank all their friends
who participated in last evening’s celebration of the glorious
induction of their eldest son, K azuo, into the U nited States
Army.
A n d they mean it. T h e J apanese believe that the son
who works hard to become a good soldier w ill be appre
ciated by the authorities. T h ey also believe that he w ill
be promoted as fast as any white recruit, depending
entirely upon his diligence and ability, regardless of his
ancestry. T h ey cannot help celebrating that.
W hat seems clear in the H awaiian J apanese situation
Politics and a Second Front
a po l e o n u sed t o sa y that he won his cam
■ paigns because he had only alliances as his
opponents. H itherto H itler could say the
same thing. F or hitherto he has had no difficulty
dealing with his enemies one by one, thanks to the
timein
after the U SSR was attacked, the prevailing opin
inability of the U nited N ations to evolve a united
strategy and a unified command. T h is failure has been
most marked and may have the most serious conse
quences over the question of opening a second front in
E urope while the great bulk of H itler ’s forces (esti
mates var y between two1thirds and four1fifths) are en
gaged in Russia.
T h e Soviet U nion has always insisted that 1942
would be the peak year of the war, and that every
preparation should be made to launch simultaneous and
concentric blows at G ermany before the end of the
year. T h e British and Americans have gone on tran
quilly preparing for their offensive against Germany
in 1943 or later. T h is was partly due, no doubt, to the
difficulty o f speeding up A merican and even British
preparations to the point where it would be materially
possible for us to take the offensive in 1942, against
even the limited forces H itler has in W estern E urope.
P ar tly the unexpected vigor of J apan’s aggressive
drive, the serious set1back in L ibya, and our shipping
losses retarded the A llies’ offensive capacity.
B ut even with full allowance for these factors, it is
difficult to overlook the importance of political con
siderations, such as nationalist and imperialist concep
tions of strategy and the skepticism among British
THE N E W REPUBLIC
is this: the great majority— the second and third gen
erations— are overwhelmingly loyal to the U nited
States. O f the older, first generation, alien J apanese,
many favor J apan, but by no means all of them. N o
where in any of these groups has there been evidence
of a fifth column, or of any sort of underground
organization. A l l of the individuals who the intelli
gence services had reason to believe were potentially
dangerous have been interned. T h e rest have a clean
bill of health. 1
L et us ask ourselves objectively and dispassionately,
what is the best way to obtain the continued whole
hearted cooperation of this large group? M y belief,
based upon the findings of the F ederal Bureau of
I nvestigation and upon my own observation during
twelve years in H awaii, is that these people already be
lieve in democracy and want to fight for it. T h e more
we extend democracy to them, the more they w ill have
to fight for. I f we take away what freedom and equal
ity they now enjoy as loyal Americans, we abandon
them to fascist propaganda and rob them of the incen
tive to resist fascist ideas. b l a k e c l a r k
military authorities, to which free reign was given in
the press in the summer and autumn of 1941, as to
the staying power of the Soviet U nion. F or a long
ion of military critics in pro1government newspapers
was that the Soviet U nion’s resistance could hardly be
prolonged beyond five or six weeks. B y J anuary, 1942,
this view had changed to a few months. B ut only about
A pril was the idea abandoned that the fight being put
up by the U SSR was anything more than a large1
scale diversion, like the last1minute resistance of Y u go
slavia magnified many times j which was as welcome
as it was unexpected, but could not reasonably be ex
pected to last long enough to affect the major strat
egy o f the war. T h at low view of the military power
and w ill to fight of the Soviet U nion was due at least
as much to political prejudice as to military ignorance.
T h e question of opening a second front in E urope
in 1942 can be said to be primarily and properly a
political rather than a military question. I t is political
in the first place because it is a question of givin g mili
tary effect to a political decision that has already been
taken. W hen the British and A merican governments at
the time of the signature of the A nglo1Soviet treaty
and the conclusion of the R oosevelt1 M olotov conver
sations, stated that they had reached full agreement
with the Soviet government on the important task of
opening a second front in E urope in 1942, they gave
what was for all practical purposes a pledge. L awyers
may pick holes in the formula to argue that it did not
0, ! (0 8&(0 # &/&? (
By GRACE E. WILLS

A t the commencement We are continuing our investiga Americans regarding the ne
exercises of the University cessity for so complete an
tions of the wholesale evacuation
of California this spring, evacuation, and regarding the
just four and a half months of JapaneseFAmericans from their constitutional question in
after the national disaster at homes in the Pacific Coast region. volved in moving American
Pearl H arbor, President citizens, all groups are agreed
Robert Gordon Sproul an Further facts on the situation will that only the military authori
nounced, “The winner of the be printed in a forthcoming issue. ties have all the data upon
U niversity medal cannot be which to base such a serious
here today because his coun decision. Granted the neces
try has called him elsewhere.” sity, it had to be accomplished as speedily as pos
The recipient of the medal was a young sible to leave the armed forces free for their special
American citizen, born of J apanese parents, a job of active defense of the nation. The problems of
twenty1one1year1old premedical student. H e could organization were great before thousands of fam
not be present because, with others of J apanese ilies could be lifted from their homes and transport
ancestry, he had been evacuated from the military ed to the Assembly Centers. Suitable sites, publicly
zone in which he lived and sent to one of the owned and capable of accommodating a minimum
army’s temporary Assembly Centers. Before he of five thousand persons, had to be prepared in but
left college he said to friends, “I t’s tough to be an a few weeks. Army engineers and construction
American imbued with the ideals of democracy workers did a magnificent job. Sociologists and
and to be regarded as a potential enemy.” social workers aided the army in every way pos
So feel others among the young J apanese1 sible in the tremendous undertaking. They
Americans who have lived all their lives in this worked with the administration day and night,
country and have been educated in our schools. planning such details of the evacuation as touched
M any wish ardently to have a part in helping their fields of service. The responsibility and or
America to win the war. But at the same time ganization were the army’s but the concentration
they are realists and know the enormity of the and devotion of these men and women to the job
defense problem which December - so suddenly to be done contributed inestimably to the efficiency
imposed upon the federal government and upon of the first mass . evacuation in America’s
military and naval authorities on our W est Coast. history, for which the nation had neither previous
I f it is sheer military necessity that is evacuating experience nor trained personnel.
them from a one hundred and fifty mile wide I n any country there are some citizens who
coastal zone (ninety1eight thousand men, women for religious or idealistic reasons find it hard to
and children) they are anxious to cooperate. But reconcile themselves to the paradoxes, the inherent
in their hearts they hope that later when they violence, of war. They guard jealously the
arrive in a permanent Relocation Center for the values of the human spirit. On the Coast some
“duration,” there will be found a constructive of them for years have been close to the young
contribution they can make to American life and J apanese1American citizens in churches, in col
the war effort. They will be glad if, from there leges, in citizenship clubs. I t is indeed a tribute
some of the young men are drafted for the na when such as they have nothing but praise for the
tion’s armed forces. There are several thousand kindness, the patience, the humanity, with which
J apanese1American citizens already under arms, the army performed its gigantic task of, moving
serving in Canada and Iceland. the evacuees. One said, “The soldiers, far more
Although opinions differ among Caucasian1 than some of the rest of us, never forgot the fact
that most of the evacuees are American citizens.”
I n the evacuations, family units have been
kept together as the J apanese wished. Distributed
G r a c e E. W il l s , after four years in Hawaii studying the
life of the islands, is now living in California, where she among the population of these temporary centers
collected the data for the present article. are various social groupings. Among these are
AUGUST, 1 942 487
 the ) or aliens born in J apan, those who are
not considered a danger to the safety of the coun
try. (T he dangerous ones were interned right
after Pearl H arbor.) O f the inner allegiance of
all of these none can be certain, but many are
simple, hard1working folk who have lived in this
country for forty years and more, and in whom
is no guile. Their pastors and their Caucasian
neighbors testify to that. Their devotion is to
their American children, and they regard America
as their friend. J apan’s action on December 7
made them sick at heart. A few just like these
committed suicide for shame. Said the note of
one: “J apan goes greatly wrong. I cannot face
my good friend America, so I have to die.”
There are elderly scholars also among these
uprooted lssei, and artists and small business men.
Perhaps the change is most difficult for them.
They have no more resilience of youth.
Among the young American citizens is a small
group known as the Although born in
America, they have spent some time in J apan,
having been sent by their parents as a rule, for
educational or business purposes. This group
has presumably been exposed to propaganda and
influence. Some are sympathetic to J apan. But
many cases are known of K ibei who became even
more appreciative of their American citizenship
after what they saw while in J apan.
The third and largest group is the / , who
have never been to the country of their parents.
Apart from their features they are much like all
other young Americans, with the same variations
in intellectual ability, the same reactions and sen
sitivities, the same interests in sport, in dancing,
in the movies and the funnies. F ew of them
understand the J apanese language or are even in
terested in things J apanese. But in the process of
growing up, of rubbing shoulders with America,
they have lost the respect for elders, the devotion
to duty, the reverence of their J apanese forebears.
M oon1viewing or hanging poems on beautiful
trees would seem tame occupation indeed to some
of their modern young souls.
The most intelligent of the Nisei have concen
trated on understanding the essence of America.
Perhaps their interest in the meaning of that word
“democracy” would put to shame the casualness
of many other of our youths. T o some of them
it promises a new world founded on justice and
human brotherhood. I n the centers this group
misses most the contact with Caucasian friends.
But they are not grumbling. They know well
the history of their J apanese fathers in these
western states. T hey are aware of the crisscross
of politics and the economic strains. Through
their studies they understand clearly why Cauca
488
sian workers in the past feared the competition of
J apanese laborers as they came in increasing num
bers into these states. I n their response to the
hunger of the agriculturists for cheap labor, the
immigrants were unaware for a long time of the
threat they themselves constituted to West Coast
labor, and therefore to the American standard of
living. The intellectual Nisei see plainly why
their people inevitably became the football of
politicians for several decades, and the scapegoats
of frustration. Since they worked for the rail
roads or in the fields, the gang1boss handled all
their affairs. They undertook the menial jobs
which were uncongenial to white men. Often
enough they did not know that the gang1boss
underbid all other labor to gain an entry into in
dustry for newcomers from J apan. Then, having
in this new land no families, no recreation, no
common language for communication with Ameri
can workers, they toiled instead long hours in the
fields, setting even more deeply than the Chinese
before them had set the pattern for oriental
labor. And not alone for oriental labor, but for
migratory workers of any race.
Trouble came when the J apanese showed they
were not content to remain an unsettled people.
They hungered to have their families with them
and wanted homes in which to live. T o clothe and
educate their children they needed wages more
nearly approximating those of Caucasian labor.
And so they bought or leased a few acres of land
when they could do so, and set up as independent
farmers. I f they leased, they were favored tenants
because of the way they cared for the soil. And
they were willing to pay higher rentals than the
Caucasians. Because all members of the J apanese
families helped in the fields, they were able to pro
duce more than their Caucasian neighbors and to
bring down the prices for the pleased consumer.
The J apanese loved this new country. They
reclaimed waste deltas and wild valleys. They
almost made deserts to bloom. T hey had a genius
for plants and for the soil.
I n the cities they did a lot of the work con
nected with the process of living. They labored
in markets, restaurants and hotels, and people
liked them individually. Women enjoyed their
kimonos, and sought their ' dinners. They
appreciated their graciousness and cleanliness.
The men among the J apanese are inherently
skilled craftsmen, with knowledge of woods and
household decorations possessed by few peoples.
But unfortunately oriental exclusion was incul
cated in Californian institutions, and they were
barred from the building trades and crafts.
Yes, there was much the J apanese did not
understand. And from 1900 on, anti1alien groups
ASIA
 sprang up, which were like dry grass for the spark
of the politician. There is not space here to write
of the efforts of these leagues against the J apanese.
Twice President Theodore Roosevelt sent to Cali
fornia a representative of the federal government,
to investigate situations which were a breach of
American treaties with J apan, treaties which
J apan observed faithfully in the days before her
military revolutionists came into power.
But these visitors from Washington only
made California more obstinate. I n the East,
Congressmen complained that the state was try
ing to dictate the international policies of the
nation, that the tail was endeavoring to wag the
dog. F or years there was little sympathy in the
capital for the demand to exclude the J apanese.
Theodore Roosevelt saved the situation by
proposing the Gentlemen’s Agreement with J apan
to restrict immigration of its laboring nationals
to the United States. I t is a matter of record that
J apan scrupulously observed this agreement also.
A fter 1913, when the California Alien L and
Act forbade aliens ineligible for citizenship to
lease or purchase agricultural land, the J apanese
did this in the names of their citizen children.
I n 1920 there was agitation to debar Nisei
from the franchise. I n that year too, anti1alien
groups united to form the powerful California
J oint I mmigration Committee, including the
American L egion, the Native Sons and Daughters
of the Golden West, the Federation of L abor, and
other groups and clubs.
Then came the passing of the I mmigration
Act in Washington in 1924. President Coolidge
signed it with deep regret. But the act put an end
to further immigration of J apanese and relieved
apprehensions lest they should dominate the West.
T o the J apanese, life is like the bamboo stalk.
Trials occur with regularity, like the joints in its
stem, and the intervals between are not long. But
surely December 7 brought the heaviest trouble
of all to the West Coast J apanese.
I n this crisis the Nisei dreaded the resurrec
tion of those elements which have always been
opposed to their fathers in California. They kept
away from state officials, but some of them co
operated with the F .B.I . and the Naval I ntelli
gence officers in apprehending disloyal aliens, as
a perusal of the newspapers of the period cor
roborates. I n L os Angeles, a prominent member
of the Anti1Axis Committee of the J apanese
Colony was Tokutaro Slocum, who is also a
member of the Veterans of Foreign W ars and of
the American L egion, “and talks the language of
a typical veteran.” “Any price we pay is not too
great to win this war,” he said. “On the night of
December 7 he aided the F .B.I . and Naval I ntel1
AUGUST, 1 942
ligence by leading them to the homes of certain
dangerous and subversive persons among the
J apanese and they are now interned,” wrote the
reporter.
I n the new year telegrams poured into Gov
ernor Olson’s office urging him to request federal
authorities to remove from California all J apan
ese, both American1born and alien, at once. A
certain radio commentator joined in the clamor.
L etters and telegrams poured into Washington
also, but comparatively few were against the de
mand for evacuation. Some J apanese, disturbed
over the situation, sought permission from Gen
eral De W itt to evacuate themselves. But this
voluntary evacuation was soon called off, having
proved a failure because of discrimination and
hostility. The county of Tulare, to which many
of these people went, is a focal point of the Asso
ciated Farmers of California, an organization
well known to be anti1J apanese. I ts farmer1mem
bership is voluble in political offices and in news
papers. Since April Tulare County farmers have
had their own guerrilla troops, the Bald Eagles,
who wear no uniforms, take no drills, keep no
membership lists and furnish their own guns.
One J apanese said now: “I f evacuated we do
not know where to go. W e wish to be directed
by the government and sent together, with our
families intact, and in sufficient numbers to help
one another over a difficult period of adjustment.”
The military authorities began to plan for
action along that line. They deemed it necessary
both to protect our defenses from sabotage and
also to protect the J apanese from possible mob
violence during the mounting passions of war.
I n February Congress sent a committee headed
by Representative J ohn H . Tolan of California to
hold hearings on the West Coast and to learn the
temper of the people. The committee listened to
all who would come to it, right and left and cen
ter, and its printed record is strong and vital,
more alive than many novels. The West Coast is
in its pages, with its humanity, its pugnaciousness
and its fears, all real.
Evacuations began while the committee was
here. I t discovered there was not yet an Alien1
Property1Custodian to assist the evacuees, and it
wired Washington. I n other ways too it helped
greatly. M achinery was set up to care for the
property and problems of evacuees, but at first
there were wide gaps between the protective in
tentions of the government and the actual per
formance, on the ground of inexperienced per
sonnel. When property could be stored, there was
a limit to the amount. Government agents as
sumed charge of some kinds of property, but al
ways at the owner’s risk. Before the machinery
4R9
got to working properly, J apanese suffered often
through the false advice and misrepresentations of
unscrupulous persons on the outside. From every
point of view, the task of moving ninety1eight
thousand people of all ages has been stupendous.
The evacuees have been understanding and
patient.» But hundreds of them read the papers
every day and, like us, see items such as this from
a L os Angeles paper, reporting a meeting of dis
trict attorneys of southern counties with state
attorney E arl Warren.
“The group of prosecutors also expressed
themselves in general discussion as favoring
amendments of the law [Alien L and L aw] in a
manner which would permit the state to resort
to the Courts in a more efficient manner, to ferret
out land ownership by persons whom the state
suspects of having acquired such property ille
gally. I n this connection the prosecutors expect
to ask the state legislature to make it possible to
sue oriental aliens in the state’s courts to prevent
them through injunctions from owning and ac
quiring land.”
T wo suits have been filed in the courts, on behalf
of the heads of the American L egion and the
N ative Sons and Daughters of the Golden West.
These suits involve the disfranchisement of thou
sands of young people of J apanese parentage.
They were brought against the registrars of San
Francisco and Alameda counties, to strike from
the rolls the names of ninety citizens of J apanese
ancestry— who voted by mail at a recent municipal
bond election— because they come under the juris
diction of the Emperor of J apan.
Some citizens believe an attempt is being made
to obtain possession of J apanese lands. A t the
hearings of the Tolan Committee this thought
was voiced. But M r. L awrence H ewes, director
of the Farm Security Administration with juris
diction over four western states, points out that,
of the land operated by the J apanese, only thirteen
per cent is in fee simple and owned by them.
Eighty1five per cent is merely leased from Cauca
sian owners who have considered the J apanese
excellent tenants. A large proportion of the prop
erties operated by them is marginal land. W ill it
be as productive under Caucasian management?
A t present, in mid1J une, the greater part
of the West Coast evacuees wait in the temporary
Assembly Centers. By fall all of them will be
living in one or another of the centers of the W ar
Relocation Authority (civilian). M ilitary guard
ianship will be evident only on the outside. There
will be no soldiers inside. So far as is pos
sible under the circumstances, this civilian A u
thority wishes the centers to become real homes.
Apartments are small, about twenty by twenty1
490
five feet, and subdivided to suit the families in
habiting them. They are prefabricated buildings
supplemented with tar paper. Evacuees may use
their own furniture and decorations.
M uch in the proposed program will depend
upon the administrative personnel of each center,
upon their realization of the serious social and
psychological problems involved in these drastic
evacuations. This realization is as important as
their practical qualifications. So far the appoint
ments of which I have known have been of a
fine caliber, indicating genuine concern on the
part of the Authority and a sense of the nation’s
great responsibility in this temporary uprooting
of thousands of people. One of the virtues of the
West Coast J apanese is their horror of idleness
and dependency. I n the present Assembly Centers
employment for every one is not possible, but in
the Relocation Centers there will be no idleness.
The centers are to develop noncompetitive indus
trial and agricultural programs which will enable
them to become as self1sustaining as possible.
They can manufacture many of the requirements
of the army and navy during this war.
The Relocation Authority, under the direction
of M ilton B. Eisenhower, is responsible for
the safety and care of the evacuees until after the
armistice. I t is charged with protecting from
outside exploitation those evacuees who as volun
tary members of the “work corps” may travel
here and there to assist in seasonal agriculture.
Firms or individuals applying for such help must
undertake to pay the traveling expenses of the
workers, and to protect them from violence. This
is the part of the program which some citizens
fear may be subjected to pressure from great
agricultural interests, especially now that M exico
is in the war and her labor therefore not available.
Some of the young J apanese look forward
with great hope to arrival in the Relocation Cen
ters, especially the more creative of the college1
trained youth. One small agricultural group
dreams of a self1supporting cooperative project,
and the plan has received attention.
W e are at the beginning of an unpredictable
period in the history of our J apanese1American
people. I t is possible that out of this enforced
migration may come something constructive for
the evacuees and for ourselves. The break1up of
the ingrown J apanese communities, and the col
laboration with Caucasians in the Relocation Cen
ters, may hasten the assimilation of the J apanese
into American life. But to those who are interested
in the welfare and the legal rights of thousands of
young J apanese1American citizens, it is of real
concern that when at last the war is over, the way
will be open for them to return to their former life.
& (6 & I
y 145
J U N E 29, 1 9 4 2
essen tia lly a diversion tim ed to coincide w ith the un 
su ccessfu l attem p t to seize M id w ay. T h e sh ellin g of^
pointsNpn the C anadian and A m erican w est coast
another V ffort to create confusion am ong Jap an ’s oppo
nents. H ow ever, several landings have been directed
in the w estern A leutians, w here foul w eather iia m p ers
A m erican counterattacks. T h is m ay foreshadow a
m ajor drive ag&inst A la sk a ; or it m ay 01 a precau
tion ary m easure an ticip ation of operations against
the Soviet U nion.
Guerrillas in Southeast Asia
T h e Japanese radio c o n t in u s to report m inor m ili
tary operations in the P h m p p m es and N eth erla n d s
India. T h u s B asilan in tire P h ilip p in es w as said to
have been occupied la te ill M ay, ancNon June 19 T o k y o
announced the occupation of the M oluccas. D u tch offi
cials report th at organized guerrilla a c id it y is going
on in the N eth erlan d s In d ies, and liaison is ireing m ain
tained w ith A ustralia. In form ation from tnk P h ilip 
pines is m uch scantier and it is not know n w hether
com m unications^exist, but there is probably som e guer
rilla a ctiv ity . /The F ilip in os have in the p ast, andN i
the present war, d isp layed great ap titu d e for th is kinc
of w arfare. It is clearly in the in terest of the U n ited
N a tio n s to tak e advantage of every p ossib le oppor
tu n ity to stim u late and aid guerrilla action in the areas
occupied b y Japan.
Japanese Evacuation from the
Pacific Coast
By GAL E N M . FI SH E R
h e total evacuation of the J apanese from our
T Pacific Coast is an unprecedented event in our
national history. So momentous is it that it merits
careful and continuing examination both as a war meas
ure and in its implications for post1war policies.
A sta tistica l description of the evacu ation w ould
read: A pproxim ately 109,000 persons of Japanese stock
lived in M ilita ry A rea N o . 1, the broad 150-m ile strip
along the P acific coast, at the tim e the U n ited States
entered the war. O f th is num ber, about 9,000 m oved
out of th at area before M arch 29, 1942, w hen further
volu n tary evacu ation w as prohibited, so th at about
100,000 w ere evacuated b y the A rm y. N o t qu ite half
of the evacuees were agricu ltu ralists; in C alifornia
th ey raised 42% of all truck crops grow n in the sta te
in 1941. A liens num bered 40% , and citizen s b y birth
y
, The 'fepllapse of organized resistance in the P h ilip 
pines anchthe N eth erla n d s In d ies le ft uncaptured sm all
bands of trained D u tch , Indonesian, A m erican and
F ilip in o troops at various scattered ou tp osts. Som e of
them are doubtless holding out in rem ote m ountain
or jungle regions w ith the aid o f local in h ab itan ts.
From northern A u stralia a chain of islands s t r e t c h y
all the w ay to Luzoto w ith no great sea d istan ces iprer-
vening. T h e JapaneseScannot be everyw here. L /w o u ld
not seem im possible fok the in g en u ity thaD*smuggled
G eneral M acA rthur out oV the P h ilip p in e ^ to m aintain
som e liaison w ith o c c u p ie d \r e a s and «ven to sm uggle
sm all q u an tities of m u n it io n s \i th ^ d p p o site direction.
Supplies used to be sm uggled r W ila r ly on the China
coast d esp ite Japanese v ig ila p ¿ e \¡in d even Japanese
connivance w as som etim es odrch aseck O rgan ized guer
rilla operations w ill n o t h i n the w aK but th ey can
effectively ham per Jaram’s efforts to con solid ate and
exp loit her recent coliquests. M oreover, s W contact
w ith the outside j^orld, how ever slig h t, wW rem ind
and w ill steel th¿m against subm ission to the v w a d e r .
Also in th/N ew s
BritisJ* subm arines have sunk three Japanese supply
ships the Strait of M alacca.— A rrangem ents have
b e e r /m a d e to exchange a shipload of Japanese dip lo
m á is and journalists for corresponding A m erican per
sonnel stranded in Japan. m . s. f .
in the U n ited S tates, 6 0% ; but w ith the older genera
tion rapidly d yin g off, the percentage of citizen s thus
m oved w ill soon be 80% .
F orces Im p ellin g E vacuation
T h e m ilitary historian w ill record th at evacuation
w as caused b y our in volvem en t in a tw o-ocean war,
the w est coast thereby being le ft in danger of a Jap
anese in vasion in w hich fifth colu m n ists m ight p la y a
disastrous part. T h e social historian w ould add that
com plex forces w ere at w ork : the treachery of the
Japanese G o v ern m en t; the unpreparedness of the
A m erican forces at P earl H a r b o r ; the tradition of vigi-
lan tism in the w e st; certain econom ic and p olitica l
in terests eager to profit b y expulsion o f the J a p a n e se ;
 146
anti-O riental prejudice, the present outburst being
on ly the la test o f the racial eruptions th a t began sev-
e n ty years ago; and the general acceptance b y the
public of the rum ors o f sabotage b y Japanese residents
in H aw aii.
T h e grounds for the total evacu ation announced by
the governm ent w ere sum m ed up in the b lan k et phrase
“m ilitary n e c e ssity .” W hen the P resident, b y his order
o f F ebruary 19, 1942, gave the Secretary o f W ar
au th ority to exclude an y persons from prescribed
areas, he based it on the n ecessity of “protection
again st espionage and sab otage.” In the exercise of
th is au th ority, G eneral D e W itt’s staff has indicated
th at h is orders for indiscrim inate evacu ation of all
Japanese w ere due to fear o f Japanese fifth-colum n
sabotage and to fear o f m ob violen ce against Japanese
residents in case o f further m ilitary reverses or of an
a tta ck b y the en em y on the w est coast.
I t is im p ossib le, o f course, to prove th a t n ational
secu rity did or did n ot require th is evacu a tio n ; that
could on ly have been dem onstrated b y tryin g a less
drastic solu tion and w aitin g to see w h at happened.
T h e stak es w ere high, and the A rm y ap parently con 
cluded it could not tak e resp on sib ility for less-than-
com p lete precautions.
A s for m ob violen ce, no one w ho w as on the spot
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS RELATING TO JAPANESE EVACUATION
D e c e m b e r 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attack.
D e c e m b e r 8 : Declaration of War by the United States.
F e b r u a r y 13, 1942: Letter of Pacific Coast Congressional Dele
gation to the President, recommending “the immediate evacua
tion of all persons of Japanese lineage and all others, aliens
and citizens alike, whose presence shall be deemed dangerous
or inimical to the defense of the United States, from all
strategic areas.”
F e b r u a r y 19: Executive Order of the President, authorizing the
Secretary of War to prescribe military areas from which he
and the military commanders whom he may designate may ex
clude any or all persons.
F e b r u a r y 21: The Select Committee investigating National
Defense Migration, House of Representatives (The Tolan
Committee), began its hearings on the Pacific Coast, at San
Francisco. Similar hearings were held within the next ten
days at Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. The reports of the
Committee form the most comprehensive source on the Jap
anese Evacuation. It is felt by some students of the subject
that the Committee’s conclusions show a bias against the Jap
anese, especially in that it recommended hearing boards for
German and Italian aliens, but not for Japanese, either aliens
or citizens.
F e b r u a r y 23: Telegram sent by Tolan Committee to Secretary
of the Treasury recommending establishment of a regional
alien-property custodian office for the Pacific Coast. On March
9 the Treasury announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of
San Francisco had been directed to work out a comprehensive
plan.
FAR E A S T E R N S U R V E Y
in D ecem b er and January w ould dispute th at General
D e W itt had grounds for fear. P u b lic h y steria w as due,
in large m easure, to reports th a t resident Japanese
had ram m ed planes a t Pearl H arbor w ith trucks and
had blocked h igh w ays lead in g to th e H arbor. N o t
u n til three m onths after the Pearl H arbor atta ck were
th ese reports denied b y H a w a iia n and F ederal authori
ties, b ela ted ly h elp in g to a lla y h y steria and reducing
the danger of violen ce. T h e official R oberts R eport
stressed Japanese espionage in H a w a ii, but neither
affirmed nor denied that there had been sabotage.
Japanese in H aw aii
T h e E x ecu tiv e Order o f February 19 em braced
H a w a ii as w ell as all parts of the m ainland, but no
Japanese evacu ation s from H a w a ii have been an
nounced, although persons of Japanese a n cestry num 
ber m ore than one-third of the to ta l population. T h e
Secretary of W ar has m ade no public explanation of
th is strik in g difference in p o licy from th at pursued
on the P acific C oast. Ships w ould be n ecessary to
evacu ate a n y large num ber from H a w a ii, and the
shipping shortage m ay be one factor. M oreover, H a w a ii
needs all a v a ilab le labor, including Japanese, in d efense
w ork and on the plan tation s.
M a r c h 2 : Lieut. General John L. DeWitt issued Proclamation
No. 1 defining Military Area No. 1, from which any or all
persons may be excluded. Official press release made clear
that all Japanese were liable to be evacuated.
M a r c h 15 : Wartime Civilian Control Administration created
by General DeWitt.
M a r c h 16: General DeWitt issued Proclamation No. 2, extend
ing the alien control program to include Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, and Utah.
M a r c h 17 : Act of Congress providing penalties for violation of
restrictions on persons imposed under authority of Executive
Order of February 19.
M a r c h 18: Presidential Executive Order establishing the War
Relocation Authority.
M a r c h 19: Inquiry by Tolan Committee addressed to Governors
of 15 Western States as to attitude of respective States on
receiving Japanese evacuees, the replies being unfavorable ex
cept in case of Colorado.
M a r c h 24: Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1 issued by General
DeWitt, affecting “all persons of Japanese ancestry” in Bain-
bridge Island, Washington.
M a r c h 29: Further voluntary evacuation by Japanese from
Military Area No. 1 prohibited by General DeWitt.
J u n e 1 : Evacuation of all Japanese from Military Area No. 1 to
Assembly Centers or Relocation Areas practically completed.
J u n e 2 : General DeWitt issued Proclamation No. 6, imposing
an 8 :00 p.m. - 6 :00 a.m. curfew and 10-mile-travel restrictions
on all persons of Japanese ancestry in Military Area No. 2, in
California. This is the Eastern Section.
J U N E 29, 1 9 4 2
Inform ed C aucasian residents in H a w a ii have ex
pressed the opinion th at lo y a lty to the U n ited S tates
is high, even am ong the aliens, and is nearly u n an i
m ous am ong the A m erican-born. T h e y a ttrib u te th is
in good part to the long-continued and general prac
tice of fair and frien d ly interracial relations through
ou t the islands. T h a t confidence in th e lo y a lty of the
resident Japanese is shared b y the A rm y is evidenced
b y repeated declarations b y the C om m anding G eneral
during the la st year. A fter the P earl H arbor atta ck ,
it w as deem ed desirable, for arm y m orale, to rem ove
Japanese-A m erican soldiers from front lin es on Oahu.
B y a happy inspiration, 155 such soldiers, all form er
stu d en ts a t the U n iv ersity of H aw aii, w ere form ed
in to the V arsity V ictory V olunteers and assigned to
w ork behind the lines. T h e new spapers published their
picture and treated the assignm ent as an honor.
S elective E vacuation fro m W e st C oast
P ra ctica lly every w itn ess w ho appeared before the
T olan C om m ittee approved the rem oval of large num 
bers of Japanese from the coast. T h e fundam ental
cleavage of opinion arose as to the p o ssib ility and
d esirab ility o f selectiv e versus indiscrim inate evacua
tion. A w eig h ty m in ority stood sto u tly for selectiv e,
or in d ivid u alized , processes. For exam ple, the C om 
m ittee on N a tio n a l Security and F air P la y advocated
se le c tiv ity for all Japanese, u n til it becam e apparent
th at th is had been ruled out for Japanese by
G eneral D eW itt. T h ereafter, the com m ittee advocated
se le c tiv ity for % o f Japanese parentage. In th is
p osition it w as joined b y the religious and social w ork
leaders of the coast, as w ell as b y influential represen
ta tiv es of the bar. In a stu d ied opinion dated M arch
6, 1942, and su b m itted to S tate A ttorn ey G eneral
W arren, M r. Gerald H . H ager, form er p resident of
the C alifornia S tate Bar A ssociation , contended th at
“ the loyal Japanese-A m ericans should be given som e
reasonable op p ortu n ity to prove th at it is unnecessary
for them to rem ain ou tsid e of a specified area,” and
he suggested th at “som e board or other tribunal could
be set u p ” for th at purpose.
T h e above-m entioned com m ittee, in a m em orandum
presented to General D e W itt on M arch 9, argued th u s:
L et all be given the op p ortu n ity of being ex 
am ined as to their lo y a lty or d islo y a lty b y hearing
boards in the com m unities w here th ey now reside. T h e
A ppeal B oards of the S elective Service appear to be
m ade to order for th is purpose----- T h e process could
be com pleted in six w eeks at the o u ts id e .. . . T h e pro
posed evacu ation of the entire group of , b u t of
no other group o f citizen s, apparently on the basis of
race, is already em b itterin g som e of them and m aking
them turn a ready ear to com m unist and other sub
versive ideas. I t is also causing acute distress to m any
w h ite citizen s lik e ourselves w ho are concerned oyer
every violation of the dem ocratic principles for w hich
w e are fig h tin g .. . . Furtherm ore, the indiscrim inate
147
evacu ation of citizen s w ill, in our judgm ent,
w eaken rather than strengthen the civ ic m orale w hich
is an essen tial elem en t in n ational secu rity during the
war and of n ational u n ity after the war.
T h e con stitu tio n a l v a lid ity of evacu atin g of
an y n a tio n a lity w ith o u t a hearing or other “due proc
ess o f la w ” w as gen erally accepted b y b oth sid es of
th is controversy. E vacu ation o f % ) short of m ar
tial law , w as held b y som e w itn esses before the T olan
C om m ittee, b y m em bers of C ongress, and b y the T olan
C om m ittee itse lf, to be co n stitu tio n a lly dubious.1 T h e
E x ecu tiv e Order of F ebruary 19 is based on the
assum ption th at the C on stitu tion perm its such excep
tional m easures w hen th ey are necessary to national
security.
T h e E vacuation P rocess
T h e population o f the P acific C oast breathed a sigh
of relief w hen the P resid en t’s order laid the problem
in the lap of the A rm y. T h a t relief w as replaced b y
distress on the part of the m in ority already referred
to, w hen it turned out th a t the A rm y w ould reject
selectiv e evacuation. E v en the m in ority, how ever, felt
confident th a t the A rm y w ould do its d u ty w ell.
From the p oin t of view of organization, the evacua
tion w as handled w ith precision. I t w as n ot flexible
enough, how ever, to a llow for the m an ifold hum an
factors involved. T h e A rm y is n atu rally geared to
handle you n g m en lik e m achines, n ot to consider the
needs of a hundred thousand w om en, children and
m en, com p licated b y the thousand d etails of property,
businesses, p h ysical handicaps, and hindering em o
tional ties.
T h a t the A rm y finished its assignm ent w ith in som e
68 days of the first actual rem oval, and did it w ith o u t
an y serious breakdow n, m erits adm iration. T h a t it
m ade som e blunders is not to be w ondered at. From
the o u tset the A rm y had the advantage o f a surpris
in g ly docile and cooperative spirit on the part of the
Japanese affected. It also w ise ly en listed the aid of
federal civ il agencies, am ong them the Farm Security
A dm inistration, the Social Security B oard, th e Federal
R eserve B ank, the U . S. E m p loym en t Service, and
the W orks P rogress A dm inistration.
On the credit side, these p oin ts should be m e n tio n e d :
u n failin g courtesy o f both A rm y and c iv il officials;
patien ce in hearing cou n tless requests and c o m p la in ts;
in gen u ity in u tilizin g race tracks and fair grounds for
A ssem b ly C e n te r s; the a ttem p t to conserve and u tilize
the natural groups and organizations of Japanese com 
m u n ities, such as the churches, the fa m ily life , and
the a ssociation of the A m erican-born, the Japanese
A m erican C itizens L eague.
On the other side, certain un fortu n ate effects can
hardly be overlooked. C onfusion and d istress and
1 See F o u rth I n te rim R e p o r t, House Report No. 2124, pp.
168-71.
148
financial loss followed, partly because of the announce
ment of evacuation before preparations or even plans
had been formulated. Overlappings and indefiniteness
of function were noted among the agencies of evacua
tion. No attempt was made to set up hearing boards
or other methods of establishing loyalty, thus making
possible selective evacuation. The limitation of evacua
tion to persons of J apanese ancestry, including citi
zens, gave the movement the appearance of race dis
crimination, as well as of a violation of constitutional
rights. To the extent that rules were applied with
apparent disregard of human factors, thus creating
disaffection among the J apanese evacuees, the difficul
ties were aggravated of reincorporating these evacuees
into the body politic after the war.
A long interval elapsed between the first intimation
of a general evacuation and the definite orders an
nouncing when and whither each local group was to
be evacuated. This was only a prelude to the basic
hardships of being exiled from home, becoming wards
of the government, being looked upon as criminals
by a large section of the public, and being given no
opportunity to prove their loyalty, even though they
might be citizens or long1resident aliens, hostile to
J apan and all its warlike works.
The interval of suspense was greatly relieved by
the friendly ministrations of religious and social serv
ice agencies. In several cities, churches offered their
plants to the Army as stations for registration and
embarking of the evacuees. Groups of women were
on hand to provide a creche for the children of mothers
while they registered, to taxi registrants from home
to station, to talk with those who were waiting, and
to serve refreshments.
Evacuation from M ilitary Area No. 1 having been
completed, General DeWitt on J une 4 issued Proclama
tion No. 6, calling for evacuation of all J apanese
residing in the eastern California section of M ilitary
Area No. 2. This order followed months of agitation
by local interests who stressed the danger of sabotage
by resident J apanese against forests, reservoirs, power
lines and grazing areas. Both the permanent J apanese
residents in Area No. 2 and those who had removed
to it from Area No. 1 before M arch 29 had assumed
that they would be immune to evacuation. This un
expected extension of the area of evacuation led to
fresh demands by certain Congressmen and others for
either limiting or revoking the powers given to the
Army by the Executive Order of February 19.
A sse m b ly C en ters
I t was a tremendous job for the Army to prepare
even temporary living quarters for 100,000 people
within less than three months. The labor shortage and
priorities on supplies would have made it impossible
for private contractors.
! &% & #
Seventeen Assembly Centers have been set up, most
of them in race tracks or fair grounds, and all but
three of them in California. Accommodations are sim
ple to the point of crudity. I f the Army had realized
from the first that the evacuee children and delicate
mothers would have to be detained in these Centers
for several months, it would doubtless have provided
more adequate facilities. Observers who have visited
several of the Centers say that the managerial Cau
casian staff on the whole is kindly and well1inten
tioned. However, good intentions have not always been
matched by competence. Red tape and the priorities
bottleneck can be blamed for some of the failures.
In one of the better Centers there are inadequate
medical and dental facilities, even for minor cases.
M ajor cases are sent to the county hospital. I n some
Centers there are flush toilets, but in others scarcity
of plumbing supplies has led to the building of old1
style latrines. None of the toilets provides privacy, and
there is an absence of hand1washing water in some
“lavatories” and of sinks for washing the tableware
which the evacuees carry to the mess halls. With no
sports equipment, except what friends outside may
have contributed, with no adult education classes and
work for only a small minority, time hangs heavy.
The appointment of Advisory Councils of evacuees
has braced morale, especially where their recommenda
tions have been accepted instead of being pigeonholed.
I t should be said that in five of the Centers visited
by the writer there has of late been gratifying improve
ment in many respects. Supplies of medicines have
arrived, and activities, including regular school classes
from kindergarten through high school, have been
expanded.
As many of the evacuees as possible are put to work
in the kitchens and other service features of the Cen
ters. The compensation paid, in addition to food and
shelter, is $8.00 a month for unskilled workers, $12.00
for skilled, and $16.00 for technical workers. The
original proposal to pay evacuees wages comparable
to the pay given in the Army appears to have been
dropped.
Among the 100,000 evacuees in the Centers are some
15,000 Protestant church members, and about 1,500
Roman Catholics. Of the younger generation, it is
estimated that more than one1third are Christians.
Hence it is not surprising that religious services in
the Centers are being attended by a large proportion
of the evacuees.
Responsibility for organizing such services has been
assumed jointly by pastors and lay church officers
inside, and by Christian leaders outside who have long
been associated in work with the J apanese. The cen
tral agency created to supervise and coordinate this
outside cooperation is called “Western Area Protestant
Church Commission for Wartime J apanese Service.”
J U N E 29, 1 9 4 2
This commission is the accredited agent of the Federal
and Home Missions Councils and of the Foreign M is
sion Boards. Representatives of twelve bodies com
pose it. Government authorities recognize this com
mission as the sole outside Protestant agency for
supplying the preachers and other workers whom the
J apanese within may desire. Similar privileges are
given to the Roman Catholic and Seventh Day Ad
ventist representatives.
T h e R elocation A reas
Great credit is due to both the Army and the various
civil federal agencies for the resourcefulness they have
shown in devising solutions for the baffling problems
set them by the whole evacuation business. Among
all the schemes adopted, the Relocation Areas is per
haps the most satisfactory. On March 18 the President
created the War Relocation Authority to take over
full responsibility for the evacuees after they had been
evacuated by the Army. Among the essential features
of the plans adopted by the Authority are these:
1. Eight large tracts of government land east of
M ilitary Area No. 1 have already been selected, and
more are in process of being selected, capable of pro
viding homes for the duration for all of the evacuees. vpeople will be how to treat the evacuees, The answer
Each area will have a Relocation Center.
2. Efforts will be made to give productive work
to every able1bodied person above 16 years of age:
mainly agricultural, but also manufacturing of things
that require much hand labor. Teaching, engineering,,
and the other professional skills will also be utilized the coast, and strip the J apanese1Americans of the
as far as possible.
3. Evacuees will be allowed to leave the areas only
for specific and properly guarded work projects. L ike
the Assembly Centers, the Relocation Areas will be
surrounded by barbed wire and under guard, not only
to keep the evacuees inside, but to prevent outsiders
from intruding and possibly making trouble. Inside,
however, largely self1sustaining, antonomous commu
nities will be created, and life will be made as normal them and the rest of the American people so that,
and satisfying as practicable.
4 . Elementary schools and high schools will be
maintained, in cooperation with the respective states
and the U. S. Office of Education. Arrangements for
higher education also are likely to be made, either by
releasing students to attend outside institutions, or
by inviting the establishment of extension courses by
colleges.
5. As in the Assembly Centers, religious worship
and related activities will be freely permitted.
At the request of the War Relocation Authority,
the American Friends Service Committee on M ay 7
accepted responsibility for coordinating efforts to re case be allowed to settle, even temporarily, in their
settle west coast college students of J apanese ances communities. Evidence of this attitude has appeared
try. Already many such students had been allowed
by General DeWitt to enter inland colleges on two
149
conditions: evidence that the college was ready to
receive them, and that they had financial resources
sufficient for a year. Seventy1two colleges east of the
Sierras have offered to admit students; Grinnell will
accept the largest number, SO.
The quality of the directing staffs now being assem
bled is so excellent that there is good ground to hope
that this program will be executed in accordance with
the best American standards. I f so, it should be pos
sible to restore to a large extent the evacuees’ self1
respect which has in many cases been sorely wounded.
Opportunities could be developed for intercourse be
tween residents of the centers and the people of the
neighborhood. Individuals and groups might be invited
to give literary, musical and dramatic programs, or
to engage in athletic and debating competitions. Farm
ers, engineers and public officials might be asked to
inspect the methods used in the various public works
and in the factories and schools. The best preachers
of the state might be enlisted to speak to the people.
R ein corporatin g th e E vacuees in to A m erica n L ife
With the coming of victory and peace, not the least
crucial problem facing the American Government and
will have been predetermined in good measure by
their treatment during the war.
There are two main alternative policies. One would
be to treat these J apanese like “second1class citizens,”
to “let them stay in the United States but away from
franchise,” or to “ship them all back to J apan.” The
other would be to recognize, even during the war, that
two1thirds of them are fellow citizens, that they are
victims of circumstances beyond their control, of
J apanese Government policies which many of them
abhor. I n this case, everything possible would be done
to strengthen their faith in democracy and justice,
and to narrow the gap opened by the war between
after the war, they would again enjoy freedom of
travel, residence and occupation, and be able to resume
their place in normal life, more fully Americanized
than they were before.
There are many people who favor the first alter
native in one form or another. Representatives of the
American Legion and of the Native Sons of the Golden
West have filed a suit to compel the registrars in San
Francisco and Alameda Counties to strike the names
of J apanese1Americans from the voting rolls. People
who have never known a J apanese are advocating that
they all be kept in concentration camps and in no
not only in the press but also in the signed statements
of all but one of the fifteen western governors to the
ISO
T olan C ongressional C om m ittee. T h e excep tion w as
Governor R alph L. Carr of Colorado.
S egregation o r D istrib u tio n ?
T h is q uestion of segregation or distrib u tion of the
evacuees is the basic issue to be faced. T h e A rm y had
to abandon distrib u tion because public opposition
m ade it unsafe to expose the evacuees to the danger
of m ob violence. U n til M arch 29 the A rm y w as en
couraging the Japanese to evacuate volu n ta rily , w ith
the result th at m any of them rushed eastw ard, before
preparations had been m ade either b y th em selves or
b y governm ent authorities. Som e w ere in su lted and
w arned to lea v e; others had to be p u t in ja il to
be protected from enraged citizen s, east of M ilita ry
Area 1. O n ly stu d en ts, as already in d icated , are now
being allow ed to leave A ssem b ly and R elocation C en
ters to con tin u e their studies.
The situation the nation now faces has been summed
up thus by the Committee on National Security and
Fair Play:
T h e b ottlen eck in resettlem en t is op p osition in cer
tain localities to the com ing of even a few Japanese
to settle in their m idst. U n til the m ass of A m ericans
is convinced th at such op p osition is an im pedim ent to
w inning the war and a violation of A m erican ideals,
the p olicy of w ide dispersal m u st rem ain in suspense,
b eing replaced b y concentration in settlem en ts under
m ilitary guard. T h a t th is is econ om ically w a stefu l
and so cia lly unsound is evid en t from the follow ing
contrasts.
E con om ically : In the settlem en ts, on w ild land, th ey
m ust be fed for m any m onths before crops can be har
vested , at a cost of $60,000 a day, and the d evising
of w ork for the m ore than h alf w ho are not farm ers
w ill be difficult. I f scattered in norm al com m unities,
th ey w ould help m eet th e labor shortage, w ould at
once be self-supporting, w ould increase war produc
tion, and the non-farm ers could find c ity jobs.
S o cia lly : In the settlem en t, th ey w ill be insulated
from norm al life, their A m erican character d ilu ted b y
segregation, a danger esp ecially dreaded b y the younger
generation, citizen s born. T h e stigm a of su sp icion w ill
cling to all of them . In norm al com m unities th ey w ould
en joy free association w ith other A m ericans, their faith
in dem ocratic fair p lay w ould be confirm ed, and their
self-resp ect w ould be restored.
It is thus evid en t th at the econom ic and social losses
im posed on the nation b y segregation are serious.
A s soon as such op p osition abates, so th a t it is safe
for Japanese to be abroad, the W ar R eloca tio n A uthor
ity can release them from the guarded settlem en ts and
resum e the p olicy of scattering them in hundreds of
inland com m unities. Care w ould presum ably be taken
b y the A u th ority to release on ly persons again st w hom
the A u th ority and the F .B .I. have no grounds of su s
picion, and to g ive preference to A m erican-born c iti
zens educated in our schools and colleges. N a tu ra lly ,
the A u th ority w ould send evacuees in to territory w here
proper protection and w orking con d ition s for the
evacuees are provided.
The sweeping evacuation was made because of mili
! &% & #
tary n ecessity during a n ation al em ergency. W e are
convinced th at good A m ericans upon m ature delibera
tion w ould n ot ob ject to a redistribution w hereby
evacuees in sm all num bers are redistributed w ith in
their v ic in ity so as to m ake p ossib le their reabsorption
in to A m erican life.
T h a t local a ttitu d es are not all h o stile to dispersed
settlem en t, and th at h o stility can be m ellow ed into
tolerance and friendliness, have been show n in several
instances. For instance, a prom ising settlem en t at
K eetley , near Salt L ak e C ity , is the result of co lla b o 
ration b etw een a w h ite A m erican rancher, G eorge A.
F isher, and Fred I. W ada, citizen , for years a pros
perous produce dealer in O akland. T h a t settlem en t
of 140 persons of v aryin g sk ills is now operating on
a cooperative b asis, and has already been asked to
furnish w orkers of various typ es to nearby farm ers
and com m unities.
W a d a ’s purpose in leasin g the property and esta b 
lish in g the settlem en t is told in his ow n w ords: “ I
am ready to spend som e thousands of m y ca p ita l to
do m y b it in this w a y for m y country. I d on ’t care if
I never m ake a cen t of profit from it. M y great hope,
as a patriot and a C hristian, is to m ake the enterprise
contribute food for freedom , and g ive som e hundreds
of m y fellow settlers a chance to be self-supporting,
instead of being dependent on the govern m en t.”
G iven a careful selectio n o f settlers, m an y com m u
n ities, both urban and rural, m ight su ccessfu lly absorb
from tw o to tw en ty fam ilies of citizen s of Japanese
ancestry. M illio n s o f A m ericans, including m any who
supported the em ergency evacuation as a war m easure,
w ill feel th at no other solu tion is con sisten t w ith
A m erica’s basic war aim s as stated b y the P resident
in the Four Freedom s— “ for all m en, ev eryw h ere.”
W hat is Free Chinaf?
. y/
2 +( / 3 Jap an ’s renew ed offensive against
F ree C hina is the m ost serious s i n c e r e Sino-Japanese
w arsreach ed a kind of equilibrium after the fall of
H ankqw in 1938. T h e Japanese tfere apparently fought
to a sta n d still at th at t i m e / b u t the C hinese w ere
unable tovdrive them out. T n e rest of the w orld grew
accu stom easto th in k in g of/rh e war as a sta lem a te and
referred, m ote or less .Vaguely, to Free C hina and
O ccupied Chinhv /
A proper understanding of the significance and p os
sib ilities of the p r e ^ n t Japanese offensive depends to
som e ex ten t on ai* accurate estim a te o f the m eaning
of th ese vague term s. Ih sth e second of his series of
radio letters from C hungking, printed below , M r.
G uenther Stein in d icates the Territorial and adm inis
trative ou tlin es and estim ates tn N p o p u la tio n s of Free
C hina a n d /O ccu p ied C hina b e fo r e S h e n ew phase of
the war began. n .
T h e/n u cleu s of F ree C hina is in nine w estern prov
in c e s/ form ing a com pact bloc, w hich have u^en en-
SEPTEMBER 1942
SURVEY GRAPHIC
M A G A Z I N E OF SOCIAL
Our Stakes in the Japanese Exodus
by PAUL
L a r g e w h it e pl a c a r d s h a v e l o n g b e c o m e f a m il ia r i n t h e
great military areas that blanket the West Coast. They are
to be seen on telephone poles in residential districts, on
lonely country roads, on buildings at crowded city street
corners.
Their purpose was to instruct all persons of Japanese
ancestry—by army command; under Executive Order;
upon pain of penalties of an Act of Congress—to report
to wartime civil control stations. In district after district
the posting of these signs outlined the preparations and
signalized the advancing schedule by which more than
100,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry
have been evacuated.
Today, for the most part, they are little more than a
sort of reminder to the man on the street; vestiges from
a sweeping exodus of people that has passed beyond.
In a chain of ten assembly centers under the Wartime
Civil Control Administration (U . S. A rm y), and four
relocation centers under the War Relocation Authority
(w ith capacities ranging from a few thousand to fifteen or
twenty thousand) more than one hundred thousand
evacuees, Japanese aliens and American citizens of Japan
ese ancestry, are gathered under military guard.
This is the largest, single, forced migration in Amer
ican history.
There are people in the United States who have never
seen, 'much less talked with, a person of Japanese an
cestry. That is hardly surprising. The census of 1940
reported only 127,000* of them out of the 131,000,000 in
habitants in continental United States. That is, there are
roughly a thousand of the rest of us to one of them.
Eighty-eight percent of them lived in the three Pacific
*In the Territory of H aw aii there were 158,000 more or 37 percent of
the population of the islands, but these are not involved in an evacuation
program.
VOL. XXXI NO. 9
INTERPRETATION
L TAYLOR
states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Ninety-
three thousand, or three quarters of the entire number,
lived in the single state of California, where they con
stituted less than 2 percent of the whole population. W ell
toward two thirds are American-born. [See page 375.]
Let me share with you three glimpses into loyal attitudes
among these Japanese during the days of this impending
evacuation.
T H E A U T H O R —and his challenge
As jew men, Paul Taylor \now s intimately the patterns of
American life from “Ole Man River” to the Golden Gate;
from flooded bottomlands to the Dust Bowl. For he has
explored schemes of livelihood, population currents, race re
lations—from the water-table crops that have sprung up in
the old cattle country north of the Rio Grande to the steel
mills that have overrun the sand dunes along L a \e Michigan.
His firsthand findings are crystallized in telling boo\s, re
search volumes and governmental reports.
We singled him out to assess what in six months has come
of the Japanese evacuation in terms of people and program.
Instead he refers our readers to the report of the House Com
mittee Investigating National Defense Migration. Here he
does something more searching—goes beyond how an ex
cruciating wartime measure has been executed or even the
constitutional rights at issue where citizens are concerned.
In essence he as\s all of us as Americans to ta \e a really
good loo\ at what we are holding in our hands—not so much
what military necessity required and what it didn’t; but
what’s to be done now to fend against irreparable damage
we are lively to do ourselves—damage internally, damage
with our allies and potential allies, damage to our own chil
dren and their children and their chance of survival.
373
 1.
Standing in a strawberry field near Sacramento an alien,
ineligible by our laws to American citizenship, said to me:
I don’t worry. I believe in Uncle Sam. I leave it to Uncle
Sam. I look Jap. Can’t hep. I Japanese-born. All my brothers
U. S.-born. I can’t apply citizenship. I lots better than lots
citizens. I do the duty. I never do wrong. I pay the tax. Our
people sacrifice now. I don’t want more sacrifice. They say
“Your Jap orchard, you take care.” Everything they still take
care till last minute of evacuate.
Our people they don’t know what comes but they gonna do
right. Jap people don’t talk much. Outside people don’t under
stand much. Now is too late to talk; too late.
A s background, here is a statem ent the Florin chapter o:
the Japanese American Citizens League m ade on M ay 16.
Fortunately, the busy strawberry season has helped us keep
our heads. . . . Even now as the evacuation day approaches,
we find busy workers picking ripe red berries for strawberry
shortcakes to be enjoyed in hundreds of American homes.
Quietly they are packing away their precious possessions
they have accumulated in the twenty to fifty years they have
been in this beautiful community. In a businesslike manner,
their ranches and their properties are being put in order and
turned over to trustworthy hands. Mothers are busily sewing
and packing clothing for their families. At night, after a
hard day out in the strawberry patches or in the green grape
vineyards, the entire family is busy crating necessities, and
packing suitcases and trunks. . . .
There is nothing to fear or dread. We are in good hands,-
the army of the U. S. Let us, with high hope, prepare our
selves for this new adventure and with courage meet this
Evacuation.
88<
A n American-born merchant of San Francisco, graduate
of the state university, wrote this letter on A pril 10 to his
business connections:
Since September 1902—almost forty years ago—ever since
we opened our door . . . we have enjoyed a mutually pleasant
and profitable business relationship. Now the terrible flames
of war, scorching all. the earth, has finally reached us . . .
and, as you are all aware, we must evacuate from the coastal
areas inland. Thus we must of necessity close our door.
We want you to know that we go as adventurers to the
future that awaits us. We leave with the thought that since
all must sacrifice in times of war, this is our sacrifice and our
bit toward the defense of our country. . . .
Our last thought to you: Thank you sincerely for all the
help and service you have given us through the years gone
by. May the human ties of our spirit of friendship transcend
the chaos of war till better days come upon us. May God bless
you till we meet again.
III.
W ith evacuation already an old story for most, the Tan-
foran Totalizer, organ of the assembly center at Tanforan
race tra c \ near San Francisco, declared editorially:
To some, both here and on the outside, our observance of
America’s Independence Day in this center will undoubtedly
seem to partake of the nature of a paradox. The surface irony
of our situation is apparent enough. But to let the mind dwell
on this single facet of the matter would not only be fruitless;,
it would be prejudicial to all our hopes of returning eventually
to the main stream of American life as useful citizens.
The ideals which germinated in the birth of this nation as
a free people are as valid today as they ever were. They still
form the one bastion of man’s hope for a better world, un
burdened of the weight of fascist tyranny. If we allow' the
567
apparent anomaly of our particular circumstances to tarnish
our faith in the tenets of the democratic creed, we are divorc
ing ourselves from the current of humanity’s highest aspira
tions.
In our observance of July fourth, then, let us not speculate
idly and fruitlessly on the special constraints and hardships
—and in many cases the seeming injustices—which the for
tunes of the present war have laid on us. Rather, let us turn
our thoughts to the future, both of this country and of our
place in it. It is our task to grow to a fuller faith in what
democracy can and will mean to all men. To stop growing in
this faith would be to abandon our most cogent claim to the
right of sharing -in the final fruits of a truly emancipated
world.
4 G6 $ : > "
It w a s o n F e b r u a r y 19, s o m e t e n w e e k s a f t e r t h e
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, that the Secretary of
War was given authority to prescribe military areas from
which “any or all persons may be excluded, and with re
spect to which, the right of any person to enter, remain
in, or leave shall be subject to whatever restrictions” the
Secretary or his designated military commanders might
impose. In due course the western half, approximately, of
W ashington, Oregon, and California, and the southern
half of Arizona were designated as Military Area N o. I,
and an adjacent area as N o. II.
A t first, persons of Japanese ancestry were encouraged
to migrate voluntarily to other states in order, so stated
the head of the Wartime Civil Control Civilian Staff, “to
lessen the drain on the military and civilian resources in
volved in an immediate forced movement.” Many dif
ficulties faced those who made hurried attempts to uproot
and transplant themselves. One was the hostility of in
land communities to what they supposed to be an in
flux of people so dangerous to our national security as to
require their removal from strategic military areas. The
Tolan Committee reports: “The statement was repeated
again and again, by communities outside the military
areas: ‘W e don’t want these people in our state. If they
are not good enough for California, they are not good
enough for us.’ ”
Nonetheless, about 6,000 had moved themselves in this
fashion by March 29, when the military commander pro
hibited further voluntary migration by the Japanese.
In the meantime, steps had been taken toward planned
and supervised migration. On March 23 migration be
gan to Manzanar, in an isolated desert valley of eastern
California selected as the army’s initial center for evacuees.
One thousand Japanese from Los Angeles volunteered to
initiate the movement by way of example. The next day
the military commander proclaimed curfew regulations
for all American-born and alien Japanese, alien Italians,
and alien Germans. Previous restrictions limiting travel
to five miles from home remained in effect.
Evacuation of the Japanese, district by district, pro
ceeded rapidly thereafter until Military Area N o. I was
cleared in early June. Intention to evacuate Military
Area N o. II was separately announced, and this was prac
tically cleared by early August. Today the only Oriental
faces on our western streets are Chinese, Filipino, or oc
casionally Korean or Hindustani.
The basis of the far-reaching decision to evacuate per
sons of Japanese ancestry was explained by the army
officer in charge. Speaking before the Commonwealth
Club of San Francisco in late May, he said, in part:
SURVEY GRAPHIC
 Now, if you and I had settled in Japan, raised our families
there, and if our children and grandchildren were raised
there, it is most improbable that during a war between Japan
and the United States, if we were not interned, that we would
commit any overt acts of sabotage acting individually. Doubt
less, in the main, and irrespective of our inner emotions, you
and I would be law-abiding.
But when the final test of loyalty came—if United States
forces were engaged in launching an attack on Japan—I be
lieve it is extremely doubtful whether we could withstand
the ties of race and the affinity for the land of our forebears,
and stand with the Japanese against United States forces. To
withstand such pressure seems too much to expect of any
national group, almost wholly unassimilated, which has pre
served in large measure to itself, its customs and traditions
—a group characterized by strong filial piety.
It is doubdess true that many persons of Japanese ancestry
are loyal to the United States. It is also true that many are not
loyal. We know this. . . . The contingency that under raid
or invasion conditions there might be widespread action in
concert—well-regulated, well-disciplined, and controlled—a
fifth column, is a real one.
Earlier, in terminating voluntary migration, the same of
ficer had offered the additional explanation that they were
“frozen” in their places to “insure an orderly evacuation
and to protect the Japanese.”
T he army acted with dispatch and courtesy. The
physical inconveniences and even harships, the financial
losses, and the keen mental anguish suffered by the
evacuees resulted more from the basic decision to evacuate
than from lack of skill in its execution. A corps of spe
cially trained teams from civilian agencies aided the
Japanese at civil control stations.
T he Japanese American Citizens League gave a full
measure of cooperation which set a standard for all
Japanese. “If, in the judgment of military and federal
authorities,” said Mike Masaoka of the League, “evacua
tion of Japanese residents from the W est Coast is a pri
mary step toward assuring the safety of the nation, we
will have no hesitation in complying with the necessities
implicit in that judgment.”
. # : H : $
T h e H o u s e C o m m i t t e e o n N a t io n a l D e f e n s e M ig r a t i o n ,
of which Congressman John H . Tolan of California is
chairman, began to hold hearings on the W est Coast two
days after the Executive Order which gave power to the
Secretary of War. T he testimony revealed almost com
plete disagreement among civilian witnesses of Caucasian
ancestry over the appropriate disposition of those of
Japanese ancestry.
T he basic premise of all groups who advocated com
plete and total evacuation of all Japanese on the West
Coast was that it was a military necessity because of the
inability of the federal and state officials to distinguish
loyalties among Japanese-American citizens and aliens. In
the words of the committee, they . . .
. . . felt that no constitutional right or humanitarian con
sideration nor any consideration of the effect on agricultural
production on the West Coast should prevent the complete
evacuation of the Japanese from the area. It was their be
lief that evacuation was necessary for the protection of the
Japanese themselves. They expressed in every hearing the
fear of vigilante action unless complete evacuation were forth
coming. As a group they did not believe that the nation
could afford to take chances with the Japanese population.
SEPTEM BER 1942
P erso n s o f J a p an ese A n c e str y
# I " " J
Nearly 63 percen t o f p erso n s o f Jap an ese ancestry in co n 
tin en ta l U n ite d S tates, o r alm ost 8 0 ,0 0 0 , w ere b o m in th is
cou n try, a n d co n seq u en tly are A m erica n citizen s. I n th e
P acific S tates a n d A rizo n a n early 7 2 ,0 0 0 , ab ou t th e sam e
p ro p o rtio n , w ere such.
N a tu ra lly ev ery p a ssin g year b rin g s m o re d ea th s a m o n g
th e first g en era tio n a n d births a m o n g th e third, an d so
raises th is p ercen ta g e o f citizen s w h ich alread y a p p ro a ch es
tw o thirds.
* * * •
The rem aining 3 7 percent, ab ou t 4 7 ,0 0 0 in th e U n ite d
S tates in 1 9 4 0 , an d ab ou t 4 6 ,0 0 0 in th e P acific S tates
a cco rd in g to th e A lie n R eg istra tio n , w ere Jap an ese alien s
b o m in Japan. A m o n g th e Japanese th ese are k n ow n as
lssei, o r first g en era tio n . A b o u t 2 9 ,0 0 0 w ere m a les, 1 7 ,0 0 0
fem a les. T h e ir a g e g ro u p in g s reflect im m ig ra tio n restric
tio n s im p o sed lo n g a g o . T h u s 3 5 p ercen t o f th e a lien
Jap an ese o f th e W e st C oast w ere fifty-five years o f a g e or
over; 6 5 p ercen t w ere forty-five years o f a g e o r over; 9 4
p ercen t w ere thirty-five o r over. T w o thirds o f th ese
alien s h a d last arrived in th is co u n try b efo re 1 9 2 5 , or
m o re th a n sev en teen years a g o .
e a
C ontrary to a w id esp read b e lie f, m ore th a n h a lf o f all
p ersons o f Jap an ese ancestry in co n tin en ta l U n ite d States
h a v e liv ed in urban co m m u n ities. I n th e P acific C oast
states in 1 9 4 0 , o n ly 4 5 p ercen t o f all g a in fu lly em p lo y ed
p ersons o f Jap an ese an cestry w ere e n g a g e d in a gricu l
ture. T h er e w ere a b o u t 2 3 p ercen t in trade, 1 7 p ercen t
in p erso n a l service, a n d 4 p ercen t in m an u factu rin g.
# * «
T o rou n d o u t th ese statistical estim ates in term s o f sp ace
a n d tim e, a fu rth er com p a riso n ca n b e m a d e. T h e 1 9 4 0
cen sus sh o w ed th a t o n e quarter o f all p erso n s o f Japanese
ancestry in th e P acific C oast states a n d A rizo n a w ere
u n d er fifteen years o f a g e. O f th e alien s, less th a n o n e
p ercen t w ere u n d er fifteen . O f th e A m erican -b orn , 39
p ercen t w ere u n d er fifteen — or a lm ost tw o o u t o f every
five w ere m in o rs b elo w th a t a g e.
Witnesses who opposed wholesale evacuation of the
Japanese were . . .
generally agreed that subversive activities should be
handled by the FBI, that the FBI is fully competent to handle
sabotage and the espionage problems on the West Coast;
that the great majority of Japanese citizens and aliens are
loyal; that their loyalty can be ascertained; and that loyal
Japanese are assisting the FBI in ferreting out disloyal aliens.
In general, these witnesses challenged every point made by
those persons who favored complete evacuation. Both groups
agreed only that the military must do whatever is necessary
to prevent sabotage. They disagreed on every other point.
T he details of this disagreement are not presented here.
Seriously interested readers w ill write their congressman
for a copy of the Tolan Committee report on E vacuation
of E n em y A lien s. That report gives views of its witnesses
and facts of its own collection in vivid detail.
Once evacuation was decided upon by the military, all
groups, whatever their original reluctance, acquiesced.
Serious legal questions of constitutionality remain, but
these seem set for determination by the courts after long
and mature consideration of ( C on tin u ed on page 378)
4-5
 The Japanese Exodus
—from Coastal Homes
to the Hinterland

P ro lo g u e: th e evacu ation order, th e vacan t store

H e a lth p ro tectio n b eg in s early

Japanese evacu ees arrive b y train n ear th e M an zan ar relocation cen ter in east-central C aliforn ia
 rnorogr«^ i ^.uiothea L ange and Frances Stewart tor w a r Keiocation ^urnor,ly

Japanese farm ers h elp m ake relo ca tio n centers self-su stain in g. L o a d in g a p o ta to p lan ter at T u la Lake, C alif.

T w o A m erica n -b o rn Jap an ese in th eir quarters at M an zan ar

a few test cases, not in quick actions likely to produce an
im m ediate upset of the p rogram w ith respect to the J apan
ese, w hatever the ultim ate outcom e.
W i th ou r h uge alien population of m any nationalities
in m ind, the T ol an C om m ittee has already recom m ended
both review of the original E xecu ti ve O rder issued to
m eet the special W est C oast situation, and consideration
of means for “allaying public anxiety about, and discrimi
nation against, those now classified as enemy aliens.” I n
pointing out th at “the tim e has passed for retrospective
considerations as to w hether decisions then tak en w ere
dictated by necessity,” the com m ittee reasserted its original
position th at to “generalize the current treatm ent of the
J apanese to apply to all A xis aliens and their imm ediate
families . . . is out of the question if w e intend to w in this
w ar.”
I t is not so m uch w ith the past, then, as w ith the future
th at the A m eri can public will do well to concern itself.
N ot so m uch w ith the J apanese aliens as w ith those w ho
are A m eri can citizens. T h e aliens, in a sense, are prisoners
of w ar. C learly, as such, they cannot now h arm the na
tion by sabotage. A dherence to the standard set by G en
eral M acA rth u r w hen he took J apanese
B ataan w ill not only assure hum ane treatm ent but will
deny to J apan any excuse to do less well by A m ericans
w ho have fallen into its hands: “T h ey are being treated,”
he said, “w ith the respect and consideration w hich their
gallantry so w ell m erits.”
K G L reversal of a Suprem e C ourt decision forty4four years old.
T he Amer ic a n c it iz e n s of Ja pa n e s e a n c e s t r y
quite another problem. I t is very com plex, and it touches
the very fiber of A m eri can life.
A m on g them are unquestionably those w hose greater
loyalties are to J apan. W h eth er their num bers increase or
decrease w ill depend partly upon how w e m ak e our next
decisions. T h e T ok yo radio today has its L ord
H aw s born in the U ni ted States, and there are counter
parts in the Black D ragon and other J apanese nationalistic
societies of the A m erican4born K u n ze, fuehrer of the
G erm an4A m erican B und. D angerous persons of this type
already had been tak en, not to evacuation centers, but to
the internm ent camps in M ontana, N orth
elsew here, that are especially provided
enemies of all nationalities. T h ere they undergo exam ina
tion and release or internm ent as hearing boards may
decree.
T h ere are also the Kibei, those A m erican4born J apanese
w ho w ere sent to J apan for schooling. T h ei r loyalties un
doubtedly are divided, and as a group they have turned
m ore tow ard J apan than those of the A m erican4born,
A m erican4educated Nissei.
C ertainly security m ust be m aintained. I t m ust be m ain
tained w ithin and w ithout, during the w ar and during
the peace that follow s, and w ith a thought to the peace
and to w ars that m ay follow that— until m en can break
these ceaseless alternations of history. I t is in this full
scale perspective that determination of our future policy
toward the American born citizens of J apanese ancestry
appears in its complexity and in its national and inter
national settings.
7 I 1 " # K
M e a n w h il e , pr o po s a l s are l a id befo r e
people almost daily, form ally and informally, by
378
k now n and by the unk now n. R ead, for exam ple, the
new s and safety4valve columns of new spapers. Such as
I say send the Japanese back to T okyo.
W e should make sure before we take the G ermans or Japs
in our country as citizens whether born here or not. T he
Japs especially should lose this most treasured possession.
H ow many A merican4born Japs have we that are in sympathy
with their parents’ homeland? H ow can we know for sure
that they are telling the truth if they pledge their allegiance
to this country.
A C alifornia congressman introduces a resolution, H .J .
305, am ending the C onstitution so as to deny citizenship
by birth in the U nited States to persons either of w hose
parents is ineligible to citizenship “because of race.”
A trade journal noted in J une th at:
T he vegetable industry of the W est has been seriously con
cerned for the past three or four weeks over the rumor that
these Japanese were to be placed upon a self4supporting basis
as soon as possible and that it was the intention of the W ar
Relocation Board to place these Japanese, or more especially
those with an agricultural background, in a position to grow
vegetables to be sold and marketed in competition with those
prisoners at grown by A mericans.
A T ennessee Senator introduces a bill, S. 2293, to per
m i t detention of persons of J apanese ancestry w herever
they m ay be and for the duration. T h e Senate I m m i gra
tion C om m ittee, in reporting this bill favorably, urged
that citizens of J apanese ancestry be disfranchised— by
T h e bill drew opposition on the floor of the Senate, an
pr e s e n t
I daho Senator observing th at: “I n the beet fields our
farm ers are extrem ely short of labor. M any of the J apa
nese race have com e there and are helping to solve an
extrem ely critical problem .” H e requested tim e to ascer
tain “w hether at this tim e tjie passage of such drastic
legislation w ould m ak e those J apanese so angry that they
H aw
w ould stop w ork .” A U tah Senator rem ark ed:
I f we can wink at the C onstitution in the case of the citizen
of Japanese descent, then the next step, of course, is to move
out and begin putting in concentration camps citizens of
G erman descent, and every other citizen of foreign descent
in the U nited States who may have come or whose parents
D ak ota, or or ancestors may have come from some nation with which
for dangerous we are today at war.
T he contention w as put fow ard that J apanese law
mak es “every m ale citizen regardless of w here born or
w hen he departed from J apan” a J apanese citizen “subject
to the E m p eror of J apan until he has served his time in
the J apanese arm y or navy.” Senator R obert T af t dis
missed this contention. U ndoubtedly, he said, this w as . . .
. . . the position taken by the Japanese; it is also the posi
tion taken by the G ermans; and it is also the position which
was taken by the English in the W ar of 1812. . . . W e abso
lutely deny that the Japanese have any right to say that a
man who is a citizen of the U nited States is a citizen of their
country.
8 2 8 .
L a t e in Ju n e a s u it of mo r e t ha n o r d in a r y in t e r e s t
w as brought before federal court in San Fran ci sco. A s
attorney for the secretary of the N ati ve Sons of the
G olden W est, U . S. W ebb (form er attorney general of
C alifornia) argued that A m eri can citizens of J apanese
t he A m e r ic a n ancestry should be strick en from the voters rolls of San
the Francisco. W ebb argued, accord4 ( Continued on page 396)
SURVEY G R A P H IC
 ./ 5 7 5 % 7 8 ::3 7> 8 /
;8 ( 49<:
cerns employ N egroes, but primarily as janitors; maids, mes4\
sengers, and in certain clerical, mailing, ana shipping jobs.
D ouglas A ircraft last D ecember began hiring N egroes in
production jobs after D onald D ouglas himself was appealed
to by W illiam M ahue, L os A ngeles county N Y A area super
visor. M ahue’s argument was that since the government is
spending money to train youths, the companies have a re
sponsibility in the all4out production effort to use available 1 on the Board of Educatioi^ has helped break down d iscrim4
skills.
Employers have been quick tar deny that they practice dis
crimination, and that is something difficult to prove. N egroes
are interviewed and their applications taken with the utmost
courtesy. “W el l let you know,” says the interviewer, but the
applicant all too rarely hears anything further.
D espite President Roosevelt’s Executive O rder prohibiting
racial discrimination i n / w ar industry employment, some
powerful labor unions holding contracts with w ar plants re
strict their own menfoership to the C aucasian race, thereby
; 7 57 80 /5 9
;8 ( 4-=:
ing to > ? 8 ) that our naturalization
laws and the Fourteenth A mendment were meant to “limit
citizenship to the white race except for the A merican
N egro,” and that they “exclude the C hinese, the Japanese,
H indus, H ottentots and the islanders of the Pacific.” Some
years ago he presented a similar argument to another court,
applying it to M exicans of Indian blood. O ne of the docu
ments presented to the T olan C ommittee by a Joint I mmi
gration C ommittee (of which M r. W ebb is a prominent
member) carried the statement that “'A nother grave mistake
was the granting of citizenship to the N egroes after the
C ivil W ar.” C learly in the light of A merican history, the
proposal he advocated before the federal court has far4
reaching implications— embracing our enemies, our allies,
and neutrals alike.
O n the one hand, statistics published by the N ational
Bureau of Economic Research show that since 1650 the
white race has increased tremendously in numbers as we
expanded over the face of the earth. T hree hundred years
ago people of European stock made up 22 percent of the
world’s population. In the present era they have come to
make up about 35 percent.
O n the other hand, lowered birthrates have levelled off
the increase in northern and western Europe, N orth A merica,
and A ustralia. In 1940 the U nited States census reported
for the first time that our net reproduction rate was some
w hat less than sufficient to maintain our numbers.
In this perspective we may wish to resolve our attitudes
towards other races and peoples with thoughts not only of
our allies of today, but with some long thoughts, also, for
our grandchildren and their potential allies if, and when,
war should strike them.
Federal court in San Francisco rejected the suit of the
N ative Sons; but this may be appealed and resolutions of
similar temper are still pending before C ongress. In the
safety4valve column at the time a correspondent wrote:
“Some of our local politicians who have endorsed this
dangerous proposal should read again the D eclaration of I n
dependence and ponder the statement that ‘all men are
created free and equal.’ T o modify that noble phrase by
saying it does not apply to A merican4born children of Jap
anese ancestry would dishearten our N egro soldiers, our
0= . <
placing another obstacle in the path of qu^lifieST N egro me
chanics. jS
Because of the difficulties thus fap^d on either Hand by
N egroes in obtaining employment/' some vocational »schools
have in turn been reluctant to acp^pt them for training, T hus,
a vicious circle exists in spite/of an increasingly acu t; labor
supply problem. In L os A ng/ies, M rs. Fay A llen, only N egro
\ ination. G overnment subsidies to local vocational training
\ projects also have aided in cracking it.
Y Skippy S m i th ^ow n experience in the Standard factory,
ahd the subsequent successful mixed labor policy at Pacific
Parachute^demonstrate that anticipated difficulties are to some
degree imaginary. O ne of the white workers at Pacific Para
chute put it aptly: “A s far as we young people are concerned,
it doesn’t bother us whether we’re working with white or
colored folks. I t seems that it’s just the older ones and the
employers who are w orried.”
: 0 5 75 5 =;7
Filipino and C hinese allies, and the millions of British India,
whose support we so desperately need.
“L et us win our battles in the field rather than look for
easy victories over our neighbors’ children.”
> 8 own comment was carried in a front page
editorial:
“I t is true, as M r. W ebb says, that the D eclaration, and the
C onstitution for that matter, was written by white men. I t
is not true that it was exclusively ‘for’ white men. T hese
charters are for human, not race principles, and to suggest
otherwise now is to furnish excuse for unjustified accusation
that A merica is not true to its principles.”
8 . "
L e a d in g e d u c a t o r s o f t h e W e s t C o a s t w e r e d e e p l y Dis
turbed at the dislocation of the collegiate education of loyal
Japanese4A merican citizens. T hey have put forward a pro
gram which, as outlined by President Robert G . Sproul of
the U niversity of C alifornia, involves a cost “including
scholarship funds, special teaching staff and administrators”
of “a million dollars a year or more.” T o quote President
Sproul:
“I t will be a million dollars spent as insurance on the future
welfare of the A merican nation, and there will be substantial
savings in the release of funds appropriated for the support
of evacuation centers. . . .
“W e cannot safely neglect the morale and the loyalty of the
future leaders of the A merican4born Japanese minority in this
country, either on practical political grounds, or on humani
tarian grounds. Respect and love for democracy cannot be
inculcated by depriving citizens of their rights and privileges
without compensation, regardless of abstract or concrete justi
fications which may exist in the public mind.”
T o this statement, Presidents W ilbur of Stanford and H ol
land of W ashington State gave hearty support.
Recently the press reported objection by a C alifornia con
gressman to the release of Japanese4A merican students to
continue their university education in non4military areas.
O ne ground, he urged, was that every member of C ongress
has in his district “thousands of young men whose education
was being interfered with. T hese young men were going into
the army.” T his ignores whether loyal evacuees are outside
prise, which enable the powerful to exercise their power in
collaboration with other people and not in domination over
them. W e keep the peace only as we establish collective deal
ing on a basis of as nearly equal negotiative power as can be
achieved.
T he very heart of this corrective has to do with “moral
izing” the exercise of the power of those men of tough
stomachs and tough mmds who must, in the nature of things,
help shape human affairs. In trying to resolve any of these
momentous issues, I find it impossible to progress without
an appeal to moral loyalties.
Sound procedures, adroitly devised, are one half the solu
tion of the vast problem of pbwer. But inescapably, the other
half of the solution is to enlist and sustain good will, along
with good method.
A t its base and core, the power problem is a problem of
education and equally a problem of religion. T he educational
responsibility may be stated readily,M n general terms. D emo
cratic education must be seen afresh as the task of cultivating
the capacity to use power wisely, to k now when power is
being used dangerously, and to help individuals enlarge their
vision of the areas over which personal power, socially mo
tivated, has to be exercised.
T he role of religion, stripped of its theological and ec
clesiastical confusions and trappings, is to securK that response
from all of us which we are not only able but\are, indeed,
yearning to make. T his response is an aroused desire to put
into action all that education has taught us about tne exercise
of power, its rightfulness, its wholesomeness, an d\i ts po
tentialities for the public weal.
T his means that democracy must use its great educational
forces to clarify to its people the rightful role of power in the
world, while at the same time the purified forces of religion
enlist the ardent support of the personal powers of us all for'
a moralized expression of our common power. T hen, and
only then, will democracy show its integral and profound
superiority over any other form of human association which
human beings can devise.
./ 5 7 5 % 7 8 ::3 7> 8 / 0= . <(
@8 ( 4=A:
chinery,” Smith says, “but that was good enough for R och
ester.”
T here was little or no discussion of salary or financial re
turn. Eddie A nderson loves planes. I ntrigued with the Idea
of financing a w ar industry, he put a large surry at the dis
posal of Skippy Smith, whom he had admired as an intrepid
aerial daredevil. From the first it was underwood that no
racial discrimination was to be shown in favor/of N egroes.
Several days had elapsed since Smith had written the check
for machinery, backed by money yet to be obtained. But now
it wasn’t much of a job to get this matter/straightened out
with the bankers in vindication of his faitji in himself and
his idea. Some of them were in the audience when Rochester
came to San D iego to dedicate the Pacific Parachute C o. last
M arch.
: > B
F o r h im s e l f , Sk ippy Sm it h h a d s c r u bbe d f l o o r s , c l e a n e d
walls, and built partitions in almost frantic haste to prepare
the shop for production. T hen he called on the N ational
Y outh A dministration to supply girls from among its sewing
classes. “I never counted how many whites and how many
N egroes were sent over. A ll along I was determined from
the first to have a mixed group.”
T o the N Y A , the Pacific Parachute C o. came as a god
send. T here were N egro girls and M exican girls who had
SEPTEM BER 1942
been on the project for months without prospect of placement
in private industry. T hus M rs. G weneth L ow e Bowdan is
nineteen and colored. A highschool graduate, she had applied
for work in a war plant where her N Y A training could have
been put to advantage. T hey told her they were waiting for
more equipment, and would let her know when it came. She
never heard from them. It. was this sort of subtle practice
that made it difficult to pin outright racial discrimination on
a management. N onetheless it effectively blocked N egro
employment. /'
V irtually all the N Y A girls had gone through the tenth
grade. In their work on the project, they had practiced on
parachute silk for four hours; spent another four hours pro
ducing clothing or uniforms for the county welfare and Red
C ross. “Racial antagonism simply doesn’t enter the minds of
these youngsters,” in the words of K atherine U roff, project
supervisor.
L earning to work together, white and colored, at the N Y A ,
the step to the Pacific Parachute C o. proved a relatively
simple one for them. T here their forelady is O leaver G reer,
a N egro. “W e’re too busy,” she says, “trying to increase our
production to worry about race problems.” M ost of the girls
are beginners. A s a spur to performance there is a chart show
ing the rate of weekly production of pilot ’chutes in the
shop of the primary contractor, Standard Parachute C orpora
tion. Boards also have been set up for the day and night
shifts, showing averages for each machine.
A n unconscious form of racial rivalry also plays a part ki
the improvement of their work. T he white girls of A merican
descent are on their mettle not to let M exican or N egro girls
excel them. But that is only half of the picture. W hen a
nearby cafe refused to serve one of the N egro girls, a group
of white co4workers volunteered to accompany her back into
the establishment for a showdown.
T heir employer, himself, had gone into the place for lunch
one day with an army inspector. T he proprietor refused to
Serve him to the disgust of his companion.
\ “L et’s not make an issue of it,” Skippy urged. “H e’ll find
out v f ter awhile that there’s no harm serving a N egro, and
th en W l l be our friend for life. I f we forced it on him, he’d
be as oitter as ever, in his heart. Y ou can’t fight fire with
fire in tnis sort of thing.”
T hat jusK about summarizes the philosophy which governs
the conduct isf the Pacific Parachute C o.
M anager Sntith draws no fixed salary— he simply takes
what he needs ^usually less than $25 a w eek) for the frugal
requirements of himself and his little daughter. N or does
Eddie “Rochester” A nderson, as the financial angel, expect a
set return. “A s long as he’s sure his money is being properly
used, he’s satisfied,” Smith explains.
Rochester is a busy irian— occupied with rehearsals, out4of4
town trips for the radio show, U SO and military camp per
formances. T hese in addition to his motion picture roles. But
as the man who holds the pWse strings on the Pacific Para
chute C o., he finds time for th\num erous conferences (many
by long distance telephone) necessary in an enterprise that
already has spread into the entire Second floor of its building
and is ripe for further expansion to ffie third story. W hen he
is too busy, M rs. A nderson comes to Ssm D iego for sessions
with Skippy.
K :
Q u it e a s id e f r o m t h e r a c ia l t o l e r a n c e a r g u m e n t , R o c h -
ester’s company is being used by preemployment training
officials in C alifornia as an example of the practicability of
hiring both N egroes and whites in war production jobs. A s
things stand, some aircraft plants and shipyards in C alifornia
have been hiring N egroes for other than maintenance or
similar menial tasks. A n expressed non4discrimination policy
has been sought at V ultee by the U nited A utomobile W ork 
ers (C I O ). C onsolidated A ircraft C orporation and other con4
395
the army because they choose to be, and forgets the women.*
X o quote Ray L yman W ilbur, president of L eland Stan
ford U niversity and formerly Secretary of the Interior:
“Every effort should be made to avoid mistakes in this im
portant action of our government. I t has been impossible for
me to answer the many questions put to me by these students
as to why. Everything that they have learned from babyhood
up in this country is negatived by their present experience.
“I t seems to me important for us to visualize the situation
that will develop at the end of the w ar if these young A mer
ican citizens, with their great capacity for leadership, have
been confined in camps, have had their education interfered
with, and have had the disillusionment that must inevitably
come to them.”
A re we sure that our course is not of a sort to encourage
young people of Japanese ancestry who are now in camps to
place little value on their A merican citizenship? I t would
be natural that in these centers under guard they would
find no ready answer for the taunt, “I f you’re A merican
citizens why don’t you walk past the sentry?” Y et if we
wish to increase loyalty to A merica rather than to strain it,
we must give their A merican citizenship all value possible
under the circumstances.
Education, hitherto open to Japanese without restriction of
race, is a logical point at which to infuse this value, hearten
the loyal, and mitigate the anxieties of parents wherever
born, whose personal hopes and ties naturally center in except by preserving the existing animosities that buttress
creasingly in their children. C ongress, under attacks by its them.”
members such as have been cited, seems reluctant at present T his surely is a statement to be recalled and pondered as
to support the educators’ plan. Efforts to transfer loyal evacuee we look ahead.
citizens to colleges outside the military areas go forward Probably the best guide for the long look is the report of
slowly with such impetus as a devoted but private committee the T olan C ommittee. O f the evacuation itself it says, T he
under the A merican Friends Service can give. decision of the military must be final in this regard.” W ith
regard to next steps the T olan report continues:
1 "1 B
“I t is, therefore, with a sense of looking forward that these
M o s t A m e r ic a n s w i l l r e a l iz e t h a t i n it s ba s ic e l e m e n t s problems must be considered. Emergency measures must not
the problem of O rientals in our midst is not new. L ong4time be permitted to alter permanently those fundamental prin
Survey readers may remember mellow passages under the title ciples upon which this nation was built.
“Behind O ur M asks,” by the distinguished sociologist, Robert “T he fact that in a time of emergency this country is un
E . Park of the U niversity of C hicago, who some years ago able to distinguish between the loyalties of many thousands
directed an illuminating appraisal of race relations on the of its citizens, and others domiciled here, whatever their
Pacific coast. I n Survey Graphic for M ay 1926, he wrote. race or nationality, calls into question the adequacy of our
“I t is probably true of the O riental, as of other immigrant whole outlook upon the assimilation of foreign groups. T o
peoples, that in the process of A mericanization, only^ super many citizens of alien parentage i n this country it has come
ficial traits are modified— but most of the racial traits that as a profound shock that almost overnight thousands of
determine race relations are superficial . . . persons have discovered that their citizenship no longer stands
“W henever representatives of different races meet and between them and the treatment accorded to any enemy
discover in one another— beneath the differences of race
alien within our borders in time of war.
sentiments, tastes, interests, and human qualities generally “T he realization that this nation is at w ar must form die
that they can understand and respect, racial barriers are cornerstone of all our national policies in connection with
undermined and eventually broken down. Personal relations the treatment of aliens and citizens alike. T his realization of
and personal friendships are the great moral solvents. U nder conflict must likewise carry with it an enlightened under
their influence all distinctions of class, of caste, and even of standing and a thorough appreciation of the aims and pur
race, are dissolved into the general flux which we sometimes
poses of that conflict.
call democracy. # _ “T his realization, in turn, must motivate the operations
“I t was a minor statesman who said: ‘W hat is the C on of the W ar Relocation A uthority, created by Executive O rder
stitution between friends?’ A s the embodiment of a moral of the President to administer the resettlement of persons
doctrine, this question, with its implications, is subject to evacuated from prohibited military zones. T he majority of
grave qualifications, but as a statement of psychological fact
the evacuees to date are A merican citizens against whom no
ft has to be reckoned with. W hat, between friends, are any charge of individual guilt has been lodged. A constructive
of our conventions, moral codes, and political doctrines and performance, therefore, on the part of the W ar Relocation
institutions? I t is personal friendships that corrupt politics. A uthority, will go far toward fashioning the whole pattern
N ot only politics, but all our formal and conventional re of our policy on racial and minority groups now and in the
lations are undermined by those elemental loyalties that have
post4war world.”
their roots in personal attachments. T his task, the responsibility of the A uthority in coopera
“T here is no way of preserving existing social barriers,
tion with the army— and the broader task of which it is a
* Every day brings further incidents. Thus the part, and which concerns our whole front as a democracy in
of Tulv 25, reported that the attorney general of California had .«led
application in the federal court to intervene in the citizenship suit of ordering our relations with diverse peoples at home and
Mitsaye Eudo, twenty-two year-old American-born Japanese girl, now m abroad— calls for nothing less than the best that our states
the assembly center at Newell, Medoc County. (A suit to disprove
Lieutenant General Dewitt’s authority to interne herself and thousands of men can give.
other American-born Japanese.)
(In answ ering advertisem ents please m ention
397
 blip
m m M S f m

. # ++ ( C on tin u ed fro m p a g e 3 8 6 )
pennies year4’round to make possible the month of schooling.

H aisiiia A t C lemson several men came on part of their veteran’s

bonus. A n old woman, a G old Star mother, bartered chickens
*
, for her keep.
M uch help has cbme from the outside— from the A merican
L egion A uxiliary, Jthe State Federation of W omen’s C lubs,
churches, textile executives. A mill president one year gave
■ L m
w ^I thirty4two scholarships. In the days before the mills started
selling their villages, several waived house rent and ligh# and
water costs to anyjfamily head who attended; if th er/ were
youngsters, a $5 gif}; was tossed in. For those short oh cloth4
ing— every year some come with their entire wardrobe on
their backs— the occasional gifts of shoes and overalls and
cotton dresses are like manna.
But there is always4 the bleak figure of $268, Sofith C aro
lina’s average annual cash income (the nation’s: $536). It
means blackout for thousands of minds. T he politicians know,
but have two answers: the state is too poor to educate those
the schools missed; anyway, it’s too late, they’re too old to
learn.
W hat of those who can’t afford the $22 or the lime to come
to O pportunity School/ T hey are finding help; in the night
classes that W il L ou G ray has strung from the mountains
of O cones to the beaches of Beaufort.
In one community, after adult school came, A rrests dropped
75 percent within a year. In another, peopl e/‘screened doors
and windows, built sanitary toilets, and set out fruit trees
and shrubbery.” A teacher in Barnwell C oftnty reported: “I
have a class/made up of ône family, eleven/ children and par
ents, none of whom could read or write at the beginning of
the year. N ow they read, write, and work'simple arithmetic.”
M rs. Susie James prayed that G od would send someone to
teach her to read the Bible.( T he next ye^r an adult class was
formed. She not only learned to read, but to write letters to
two of her children who were in ah orphanage. A nother
: % B % M % H " "N G B woman confided in M iss G ray that how she knew which
" N was right side up on her initialed wedding pillows.
$ $ < # G
A ll southern states maintain a dual school system, and all
G H $< 4 do better by white youth than by /N egro boys and girls in
GE # G < the quantity and quality of education they provide. T hus
South C arolina spends eight time» as much for the schooling
I H " 3 % H !$ $ of a white child as for a N egro)child. T his is one factor in
G 4 G< O G # 6 $< the illiteracy situation, with figures running so much higher
O G " % for colored than for white Smith C arolinians. T he night
I % I
schools reveal hunger for educâtiop and the capacity to learn
# % < G %I $ among underprivileged adults/of bbth groups.
: I B G H O G O ne N egro man walked twelve miles a day, three days a
week to attend classes. N athan O wings, ninety4six, found
B " H < H the book work difficult, but he did his bit by fixing the
P $ G N G I $ I screens and stove flues. In one school there was a N egro
I B G % G % mother, sixty4four, her six daughters4in4law, twenty4one to
thirty4five, and three sons4in4law. A ll were absolute begin
ners. T he teacher of a/N egro class asked, one stormy night,
how the pupils managed to get to school without lanterns.
! " & ' ( “W e falls down and/gits up and travels on,” was the reply.
Since 1919 the adult education program in South C arolina
W ilso n S p ortin g G o o d s C o., an d W ilso n A th letic G o o d s M fg. C o., Inc. has reached 246,000 men and women. T o foot the annual
C h icago, N e w Y ork and other lea d in g cities bill M iss G ray has, averaged $2.72 per pupil, some years more,
some years less. T he past ten years have been the most diffi

Q 0 ' ,
! , - , a)
cult of all— 7 cents per illiterate per year. In 1935 the state
appropriated for her department just enough to cover M iss
G ray’s salary. /¡She immediately diverted it all to teachers’
salaries and Went payless for months.
FE R A and later W PA helped shoulder the burden and
M iss G ray reciprocated by going into the C C C camps and, of
late, to Fort Jackson, the huge army center just outside
C olumbia. T he need was there. In one class of C C C youths,
fewer than percent knew thé meaning of T hanksgiving,
only 12 percent knew who H itler was, and but 5 percent

398
5287 5 802 4 56 .; 8 0 7 0 4 0.87.

A corps of specially trained teams from civilian agencies

aided the J apanese, aliens and A m erican4born alike, when
they reported at the stations of the W arti m e C ivil C on
trol A dm inistration.
T hese teams helped them in completing individual
preparations and in G B " disposition of their homes and
property. T h ey supervised health and assisted in innum
erable problems of personal adjustment.
 The Gist of It Se p t ember A?N> \ f . 0 50 7 V o l . S S S ' N o . 9. '

(cover) and Paul Taylor’s text enter into

gifted partnership in interpreting migra “Americans A ll”: Cover photograph by Dorothea Lange
tion. That combination is what gave per War Relocation Authority
sonality, dust and sky, soil and spirit and
significance to “An American Exodus” Our Stakes in the Japanese; Exodus .............................................P a u l S. T a y l o r 373
(1939). What John Steinbeck telescoped
into a knot of human beings in “Grapes
of Wrath,” they stretched out and docu
The Japanese Exodus: Photographs by Dorothea Lange and
mented in terms of countless folk in the ? S tew a rt 7 ET
long trek from the Deep South to the
Pacific Coast. Miss Lange has visualized the 7 2 Smith, H ar ol d Keen :W?
work of several government departments.
\ 78 2 $ Ea r l Ma zo and Geo r ge Ch a p l in :B:
) C A P T A IN IN THE 2d D I V IS I O N OF THE
A.E.F. in World W ar I, Professor Taylor A t the “Op Schools”: Photographs 7V U
has been a member of the faculty of the
University of California for twenty years.
Here are a few of his extramural activities / / ! and H H O r d w a y T ea d :BW
which indicate his exceptional qualifications
for appraising “Our Stakes in the Japanese Inflation Lurfys in the Budget:
Exodus” (page 373): Chief of research in Economic Cartoon by Otto H . Ehrlich 389
investigation of Mexican labor in the U.S.A.,
Social Science Research Council (1927-29); / and /
consultant on Pacific Coast studies of crime Ch a r l ot t e Bu r net t Ma h o n :?>
and the foreign born, National Committee
on Law Observance and Enforcement
(1930-31); field director, division of rural
& # &&" % & 3
rehabilitation, California Emergency Relief
Publication Office: 34 North Crystal Street, East Stroudsburg. Pa
Administration (1935); regional labor ad Editorial and Business Office, 112 East 19 Street, New York, N. Y.
viser, U. S. Resettlement Administration Chairman of the Board, " #$ % & ' president, ( ) *$ ) + " $' vice-presidents
" , + " - ' secretary+ ( ) * $
(1935-6); president, California Rural Re Board of Directors: * & + " , * & ! + . * &+ " - ,
habilitation Corporation (since 1935); con " / + $ / + ) / + 0 ) 1$ / + * 2
" + " M. ) + * + I. - & + ) ( #
sulting economist, Federal Social Security ( )+ * ) ( + ) ) L. ( + ( ) B. ) + " $+
Board (since 1936); member, Governors / ) /$ ! + 3 ) )$ 9
Editor: - 1 $
Commission on Reemployment (1939);
Associate editors: * ) + ( ) * + 1 + " -
member state advisory committee, Cali 0 , 1 + $ & + 4 # , + # $ Assistant
fornia Employment Commission; member, editor: / , $ Contributing editors: / ) * & + " $ )
) ) $ + ( /$ 1 5+ % ( + ) $
California State Board of Agriculture. Business manager, # F. Circulation manager, ) 6 Advertisino ' %
manager, % R. ) $ ’ '
Survey Graphic published on the 1st of the month. Price of single copies of this issue 30c a
.copy. By subscription— Domestic: year $3; 2 years $5. Additional postage per year—Foreign 50c-
interest” story to Harold Keen (page 379) Canadian Z5c. Indexed in Reader’s Guide, Book Review Digest, Index to Labor Articles Public
Affairs Information Service, Quarterly Cumulative Index Medicus.
when in 1934 he graduated from the Los Survey Midmonthly published on the 15th of the month. Single copies 30c. By subscription__
Angeles campus of the University of Cali Domestic: year $3; 2 years $5. Additional postage per year— Foreign 50c; Canadian 75c.
Joint subscription to Survey Graphic and Survey Midmonthly: Year, $5.
fornia—into the depression and the staff of
Cooperative Membership in Survey Associates, Inc., including a joint subscription: Year, $10.
the State Relief Administration. Twenty
months of social work helped burnish his
interviewing equipment—his writing talent
is a gift of nature. In due course he walked September issue of S u rv e y G raph ic. Meet economic and business books, but on his
into the footsteps of Max Miller, on the two other newspapermen—thanks to Miss own the author of a shelf of volumes.
beat for the San Diego Su n that had Wil Lou Gray whom they in turn delight Their titles point up his luminous approach
yielded his predecessor the materials for “I fully introduce to our readers ( “Where to the theme of his article ( “Life, Liberty
Cover the Waterfront.” And since 1940 he the Three R’s Spell Opportunity”, page and the Pursuit of Power, ” page 387)
has been military news reporter and gen 383). Second Lieut. George Chaplin, CAC, which he delivered last June as his Phi
eral feature writer for the San Diego AUS, now at Camp Tyson, Tenn., was for Beta Kappa address at New York Uni
T rib u n e-S u n . “When I was assigned to merly city editor of the Greenville (S.C.) versity. Those titles include “Instincts in
cover the dedication of the Pacific Para P ie d m o n t. Earl Mazo, at present an aviation Industry” ; “The People’s Part in Peace” ;
chute Company,” he writes, “I was told cadet, was a reporter there. “Human Natun. and Management” ; “The
that Eddie Anderson (Rochester) would Art of Leadership” ; “New Adventures in
be the chief ‘performer’ on the program. A . ) + 3 ) ) Democracy.”
When I discovered on arrival that he was president of the Board of Higher Educa
not only the chief performer, but the tion in the City of New York. He won his ) 3 H. ! 4
‘angel,’ the owner, the Boss of this unique spurs in this field at Amherst College, as —if you please—and Brooklyn. In turning
enterprise, I pursued my investigation fur Amherst fellow at South End House from banking to teaching in his native city,
ther and came across the real story—that (settlement), Boston, as lecturer at the he improvised methods for visualizing his
of racial tolerance brought into full play in Finch Junior College, the New York School subjects. He practices them today — at
a practical manner in the war effort.” of Social Work, and Columbia University. Brooklyn College—and in his series of eco
In another field, he is not only a director nomic cartoons in S u rv e y G ra p h ic (of
is n o ! of Harper & Brothers, and editor of their which this is the fifth). Page 389.

371
 > "
By RUTH W. KINGMAN and JOE GRANT MASAOKA*
X 1SGT. BE N K U ROK I , former B129 gunner,
E was speaking: “ When I came home from the
war, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about
my place in America. I ’d flown fifty1eight missions
over Europe and J apan and I believed my family’s
loyalty was proved. But here in the U.S.A. I now
have to fly my fifty1ninth mission.
“ M y father had told me on December 8 to go out
and do my duty. I got in the air corps. When we
used to fly on toward our target I thought about Dad
and the potato farm. When we were winging our way
home we were talking to God.
“ Recently I saw a magazine story about ‘The Hate
That Failed.’ I t tells how things are now just about
rosy for J apanese Americans. Nuts! M y father has
lived here for forty years. H e’s a better Christian and
a better American than I am. Yet, our laws keep him
from becoming an American citizen. M y fifty1ninth
mission is a fight against that kind of prejudice.”
Parents of Nisei Vets I neligible to Citizenship
Ben K uroki’s thoughts are echoed by more than
25,000 Americans of J apanese ancestry who served in
our fighting forces. After establishing one of the most
brilliant records among the nation’s fighting men, it
would seem that these J apanese Americans had pur
chased the right of citizenship and decent treatment
for their aged parents. The vast majority of them
have lived in America for over a generation.
Yet, an outmoded legal designation of “ aliens in
eligible to citizenship” denies them the privilege of
attaining the same status as their native1born sons and
daughters. During the war, J apanese nationals en
gaged in vital, secret and strategical services against
J apan;' but despite these acts of loyalty to America,
the present law precludes their consideration to nat
uralization.
A world shrunken by rapid transportation and in
stant communication have brought distant peoples
closer together. I f we are to achieve an ideological
closeness and unity with other countries, it would be
well to revise obsolete laws which undermine our
avowals of good faith. I mmigrants from Asia, with
the exception of the Chinese residents who gained the
right in 1943, are excluded from naturalization.
H R 511, if passed, will extend citizenship to the
oriental parents of servicemen, but removal of the in
eligibility status for all population elements is salu
tary. Congressional legislation to strike out this legal
handicap merits the support of all democratic1minded
citizens.
Under the protective cover afforded by the legal
definition of ‘ ‘ aliens ineligible to citizenship, ’ ’ a gigan
tic land grab scheme is under way in California. I n
spite of protests by President William H oward Taft
in 1911 and by the vigorous intervention of President
Woodrow Wilson, the Alien Land Law of 1913 was
enacted. Ample historical documentation exists that
♦ Mrs. H a rry K ingm an, form erly executive directo r of the Com
m ittee on A m erican Principles an d F a ir P lay, is now president
of th e C alifornia Council fo r Civic U nity w ith h e ad q u a rte rs in
San F rancisco. Mr. M asaoka is regional rep resen tativ e of the
Jap a n ese A m erican C itizens L eague w ith offices in San F r a n 
cisco.
B e p r in te d f r o m J u ly -A u g u s t, 194 6 , W o r ld C all
J!
. G
the original measure and subsequent amendments were
the results of anti1J apanese scapegoating.
When the stirring of war passions was journalisti
cally and politically profitable, the hostility generated
by legislative hearings of the State’s Donnelly, Tenney
and Gannon Committees (before which not one person
of J apanese ancestry testified) enabled the appropria
tion of $200,000 to finance investigations of the legality
of J apanese American land holdings preparatory to
hailing them into the courts for alleged violations of
the State’s Alien Land Law. H eld out enticingly are
the remains of 5,135 farms owned by American citi
zens of J apanese ancestry in 1940 when the Depart
ment of Commerce assessed these holdings at $65,781,1
000.
Nisei veterans find themselves in the exasperating
position of having fought overseas to return home and
find the State of California escheating their farms.
Solely by reason of their race, charges that *‘ aliens
ineligible to citizenship” are receiving a beneficial in
terest from their farms are lodged against them. Ad
ditional new amendments in 1945 to the Alien Land
Law impute bad faith to J apanese Americans who have
acquired real property, and thus places all real estate
transfers since 1924 in jeopardy.
The large number of people of good will in Cali
fornia find themselves discomfitted and embarrassed
by the mandates of this statutory relic of anti1J apanese
persecution. Under the pressure of shortsighted men
in the California legislature the escheat campaign con
tinues in the face of the almost legendary World War
I I performance of the Nisei GI which prompted Gen
eral J oseph W. Stilwell to declare, “ They bought an
awful big hunk of America with their blood and their
lives. ’ ’
Disparity Treatment W orks H ardships
The abrogation of the commercial treaty in J anuary,
1941, made it mandatory for treaty merchants who
have been in this country for over a generation to be
deported. The terms of the treaty permitted law1
abiding, respectable traders to be admitted, and de
velopment of family life was encouraged. Many
married American1citizen women and their children
are citizens by virtue of birth in this country. Such
family heads now face summary deportations; and the
deprivation of chief support for the family may force
the citizen wives and children upon public charity.
The present law as it pertains to Asiatic entrants,
with the exception of Chinese, permits little clemency
power to be exercised by the Attorney General. When
European entrants are confronted with prospective de
portation, recourses for allaying hardship are avail
able. I n contrast, Asiatic entrants are permitted no
such statutory relief. The acute distress which faces
many citizen families of J apanese ancestry will be
alleviated by passage of H R 5454, which permits Sus
pension of Deportation privileges, and H R 5429, which
grants a Ten Year Statute of Limitations on deporta
tions.
Precedent exists for the exercise of leniency by the
United States Attorney General instead of the present
9
policy of requiring imminent departures. I n 1936 the
Commissioner of I mmigration and Naturalization per
mitted approximately 3,000 prospective deportees to
remain in the United States awaiting Congressional
remedial action because to have deported them would
have meant, in the words of the Commissioner of Im
migration and Naturalization, *‘ incredibly cruel family
separations so repugnant to every American principle
of justice and humanity.”
Not unusual are these cases: A mother of three
American1born children, who, as a child, was adopted
by a U. S. Army Lieutenant in the Philippines, was
brought to this country by her foster father. They
arrived here on J uly 5, 1924, just five days after the
Oriental Exclusion Act prohibited further J apanese
immigration. She was held in custody while immigra
tion officials puzzled over her case but was subsequently
permitted to land. Never having been troubled by the
immigration service since then, she was recently noti
fied that1she faced deportation as a J apan1bom alien,
although her husband is a legal resident, her children
are U. S. citizens, and her foster father an ex1service
man.
Still another situation concerns a man admitted to
this country as a student. Afterward he married and
now has a family of six children. He developed an
incurable ailment and is unable to work. The
mother supports the family while the father stays at
home to watch the children. He is ordered to be de
ported, in which case the mother will be forced to give
up her job to take care of the children and the family
will be forced upon public assistance.
Compensation for Evacuation L osses Proposed
Recognition by the Federal Government of the losses
borne by citizens and residents of J apanese ancestry
who were evacuated by military order from the West
Coast is noted in the introduction of the Government1
sponsored bill, Senate Number S 2127. To quote from
the letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of
the Senate, by J . A. K rug, Secretary of the I nterior:
. . Unlike our fighting men and their families,
who also made financial and personal sacrifices in this
Pictures, left and middle, represent the type of property held by Japanese Americans on the West Coast. At right, two
Nisei veterans of the famous 100th Infantry Battalion, now patients at the Hoff General Hospital
war, this group was given no statutory right to amel
iorating benefits. These persons have had to beaiuthe
losses occasioned by the evacuation in addition to the1
wartime deprivation they have shared with the rest
of the American people. For the first time in our his
tory, persons of J apanese ancestry are appearing in
substantial numbers on the relief rolls.. The least that
this country can do, in simple justice, is to afford some
degree of compensation for the measurable special
losses that the evacuees have suffered. . . .
“ As a matter of fairness and good conscience, and
because these particular American citizens and law1
abiding aliens have borne with patience and unde
feated loyalty the unique burdens which this Govern
ment has thrown upon them, I strongly urge that the
proposed legislation be enacted into law. ’ ’
A Challenge to Fair1M inded Americans
Citizenship for Asiatic residents by Congress, the
discriminatory enforcement of California ?s '.Aiion Land
Law, the unduly harsh penalties on oriental deportees
by the existing immigration laws, and the establishment
of an Evacuation Claims Commission are top priority
problems which harass Americans of J apanese an
cestry.
I t is a commentary upon the power of the American
potential to command devotion and sacrifices in times
of stress, so amply exemplified by the J apanese Amer
ican in uncomplainingly undergoing the trials of evac
uation and nobly responding when the call came to
serve in the armed forces. I n justice to fair play and
a decent reciprocal attitude, it might be timely for
individuals to act. Letters of appeal and support for
remedial action might be mailed to our representatives
as your personal intervention on behalf of democratic
treatment for a war1maligned minority.
J apanese Americans have been a test case in the
democratic experiment. How well they merge from
these situations and the junking of prejudices against
them will have an effect upon members of other minor
ity groups. I n the status of the J apanese American,
others may see the measure of things to come for them
selves.
)*+ & %
 MYTHS AMD FACTS
ABOUT
THE JAPANESE AMERICANS

Answering Common Misconceptions

Regarding Americans 0f Japanese Ancestry

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WAR RELOCATION’AUTHORITY
Washington, D« C»

April, 1945

£
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I# Dual Citizenship

2» Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity

|| Japanese Language Sohocls

4« Education of Japanese Americans in Japan

Concentration in Strategic Areas

6# Loyalty of Japanese

7. Question No. 28

8* Nisei in the Army

9« Nisei Soldiers in the Pacific Area

10. Cooperation with Intelligence Agencies

11. Behavior During Pearl Harbor Attack

12. Evacuation Not Due to Mass Disloyalty

13* Honesty of the Japaneso as a Race

14. Birth Rate Among Japanese Americans

15. Assimflability of the Japanese

16. Influence on Living Standards

17* Occupations of Issei and Nisei

18. Agricultural Competition

19» Soil Conservation Practices ■

20« Release of Farm (Equipment by Evacuees

21* Coddling by ,!*+

 MYTHS 6 B FACTS ABOUT THE JAPA1ESE AME&ICÂNS

Source information and references for usa of 6 'staff members

.Myth: All children born in the United States of Japanese parents are dual
citizens, and owe allegiance t o .Japan*

Fact; Children born in the United Statbsof alien fathers from almost every
country in the world, outside of South and Central America, are dual citizens,
at least until they become of age* In the great majority of cases, they
remain dual citizens for life unless they renounce allegiance to one country
or the other. The Japanese law which resulted in dual citizenship for some
children born of Japanese parents in the United States before the war was
not at all unique and was, in fact, far more liberal than the nationality
law of Germany and many other nations*

Dual citizenship arises because countries apply different tests of

citizenship* Jus sanguinis holds that a child acquires the citizenship of
his f ather regardless of "’Miere he is born; jus soli holds that he acquires
the citizenship of the country of his birth* Consequently, every child
born in the United States (which holds to the doctrine of jus spli as well
as jus, sanguinis in a modified form) is a dual citizen if his father is a
citizen of a country that adheres to the doctrine of jus sanguinis» Every
American-born child of an alien father from, any country in 'Europe is at
birth a dual citizen, and in the majority of instances he retains the dual
status until he renounces his foreign citizenship* Every American-born
child of an alien Chinese father is a dual citizen for life, unless he re
nounces allegiance, to China after his-twentieth birthday and has legal
capacity under- clearance law. (See A Comparative Study of Laws Relating to
Nationality at Birth and Loss of Natianaii'ty% by" 789:;d' V." Sniidifer, Ameri
can Journal of Iriterha 1=ona’1' Law, Vol, 2S, p . 218 et seq*; A .Collection of
Nationality Laws, by Flournoy and Hudson, 1929*)

The nationality laws of Germany and Italy should be of particular

interest — more ’especially those of Germany. The Nazi leaders have claimed
the loyalty of all persons of German descent throughout the world, and have
constantly maintained a legal theory upon which such a claim could be based*
According to the German law, every child born of a German father, regardless
of the country of his birth, is a German citizen; and under a decree of April
19, 1937, every man of German parentage is subject to conscription into the
German army, regardless of where he is born or where he is living. Persons
who have expatriated, or who have naturalized in a foreign country, are not
excepted by the decree.

It was even possible, under the German law effective before 1937
for a person who had acquired American citizenship by naturalization to be
a German citizen as well, for the law provided that "citizenship is not
lost by one'who before acquiring foreign citizenship has acquired o n appli
cation the written consent of competent authorities in his home state to
retain his citizenship." (A Collection of Nationality Laws, by Flournoy
and Hudson, p. 310.) . '

Under the Italian law, every child born in the United States of an
Italian father is an Italian citizen, and he retains dual citizenship for
life unless he renounces his Italian citizenship after coming of age.
 Moreover, even when he rènounces his Italian citizenship', he is still
subject to a call for service in the Italian army, "except.as regards
facilities granted by special laws*" (A Collection of Nationality Laws,
p* 364,)

The magnitude of the population of German and Italian dual citi

zens in the United States may be judged by referring to the U* S*:Censuè
for 1940 which shows that 314,105 German aliens and 690,551 Italian, aliens
were then living in this country* By contrast, only 47,307 alien Japa
nese were enumerated iir the Census, The'number of Gorman and Italian* aliens
would have been greatly multiplied, of course, if‘they, like the Japanese,
were denied the right to naturalize,"

-Before 1924, all children born of Japanese aliens in the United

States were claimed as citizens of Japan* This lav/ was radically changed,
"however, by an Imperial Ordinance, effective December 1, 1924, which de
creed that no child.born of Japanese parents in the United States (and
.certain other countries) was to be claimed as.a citizen of Japan unless
the child*s father, or légal representative, registared the birth at a
Japanese consulate within fourteen days, and*unless .the intention to retain
Japanese eitizenship.;was*.-0.xpreased at the same time*' (Former, Ambassador
Grew in Hearings b efore a Subco.mmittee of the Committee oil Military Affairs,
United Stages 'Senate], 78tlv Congress, Isir Sedemon,‘ on S, 444,' 'p. iTs",)

A domparison of nationality■ laws shows that Japan.was almost in a

'class by Itself before the war in its policy of relinquishing the citison*
ship of children born of its nationals in the United States, unless the
children, wore registered to preserve the dual status, This liberalization
of the Japanese law resulted largely from the pressure of Japanese Americans
who desired to free themselves of any legal•obligation to the Imperial
.Government*.. . /i..., . , ' * >
Pa.rp || |I • pI * g
_. "The Japanese American Associations on the Pacific Coast and in
Hawaii memorialised the 'Japanese government s'everal times in 1^19-21 -for
changes in the law, thus, showing a genuine interest in the problem," (The
Second-Generation Japanese Problem', by B, K* Strong, p* 141*)

One of these petitions is quoted in full in The Real Japanese Ques

tion, by K* K* Kawakami, p, 186—7# In part, It'reads as follows:

"ii/e are all men of Japanese parentage, born bn the soil of the United
States, and who have been educated in the schools" of that country* lie
wish to be considered citizens of the country in Which we are'now living,
and to snow that men oi Japanese* ancestry can be as loyal to the country
of their adoption as men of other ancestry residing therein##. The ques
tion of dual citizenship and the criticisms which have been made against
American-Dorn Japanese have caused us to feel that' some legislation should
be passed by the country of our ancestors that will free us of any obliga
tion to it, and allow those of'us, who have located'within the United States
with the purpose and intention of' remaining and interesting ourselves in
the affairs of that country, to show that we, can be good and loyal citiz.ens.
of the country of our adoption,,* Pie respectfully petition that at the com
ing session of the Japanese Parliament, a law be enabted, whereby those of
Japanese descent can select their ov/n citizenship without restriction of
law, and, having once made such decision, can remain citizens of that
country without any question of dual alleginace*" (The Real Japanese
I

Question, by K# K# Kawakami, p# 186-7*)

Even after the Ordinance of 1924, became effective, many Japanese

Americans were still unsatisfied# They continued to petition lor further
relaxations in the law# As late as January, 1941, 30,000 Ja.pcu.iese Americans
in Hawaii petitioned Secretary of State Cordell Hull to seek a way in which
they could rniore easily expatriate themselves frcm Japan# This action brought
a letter from, lieut# General C# D# Herron, commanding the Hawaiian Depart-
* ment of th§ U#-S# Army, in which he said; "In the willingness of the younger
Japanese to sign this petition and in their loyal and eager compliance with
the draft, as in the attitude of the older generation in accepting the new
(Selective Service) order for their children, there is complete refutation
of the suspicions of their loyalty#" (Japanese American Review, Jan# 25,
1941, p# 6# X

The Imperial Ordinance of 1924 permitted children born in the United 1

States before 1924 of alien Japanese fathers- to renounce their Japanese
citizenship, and in the next- six years, according to a census taken in 1930,
approximately-40 per cent of the Nisei born before 1924 had made formal
renunciations* Of the younger children,.who were American citizens only un
less they had been registered at Japanese consulates, about two—'thirds were
American citizens only# Of the total Nisei population, 24,263 held American
citizenship only, and 22,027 (mainly in the older group) were dual,citizens#
(The Second Generation Japanese Problem, by Edward K# Strong, p# 142)

This .census was taken under the auspices of the J a p a n e s e government#

It can, hardly be supposed, with any reasonable application of reason, that
the persons questioned in the census would have falsified their answers to
favor the United States# Those who held Japanese citizenship would have
admitted it, presumably, without hesitation# • - _

Investigations by the War Relocation Authority indicate that the

percentage of Japanese dual citizens has been much reduced, since 1930# In
the registration conducted at the centers In' February, 1943, many of the-
citizen registrants reported that, they had renounced their Japanese citizen
ship since 1930, and few of the'number born since 1924 were reported- to have
been registered at Japanese consulates# *
>|i :|i >;<ijc 5ji

2# Myth: The religion of the Japanese, no matter where they live, binds them
to the Emperor# They all have Shinto shrines in their homos#

Fact: The Japanese in the United States have two major religions: Buddhism
and Christianity# Shintoism, among American Japanese, is a minority sect#

Buddhism, which is the predominant religion of the Orient, was in

troduced into Japan from Korea, about the Sixth Century, A* D# In Japan,
it is divided into eight major sects which are, in turn, subdivided into
almost innumerable lesser groups, each with slightly different.rites and
beliefs* There is no evidence that Buddhism, in any of its‘forms, is in
any way connected with Emperor worship#

Shintoism, on the other hand, is the native religion of Japan# There,

are three major kinds of Shintoism# The most popular kind, which is rela
tively unorganized, centers around old native beliefs in gods of. the house
hold, .fields , and wayside# The s econd kind, which is well organized and
divided into sects, often includes a belief in faith healing# The third
 « i.
- 4 -

kind is State Shintoism, which "fosters a belief in. the. divinity of the
Emparor and the purity of the Japanese race. This State Shintoism, a
comparativeiy recent development in Japanese history, is the creed which
has■ given rise to the accusation that all the Japanese are Emperor wor
shippers • , t

The wido differenca -between the older Shinto beliefs /Sectarian

Shinto) and State Shintoi.sm is emphasized in G.* B • SansomJs authoritative
book, entitled Japan - 'A Short Cultural History, published by the Century
Company in 1931. "It is "important,Sans '6 says (p# 53), "to distinguish
from the traditional body of popular belief and observance the institu
tional religion^ which was fostered by the ruling classes, The former is
»’ a simple ritualism based on an animistic creed and tinctured with magic,
the latter .an organized and elaborate cult closely bound up with the po
litical system."

There are no satisfactory figures on the number of Japanese Budd

hists 'and Shintoists in the United States, owing partly, to the fact that
the religion of the common people of Japan is often a combination of i
Buddhism and Sectarian (not. State) Shintoism. The common man believes
in Buddhism for one Sake of nis soul, arid in the Shinto gods to protect
and guide him in his daily affairs. v • -

• iThe charge that all Japanese in the United States, or even .that
any considerable number of them, have Shinto shrines in their homes is a
pure, fabrication whicn has no substance at all except in the minds of the
, persons who concocted it. ,
'• ' • . ******* ... . i
§5i.$ Japanese language schools were maintained'in many communities on
the West Coast before the war to inculcate American-born Japanese -with
the national ideals of the Japanese Imperial Government.

Fact: This charge is not supported by the studies conducted by various

American:educators before the-war to determine the purpose and'effect of
the Japanese-language schools. Dr. E. K. Strong, of Stanf or d. University,
who supef prised'tne-most intensive ’study aver made of -second-generation
Japanese Americans, under a $40,000 grant'- from the C-arriegie COpporcition
in j.929, arrive at one conclusion that these schools were making a
.valuable; contribution-to American community* life. The' foldowin¿ extracts
are from his book. "The Second-Generation Japanese Problem," published
by the Stanford University Press in 1934*

non-Englisn-speaking people who have coime to America have,

^stablishe.a private schools where their children may learn the parents*
n^tii^ language wild some of the history, ‘'traditions, and customs -of
their* native land, The Japanese have--been no'exception to this--practice."
( p. 201.) , , . -: * > . /,

’- "Some 'knowledge., of Japanese' appears desirable forall"-the second

generation...Such facility is needed in' order to insure proper morale
within the family and the Japanese group. It is this relationship which
is seemingly so largely, responsible- for 'the lew rate of-juvenile delin
quency.",. (p. B05. NOTE: The Japanese-'.Americans had the lowest juvenile
delinquency rate of any racial■ or--nationality group on-the-Tiest Coast
before the war. Ibid, p. 175 et seq.)i . .'
t
* 5 -

”The work of "the Japanese—language schools should he continued*

(p. 205)

Quotations from other authors:

"•••These schools are not intended to perpetuate the.••moral concepts

of Japan« They are supplementary schools, and at worst tnere is much less
in them to he adversely criticized than in the parocial schools attended hy
so many children of South and East European immigrants*"
(The Japanese "Problem in the United States, by Prof* H* A, Millis,
ppV 265-66.)

ttThe strongest objection which lias been raised in this country

towards the language schools of the Japanese has been that they foster
anti—American ideas* This accusation is without basis." Sociology and
Social Research, Jan*-Feb., 1933, p* 259»)

"Similar schools have been conducted by the Chinese? and also by

the Germans and many other nationalities in the form of parochial schools*
The Japanese schools are merely supplementary to the public schools and
not a substitute for them as are. the parocnial schools." (Orientals in
American Life, by Albert W, Palmer, 1934:, p* 51*)

A better proof of the falsity of the charge is the fact that the
Army and llavy have recruited hundreds1 of graduates of the Japanese— language
schools to act as interpreters and teachers of the language. The reloca
tion centers have been combed for them, and the supply has never equalled
the demand.

Many of the recruits are now serving in the Pacific Theatre of war,
and wherever they have been assigned, they have established an outstanding
record of loyalty and devotion to duty.

h; It was a common practise among; families of Japanese origin to send

Tr children to school in Japan, where they were trained.for espionage
and sabotage.

Fact: Prof, E, K* Strong of Stanford University, who supervised the most

thoroughgoing scientific study ever made of the Japanese Americans before
the war, wrote in 1934,

"The United States-horn have received their education primarily

in this country,••,The fact that only 15 per cent of the second genera
tion have received part or all of their schooling, in Japan, coupled with
the fact that this preference for Japanese culture is gradually dying
out, tends to disprove t h e ’contention that ’large numbers of Japanese
children*••.return /From Japan/ at a later date loyal and ideal Japanese
citizens1*"- (The Second-Generation Japanese Problem, p, 188).

A- PIRA study of ’all American-born citizens' of Japanese descent, who

were evacuated to relocation centers, showed that 72*7 per cent of them
had never been to- Japan. Another 14.4 per cent, though they had visited
 f

the fetiSilt;' had received no schooling there. Only 12.2 per cent had
attended school in Japan for throe years, or mors, (dote agreement m e n
Prof* Strongs’ percentage.) • .■ n *
These figures clearly show that the practice of sending^childrcwi
to Japan for Vdiiooling had almost ceased before the. outbreak of .W' war*

Of the total numbeh .of relocation center residents who had studied
in Japan for three years or'more, 26,8 per cent were -10 years oi^go, or
older, 'Their ‘Japanese schooling had been received before the miiivary
clfoue gained power by assassinating and otherwise overpowering v h e -
liberal leaders who prevailed in-the Japanese government prior to leou

The Study further reveals that-many young men returned to

to avoid service in the Japanese army, and that many are now serving with
the Army of the United States inali theaters from Burma and the Philip
pines to Italy and the. ifest^m j?ront» •
To support the charge that Astorican-born Japanese have aided the
one-mv the m o r has'been circulated that Japanese airmen, forced dora,
in Hawaii during the attack on.Pearl Harbor, were found wearing Hawaiian
high'school rings and carrying Honolulu, street car t o n o , This rumor
was checked by Hobart J. Casey, of the .Chicago Daily Hews, who arrived
in Honolulu one week after the attack.* He intervi owed the Navy surgeon
in charge of all e n e m y wounded-, who;had examined some eight corpses ancen
from the-plane wreckage. According to Casey’s report, the surgeon sai ,
■ »I»ve heard that story. But I never-ecw* way rings. I never saw any
street car tokens. Hone of the pilots had much of anything in his pockets.
Hone vrars any■ jewelry. Only one nad a watch.
3{< ;!«
,Tiyth: The Japanese in California deliberately concentrated in strategic
Hreas 'to be hear important military installations.

' Facts The vast majority of the Japanese who lived near important mili-
.’fary installations --when the war began, had been settled m the same
localities long before they became military sites.

"...The main geographic pattern of Japanese population was^fixed

many years ago with reference to economic, social and soil conditions..
Limited occupational outlets and social pressures encouraged tncir con-
centrati on near their initial points of entry on the Pacific „Ooaso^ That-
these points mav new/ be: near certain strategic military and industrial^
areas is no proof of a diabolical purpose on the part of Japanese Ameri
cans,«' (U. S. Supreme Court Justice -Murphy, in Korenatsu vs. tne United
States, p. 19*)
They concentrated around the peripheries of large cities to be
near markets for their .truci? crops, along main highways wnere they could
operate vegetable stands,’end in the vicinity of vegetable-packing, plants.
(Sao Prejudice, by- Qarby lic-TiIliums, p. 84.)

The statement has often been made to support-the char go that, they
settled purposefully in Strategic areas, that approximately 72 per cent of
the California Japanese lived in seven countiesj Los Angelos, Sacramento,
San Francisco, Alameda, Fresno,#San Joaquin, and Santa Clara. Those who
have used the statement havè usually failed, however, to add that more
 - 7 -

than two-thirds of the entire population-'of California lived in these

samb counties.,, . - ’ hlv-ypv&J: •. ;.

In 1940, these seven counties'-'were 'inhabited by more "than 75 per

9 cent of the foreign-born Germans in the Statte, and 79 per cent of'the
German aliens* In the same- counties lived 68 ■ per cent- of £he foreign-
born Italians, and 67"per cent of the 'Italian* aliens*. .

Two communities are frequently bited to support the all§‘gu,tion that

the Japanese chose important military sites for colonization! (1) Terminal
Island, and (2) the San Francisco-Oakland*bay region*
♦ *.
Thé settlement' of Japanese fishermen on Terminal Island began in
1901 and increased until 1907 when it was rather abruptly halted by the
"Gentlemen*s Agreements" Thereafter, -the colony grew mainly as a result
* of the immigration of the parents, wives, and minor 'children of the
fisherman already there. By 1917, it had arrived close to its maximum
development, Roosevelt Naval Base and Reeves Field, which have given
militarv significance to the island, were not established until long
..afterward.

The total population of foreign-born Japanese in the San Francisco-

Oakland metropolitan district in 1940 was 4,676, In the same area'lived
24,387 foreign-born Germans and 42,861 foreign-born Italians,

+) , -,-. ) - •ï I II
6, Myth: There is ho way to distinguish loyal Japanese Ameri cans f rami'the
disloyal. Even those who profess loyalty may be secretly disloyal.

Fact: »There is no way to distinguish the loyalty of any person, regard

less" of ancestry, except by his words and deeds. Unquestionably, loyal
words sometimes mask disloyal hearts, Gerhard William Kunze, the
.notorious German Bund les.der who was sentenced-to fifteen years in prison
for obtaining military information for Germany and Japan, stoutly pro- «•
claimed his loyalty to the United States, .."We*re one hundred per cent •
American," he declared, referring to the Bund, "The only purpose of
the BUnd is to make better Americans of those of German blood," (Under
Cover, by John Roy Carlson, p, 46,) William Dudley Pelley, equally
notorious leader of the Silver Shirts w ho was also sentenced to fifteen
years in prison, consistently maintained that he was-heart and soul for
America, - ’ ; .■ <
John S, Farnsworth, who received a four year sentence for giving
aid to Japan, was a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States
Navy, (Betrayal from the East,, by Alan Hÿnd, pp. 62, 91,) Harry Thomas
Thompson, sentenced'' ’to fifteen years, was a former- yeoman in’the United
* States- Navy, (ibid, pp, 51, 86,) Ralph Townsend, also convicted, was a
former American consular official. (Under Cover, pp. 413, 414,- ) Joseph
Hilton Smyth, sentenced to seven years, was a sdion of an old Puritan
family of Plymouth, Mass* (Betrayal from the East; pp. 246,255.) -Mrs.'
Velvalee Dickinson, sentenced to "ten years, had been born, raised, and
educated in California. (N. Y. Times, July 29, Aug. 15,, 1944.) These
persons were all.convicted of giving aid to Japan, Others convicted of
the same offense were Walker Grey Ma the son, David Ryder, Frederick Vincent
Williams, and Arthur Cliff or d'Read*;- A H had posed as good Americans
 before "they were convicted.v None of these nanes has a Japanese origin.-
There is no comparable case involving any person of Japanese descent.

There have been notably few convictions of Japanese .Americans for

violations of any of the provisions of the wartime national security laws*
In July, ■ ■ 1942, six months before the evacuees were questioned regarding
their loyalties, Tsutomu Obana was sentenced to serve from two to six months
for failing to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act ? raid in
August,, 1944, three Japanese American girls (the Shitara sisters) were
convicted of aiding two German war prisoners to escape in Colorado.. The
light sentence given-to Obana is evidence that the court did not consider
him a serious offender.' In the latter case,-Federal Judge J.-.Foster Symes
declared that,, after listening'to all the evidence,, he "did not believe
that the defendants had any intent to harm the United States or help the
German government." (Denver Post, Aug. 11, 1944*-^ The only other con
victions. have been in cases involving the National Selective Service law,
or testing the constitutionality of the evacuation and military curfew
orders, • .

On the other hand, thousands of Japanese American boys have proved

their loyalty to the United States by serving against the enemy in every
theater of^war, and no unit in the Army of the United States has won
higher praise than the 100th Infantry Battalion, composed almost entirely
of Americans of Japanese descent. The 442nd Combat Regiment of Japanese
Americans,,which joined*the'100 Battalion on the battle front in June,
1944, has also set a remarkable record for excellent -performance and
gallantry in action* In March, 1945, "the WarLBspairiaocuat reported SUMtt-
:of /4,6Q0e Ja^anoee^Araerichns' Had be an inducted into the Army*
In the. United States, other thousands of Japanese Americans have proved
thetr loyalty by buying War Bond's, giving blood to the Red Cross, salvag
ing scrap iron and paper, and helping to save vital wartime crops./- a •• *

' ********

M y thi. A-large percentage of the people in the relocation centers have

refused, t o .swear allegiance to the United States.,
'■''-r.f V : V' ft 1»"s
Fact* ; In February and March; 1943, the War Relocation Authority, end the
army conducted a joint.registration at the relocation centers, which in
volved asking every resident, eighteen years of age or older, to answer a
series of questions* Question No. 26■ wa*s phrased for the citizens as
follows s "Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United Spates of
America and foreswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese
Emperor or any other foreign government, power, or organization?"

It was recognized 'cnat the question could not be .worded in the same
manner for the aliens, who are compelled to remain'aliens by our natural
ization laws, without asking them to become .men without a c ountry. There
fore, for them it was worded as follows-: "Will you swear to abide by the
lows of the United States and to take*no action which wo^ijd in any way
interfere with the war-effort of the United States

Of the 74,466~parsons who replied.to the question in one form or

the otlvor, 87 per cent answered it with an unqualified ”ye,s."

The experiences oi evacuation, loss of property, and several months

 9 -

in relocation centers had embittered many of the people and made them
highly suspicious of the motives of the Government* Many of* them sus
pected that the .registration was some sort of a trick to put them to
further distress,* 'This sentiment was especially evident in the qualified
answer's to Question No,* 28 — answers such as "Yes,, if my civil rights
are restored”, "Kb, not until the Government recognizes my rights under
the Constitution,*-”

As the purpose of the procedure became better understood, many

people who had answered ”no” to Question No* 28, or who had qualified
their answers, expressed a desire to change them* These changes were
permitted, and on April -25, 1944 (when the last tabulation was made),
more than 90 per cent of all registrants had answered ”yes” to Question
No* 28, without qualification*

sfc s{i s{c s(t

8* Myth: Less than 2 per cent of the Japanese American population of the
United States mainland and Hawaii has been inducted into military ser
vice, while more than 10 per cent of the total population has been in
ducted*

Fact: This myth, given currency by the Hood River (Oregon) Post of The
American Legion, is discredited by the following figures:

Population Inducted into Army

U* S* Mainland and Hawaii U. S. Mainland and Hawaii Percentage
Census of' 194b War Dopartmenfc' re'cor'ds
March 13, 1945

Japanese Americans.•*284,852..............17,612•...*•••«••••.... '•*6*2

All ancestries••.132^092,605 9,500,000 (Approx.)...******.7*2

Actually the difference is only one per cent, in spite of the fact
that the Nisei were almost wholly excluded from induction under Selective
Service procedures for a period of more than two years, following Pearl
Harbor•

sfc% skHe+

9. Myth:. Nisei soldiers are not used in the Pacific theater because
Army does not trust them to fight against the Japane se *.

Fact: Japanese Americans are serving with the United q-i- # .n

every battle area of the Pacific and in Burma* The news items, listed
•below, have been selected from many newspaper accounts of Nisei ser
vice in the Pacific, to indicate how widely they are scattered.

TWO JB1A
"WITH THE MARINES OF TWO, Feb. 28*,* «Two groups of- Nisei landed with
the Marines on Itro. Island — one each with the 4th and 5th Division*”
(Chicago Sun, March 3,. 1945.)

LEYTE, KWAJALEIN, ENIWETOK

'^UNITED STAiEIS;ARMY^BACIFIC HEADQUARTERS, F; a* 16 (AP). Frank T*.,
Hachiya, one of the 16 Japanese whose names have b; 3n stricken from the
 A;

county memorial roll by the Bo&cLHskver (Oreg«) American Legion Post,

died while performing a dangerous volunteer mission, the Army reported
yes ter doty* .BBK
B>a-•r- •- /. _ . ,d =A \ A.-' ^ ,-
. "Hachiya, attached to the'.7th Bivi^on» d'^S;:fdvpi^dea,fata 11-y on
Leyte• ’/Pod.« 5 0 « Hb- :aied January >:5 men' in this regiment
volunteered to give him ‘blood transfusions'**.« - - .¿aAche. > -v •

"He had served through the KsmohleiJOi and- jplr^'vfstok invasions «**
* (Washingto^^Stary: Feb« .16, 1945«)

NEW GUINEA, ADMIRALTY^ ISIANDS , -LTOE,-MANILA ’it; /*r, ■ •,,

' ”MANI LA «'•••Erni b is a" Japane se ,T ¥ Fei'•born..!:in /Los ijcigeles, «-«One
of the first 26 Nisei to be sent to this theater;, -Ernie, has been over-
•seas for 26:.months•»«He has been through the Nevr.Guinea^. Acfeirdlty. Islands
■ and Leyte campaigns '(Los Angeles Times, liaroh* 5, 1945*). ...

SAIPAN

"WITH THE UNITED STATES 3rd FLEET IN THE PACIFIC««*.1% reminded

of one /Japanese Aimericanhnamed Kubo, a sergeant in the Army of -the United
States who served on Saipan«•«There came a time in those cruel,- heart-break
ing and incredible days, while the Americons were trying to round'up. Jap
civilians, when Kubo proved his Americanism*” (Milwaukee Journal, Jan* 28,
1945.)

BURMA | ■ .
”Ten thousand American-born children of Japanese immigrants fight
now in the United States Army and. some in this Theater« Their presence
in CBIwas for a long time-a military secret«. For their. .own protection
they were not publicized .««there always m s '.and still always' will be
the possibility of capture by the enemy, which for the Nisei would mean
; no pi cni c «
••*♦ '•**' "Under ;the *veil of -protective secrecy/ however-,-stubborn, sturdy
fighting Niseis grew to the stature of heroes«”
*'■ ••• •** '‘ *-• *(G*B.I* Roundup/. a* weekly newspaper of
; , the United States Army Forces, publish-
• ,< . . ed by and for the men in China, Burma
' and India, Sept« 14, 1944«) ..

BOUGAINVILLE, SOLOMON ISLANDS * ■

------- "tIiT T oT cLIor *s Medal is awarded to Master Sgt« Susurnu Toyada for
heroism and bravery near Torokiha, Bougainville, British Solomon Islands,
on June 2,9, 1944*” . (Extract from War Department citation«). , ,
• A■ * ■ ’*'f r-.'a ♦ -\’•' • *.*>
.'** . ■ -• *A •'
SOUTH PACIFIC * -
^Theso Japanese are Americans - American-born Nisei, and soldiers
invthe U«S« -.Army, who have been serving with Marine .detachments ;in 'the
Pacific islands«.« . * * .A. ,
"*Th.ey .have the respect -'ofthe'•Marine's- because .they are-- good
American soldiers and we realized the '-risks; 'they..are »exposed to, in event .
they are captured by the enemy,' said Lt« Newell*
- . . (Chicago Daily News, -April 19, i'944;gi'nter-
*. , • .view yduth HArlixey-lAieutenaht RdBerfJi" Newell.)

A t t U, ALEUTIAN! is LANDS' ‘■ -‘A-

"Japanese soldiers of American birth, in addition to fighting Nazis
«*Ed. Note: -.'Hachiya *s -name: wa s -not .among
although heads a native of -Hood -.Ri,ve.r ,;pi'gliFSchool there •
 11

I^nly} have xought against Nipponese soldiers in the Pacific theater

of war, it was disclosed Wednesday.
"Sergt. Kunihiro Nakao, a Japanese .American formerly of Sacra
mento, Calif...arrived at the war relocation center at Heart Mountain'
as a veteran of hand-to-hand combat at Attu." (Denver post, Oct. 13, 1943.)

NEW GUINEA
i*— 1"fry
1■ ««
T/3 Ken Qmura, Seattle-born Japanese, was drowned in New Guinea,
vMarch 19, while on active duty in the Army,"
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 15,
~ 1944.) >

^ ijcif« %

; -^^er war began, not a single Japanese American gave infor

mation against any member of his race to the United States Intelligence
agencies.

Facts; ^This change has been refuted many times by authorities in full
possession of the facts. The Fourth Interim Report of the Tolan Committee
(p. 152 et'seq.) contains various references to the assistance given by ‘
Japanese Americans to the FBI, Naval Intelligence, and Military" Intelli
gence. The truth about the charge is. well presented in a Statement by Dr.
Galen Fisher in the Christian Century of August 18, 1943, P. 937.

"It has been loosely charged- that the Nisei have not aided the
authorities^in discovering dangerous Japanese residents. The falsity
of these allegations^have been proved by intelligence officers both in
Hawaii and on the mainland, as well as by informed civilians. It is
true that the great majority of the Nisei did not give such aid, and
the same could presumably be said of German-Americahs. The chief rea
son is that most of them had no information to give, any more than most
Vi/hite citizens... .Let some of. the intelligence officers speak for them
selves. On August 10, 1942, one wrote me j

I personally know at least fifteen intelligence officers who

have received continual aid from the group of loyal and patriotic Nisei
attached to each, and have in consequence been of great service to the
United States in obtaining information regarding disloyal and suspicious
Japanese. There are innumerable cases that I could give you.*"

■ .- '
... i

"Many of the Nisei voluntarily contributed valuable anti-subver

sive information to this (intelligence agency) and other governmental
agencies. The Japanese consular staff, the Central Japanese Associa
tion, and others known to be sympathetic to the Japanese did not them
selves trust the Nisei."
(An anonymous intelligence officer in Harper*s Magazine
Oct. 1942.) ■ '

* Common gossip out nere was that not one Japanese had informed on
another. On the highest authority I was assured that the contrary was
rue, and that many patriotic Japanese have turned in suspects of their
 own race and even of their own families."
"(.Joseph Driscoll in the N*Y. Her aid-Tribune, Jan. 31, 1943.)

* ;[< H/;>jc sjc ..

11* Mytht During thq attack on Pearl Harbor, the Hawaiian Japanese blocked the
roads, signaled the attackers, and engaged in numerous other activities to
assist the enemy and hamper the defenders.
. | '**■•! j ,■ .|§i pS ||||
Pact; "There wore no acts of sabotage in the city and county of Honolulu
December 7, nor have there been any reported to the police department since
that date. Police, department had charge of traffic on Pearl Harbor road
from Pearl Harbor to Honolulu shortly after 'bombing started with several
officers on duty there. There was no deliberate blocking of traffic during
December 7 or. following that date by unauthorized persons."
(Cablegram from Honolulu Chief of Police Oabrielson to Tolan
Committee, March 14, 1942.) >

"There have been no knov/n acts of sabotage, espionage or fifth; ,

'column activity committed by the4Japanese ih Hawaii either on or subse
quent t o ‘December 7, 1941." ,
(Col. Kendall J. Fielder, Chief of Id litary Intelli genee, Hawai ian
Department; the Christian Century, Aug. 18, 1943, p. 937)

■ "Mr. John Edgar Hoover, Director of the'Federal Bureau-of Investiga

tion, has informed me that there was no sabotage committed there (in Hawaii)
prior to December 7, pit December 7, or subsequent'to that time."
(Assistant Attorney-General Rowe, April 20, 1942; Tolan Committee,
Fourth Interim Report, p. 49) ■

The Aar Department has received no information of sabotage committed

by Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor." A
(Hon* Henry L* Stimsou, Secretary of Afar, March 30, 1942; Tolan.
Committed, Fourth Interim Report, p. 48). .
#«***.♦

"Tihore frere the Japanese on that Sunday (December 7), if .they were
not'sabotaging? Hundreds of them were actively helping defend the terri
tory, as members of the Oahu Citizens Befehse Coeieittee. Volunteer' truck
drivers, they rushed to their assembly points, stripped their delivery',
trucks of their- contents, inserted frames prepared/- to hold four.4stretchers,
and went tearing out to Pearl Harbor to take the wounded to hospitals .
Some of these Japanese got there so promptly‘that' their trucks were hit
by flying shrapnel or xaachinegun bullets from the road-strafing Jap planes.
The presence of tho Japanese drivers ana their scarred and pock-marked
trucks undoubtedly gave rise to the rumor that guns had been employed to
clear the highway, of Japs who v/ere. blocking the'road to Pearl Harbor."
(Nelson Pringle, CBS broadcaster, Oct, 5, 1942.)
 V

- 13 -

"All the indications are that there was no sabotage at Pearl Harbor,
according- to all the evidence*•#"
(Hon. John M# Costello, former Congressman from California and mem
ber of the Dies Committee; Bulletin of America*s Town Meeting of
the Air, July 15,1943-, p* 19.)

R 0 2 C

12. Myth; The Army evacuated all persons of Japanese ancestry from the Y/est
Coast because they were considered, as a group, to be disloyal and dan
gerous to the National security# 'y . .

Fact; This charge is most effectively answered by the action of the War
department in lifting the West Coast exclusion orders, on January 2, 1945,
and clearing the great majority of the evacuees to return to their homes
without further investigation or hindrance of any kind* Regardless of
the reasons which made mass evacuation appear to be a military necessity
in early 1942, the rescinding, of the exclusion orders is indisputable
evidence that the War Departpiept^,after careful study, arrived at the con
clusion that only a small number, of the evacuees were questionable from
the standpoint of the national security#

13* Myth; The Japanese race is fundamentally dishonest, secretive and gener—
ally' untrustworthy#

Fact; In 1933, Stanford University,Press.published, the results of»an ex

tensive study, supervised by Dr. E. K. Strong,,Jr., Professor of Psycho
logy, to ascertain the "educational and occupational opportunities offered
to American citizens of Oriental races,” This study, was financed by a
$40,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and it included
the only thorough, scientific investigation ever made into the honesty of
the Japanese in California. The conclusion drawn from the study reads as
follows:

"As far as these results go###, they give no warrant for claiming
that the Japanese as a class are more dishonest than Americans. , There are
undoubtedly rascals in both groups. The most extreme conclusion which
could be based on these data would be to claim two or three per cent
more dishonest Japanese than Americans, on the ground that poor credit
ratings mean dishonesty. The more conservative conclusion is that the
differences in credit ratings represent inexperience far more than dis
honesty, and that, all in all, the differences between Japanese and whites
are too slight to be considered significant." (Vocational Aptitudes of
Second-Generation Japanese in the United States, p. Ï54.) ■

"Adaptability is an important trait, possibly the most important,

in earning a living. The two rough measures of dt, in terms -*of delin
quency-crime and honesty, indicate that the Japanese are superior in this
respect to many immigrant groups ^7ho have come to this country." (Jbid,
p. 177).
 14 -

The experience of WRA officials who have interviewed Japanese

Americans on matters relating to loyalty, and who have studied the re
sults of the interviews, has indicated that, instead of being dishonest
and secretive, they are surprisingly frank and naive, information ob
tained from them regarding visits to Japail/ dual citizenship, and former
employment, tallied almost in every instance with informatioit collected
by the F ,33,1 • and Army and Navy intelligence agencies,

14, Myth* The birth rate of the Japanese in America is much higher than that
of ether' Americans• They multiply at an alarming rate,

Fact: TheU,S, Census, 1940, shows that the birth rate among Japanese
Americans in every state on the West Coast was lower than the birth rate,
oT the general population, including people of all dnce'st'ries*

vBirth rate among Birth rate of total

* Japanese Americans population, all ancestries,

California,,,,.,.• 15,8'per thousand,•»•••••••«•• 16,1 per•thousand

Oregon, -15*5 per thousand, • , 16,4 per thousand
Washington.••..«•, 11,7 per thousand••........... 16,2 per thousand

Census figures show, further, that the number of Japanese Ameri

can births has been decreasing steadily since 1920,

Number of births Number of births Number of*-birthfe

in 1920 , in 1930 ’ in 1940

California,,•,,,« 5,032 , , , « , 2,224, ,1,480-.--...

Oregon. ••••*,.••• 219';. % •, •,, ,,*,,,,, 75, •........,»••• .63
Washington,,,,,,, 1 , 1 6 0 - . . 375,............. 171,
*’j| S| '1' r#:'
"Their birth fate'during the past decade has been insufficient*
to balance mortality and emigration." (Tolan Fourth Interim Report,.
p. 91.)

' Q ••* '

15, Myth: T h e ‘Japanese cannot be Americanized or assimilated into American
life, Th^congregate in "Little Tokyos"*' to preserve their Japanese cul- ‘
ture* . .

Fact; "To the extent that assimilation is a problem, it is largely the

resiilt of certain social conditions and laws of the'American general
public. Studies demostrate that persons of -Japanese descent are readily
susceptible, to .integration i n ’our society if given the opportunity,"
(U,S. Supreme Court Justice-Murphy, in Korematsu-vs*-the-United States,■
p, 18,)

"The word fassimilati on* has two meanings," as lavid Starr

Jordan, President of Stanford University, pointed*-out at the hearings
of* the U. S', Immigration Committee in 1924— "interbreeding and the ..
 - IS -

comprehension of-polj.tj.cal and .social conditions." There has been very

little intermarriage between the Japanese and Caucasians in tne western
states; as a matter of fact, in three of the states where'they were main
ly concentrated (Arizona, California, and Washington), it has been pro— .
hibited by law. In the "comprehension of political and social conditions,^
however, Dr. Jordan stated that "the young Japanese are more readily assimi'
lated than people'of several European races.” (Hearings before the Immi
gration Committee, U , S • Senate, 68th Congress, First Session, p . 60).

This point of view had been strongly supported, some years earlier,
by the Immigration Commission appointed in 1907 to "make fuil inquiry,
examination, and investigation#•.into the subject of immigration." Com
posed of three senators, three representatives, and three laymen appointed
by the President, the Commission published its findings in 42 volumes.
Volume 25, published in 1911, is entitled, Japanese and Other Immigrant
Races in the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain Spates'.

"•..T$hen compared with other races employed in similar, kinds of

labor in the same industry," the report stated (p# 149), "the Japanese
show relatively rapid progress in acquiring a speaking knowledge of
English. Their advance has been much more rapid than that of the Chinese
and Mexicans, who show little interest in *American* institutions. During
their first five years of residence a greater proportion have learned to
speak English than'most of the South and East European races.*. The pro
gress of the Japanese is due to their great eagerness to learn, which has
overcame" more obstacles "than nave ‘been encountered by'most of the other
races, obstacles of race prejudice, of segregation, and of wide differences
in language•"

More recent confirmation of the same viewpoint is contained in

Dr. Edward K. Strong*s book, entitled "The >Second-Generation Japanese
Problem", based on an extensive study of the subject under a 140,000
grant from the Carnegie Corporation, This book was published in 1934.

"Perusal of the literature indicates," Dr. Strong says (p. 27)

"that few recognized authorities on either side (of the Japanese contro
versy) would deny that second-and certainly third-generation Japanese
lack the mental qualities necessary for cultural assimilation.* The ques
tion does not apply to the first generation, for cultural assimilation is
never accomplished by any first generation."

Many other immigrant people, limited in ability to speak the

English language, have congregated in separate communities. New York,
Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and other cities have had — and still
have, to some extent — colonies of Italians, poles, Russians, and other
nationalities. The midwest has had its rural, settlements of Scandi-
.navians and Germans. They gathered together to have nèighbors whose
language and.customs they understood, and for economic reasons. These
reasons, also influenced the colonization of the Japanese, who were fre
quently not welcomed in other communities.
 16

"Segregation of immigrants is certainly not peculiar to the

Japanese, but is a rule'of immigrant settlement.••#Where colour is added
to culture as a distinguising characteristic of the newcomer, it pro
vides a further incentive for the members of the group to segregate and to
act as a unit." (The Japanese Canadians, by Young and Reid, p# 24)

At the time of the evacuation, in 1942, the. "Little T o ^ o s ’L~oh. the

West Coast were already on the wane# According to Carey McV/illimas
(Prejudice, p# 88), “As the Nisei reached maturity, there was a signifi
cant trend away from Little Tokyo# In 1928 one observer reported that,
in Los Angeles, there were 203 Japanese-operated fruit stands, 292 gro-
-cery stores, 74 florist shops, 69 nurseries, 108 restaurants, and 68
dry-cleaning establishments which had most of their dealings with non-
Japanese customers# Over a period of years there was unquestionably a
slow but steady expansion out of Little Tokyo•"

A similar trend'wa's noted by Young and Reid (The Japanese Cana-

dians, p# 72) in a careful study conducted in British Columbia. In
Vancouver, the authors state, "the Japanese are found in commercial
enterprises in significant numbers not only in their own areas of settle
ment avhere, incidentally, they cater to Whites as we11 as Japanese, but
also to a remarkable extent all.over the city where their only bustomers
are whites#"

Another statement in the same book ( p# 145), which waspublished

in 1938'"under thé auspices of The Canadian National Committee for--Mental
Hygiene and The Canadian Institue of International Affaims% -is -unques
tionably as true of the conditions, that prevailed on the Yvrest Coabt of
the United States as it was of the conditions in British Columbia:' "The
second generation of the Japanese^ Canadians, in spite of what their
critics may say to the contrary and in spite of what their parents may
dq to have it otherwise, are no more Japanese than their parents are
Canadian# They live in our houses, wear our clothes, eat our food,
attned. our schools, speak our language, read our books, join cur chuVches,
go to our movies, play our sports, sing our song's, and salute our flags#
Since they do these things, and since they are human and therefore are
affected by the experience, it is a denial of the obvious to ignore the
-fact that they are in the process of becoming Canadian#"

Competent 'observers on the reception of Nisei in Japan have re

marked on their lack of welcome there, and on their failure- to adjust •-
themselves to Oriental life# (See The Rising Sun of Japan, by Randau
and Zugsmith, p #99-100; The Japane se Canadians, p . 146•)

The Americanization of the Nisei is especially evident in their

school achievements# They are eager for education# ■ ,

"Although they come from an economic level appreciably lowe'r than

that of the white American students, a much higher percentage of them
attend ^he universities and colleges#" (Christendom, Vol# VII, No# 2,
1942, pi 201.)
 - 17 -

"The Japanese immigrants...take advantage of nhe opportunity

presented by educational institutions to an extent probably unsurpassed
by any other immigrant group..." (The oapanese ^anam-ns, p.

Mary of them have won good citizenship awards, scholarships, and

, other scholastic honors; they“have been elected to class °ff-eS and
important positions in the student bodies; they have starred in Amerioan
snorts. oh .Tnnc.nese American Citizens League, Koremaosu Case,
pp. 161, 162, 163, 164 Many have abhi’lvefT liiSA recognia ion in ae
arts and sciences#
The final and most conclusive proof, however, is the remarkable
record of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, whichrescuodtheLost
Battalibn" in France, and has set a record of gallantry unsurpaiW ^
any other unit in the Army of the United States, (oee M-ci m

*******

16. Myth: The presonce of Japanese workers in any co:nmunity lowers

a S s of living, since they work for lower wages and are content to live
in hovels*
Fact, The living standard of any people, regardless of race °r ancestry^
is”determined, in a large measure, by their opportunities fco^make.a decen
' living. The Fourth Interim Report of the Tolan Committee (pp. _ . _
clearly shows that the JapanSiTIS California were constantly striving to
overcome the many handicaps that forced them, when they first arrived as
immigrants, to accept low wages or starve. "Very few Japanese em
ployed as skilled workers in factories or workshops; there was a Plenti
ful supply of other immigrants to fill such positions; their 1 ^
to understand English required their working 111 UIJQt/ „ whn did
preter; they were opposed by labor unions...Host of the Japanese who did.
not become domestics worked in the railroads, in canneries, lu,. - »
mines, farms, and various city trades." After 1909, ilowever, th.3
of Japanese in nomadic, lew-paying employment began to decrease, °™-nS
to their inclination; the Tolan Report states, "to shift to occupation
which offered asless nomadic existence, greater profit,
status." (p. 63.) "Many of the Japanese gradually left the industries
into which they had originally been dispersed. In search of higher^
earnings, more satisfactory living conditions, and_occupations to which
they were better adapted by natural Dent and experience., ey en e
seek the levol which they had enjoyed in their native land. (.p. »a.;

Many authoritative references may be cited to show that the West

Coast Japanese were constantly striving to raise the wage scale in the
industries that employed them;

"....The, Japanese' club secretaries, camp managers, and bosses be

came successful bargainers, authorized to speak for the whole body o
men they represented, familiar with prevailing wage rates, in the region
and for the particular crop* Under their direction, through strikes and
boycotts, particularly at harvest time, the Japanese able to secure
wage increases until their rates equaled and surpassed those of white,
workers#” (Tolan Report, p# 67#)
’ "They (the Japanese) have reduced the workday from 12 to 11 hours
 -18-

and by means of strikes have raised the wages of all races." (Prejudice,
p.. 93)
As they obtained"better'incomes which enabled them to acquire a few
dollars mdre than necessary to finance a bare existence, they sought bet
ter homes and better opportunities for their children.

, . ’.'Most of the Japanese families are of course living in homes .built

for them as tenants or laborers and these are usually”^ better than those,
erected elsewhere to serve the same purpose. With land#ownership, better
homes are built..." (The Japanese Problem in the United States (1915),
by H. A. Millies, p. 164.)

"...As the Japanese got ahead and could afford to do so, he also
modbrated his habits of excessive toil. If he owned land, he built a
little bungalow, gave his children music lessons and planped to send them
to college.'

"The writer has in his possession two very interesting and contrast
ing snap-shots which he took in the summer of 193-?» One is a rougn shack
inhabited by a Japanese 'family:at one end and used as a barn at the other,
with a vegetable and packing room between. The second picture shoivs an
attractive modern bungalow*, which had a well-kept garden and a goldrfish
pond, and, behind it, a large well-painted fruit-packing house. The two
pictures represent two stages of Japanese development. The first is where, ey
began and. the second is where they wish to go." (Orientals m ,American
Life, by Albert W. Palmer, pp. 55-56.)

"That the standard of living of the Japanese will, at least equal

that of the vilhite groups in a comparatively short time is indicated by
the rapid-progress already made by the Japanese.••.The remarkable advhnCe
of the standard of living of the group since the beginning of the'century...
is evidenced by the standard of living of the Japanese at the present e
time... There is conclusive evidence of economic and social progress on
the'part of the Japanese. (The Japanese 'Canadians, * -pp. 79,' SO, 81.)

17. Mytht Japanese Americans are mainly stoop laborers and domestic workers.

Fact: The 1940 Census reported 43,691 paid workers of Japanese descent
fourteen years of age or older, in California, Oregon, and ‘
Washington.
There were 8,307 paid farm laborers, who were probably employed, for the
most part, in stoop labor jobs in the vegetable and small fruit'industries.

The farm operators and managers, who may have been engaged in some
stoop labor but who were primarily in the same classification with farmers
of other races, numbered 7,001. There were 3,541 domestic workers in the
three states.

On the other hand, 5,512 persons were employed in clerical, sales,

and kindred occupations. There were 5,491 proprietors, managers, and
officials of business enterprises; 3,517 operatives and kindred workers in
various types of industries; and 1,157 professional workers. They were
engaged in the manufacture of lumber, furniture, paper, chemicals, petrol
eum and coal products, leather goods, iron and steel, machinery, and many
other articles of commerce. Nearly 5,000 were.employed in food and dairy
products stores; 1,478 worked at laundering, cleaning, and dyeing; 1,335
worked in hotels and lodging houses.

In other words, census figures show that nearly three-quarters of

the paid workers, including both Issei and Nisei, were employed in a wide
range of occupations not classified as either farm labor or domestic work.

Immigrants from Japan, before they became adjusted to life in

America, were employed almost exclusively as low-grade laborers and menials
As they became acquainted with American ways, however, they sought to im
prove their economic position. Probably no other group of immigrants,
confronted with so many obstacles at the outset, has equaled the progress
of the Japanese in adapting themselves to the wide scope of American in
dustry and commerce.

Myth: American farmers of European descent can not compete with farmers
Japanese descent. Wherever the Japanese congregate, the Caucasian farmers
are forced out.

Fact: The Report of the U.S. Immigration Commission, the Tolan‘Report, and
many other authoritative references state that the Japanese Americans en
gaged mainly in growing crops that were, not extensively grown by Caucasian
farmers. No real competition could exist under these conditions. There
is also plentiful proof that, in those areas where the Japanese Americans
were chiefly congregated, they were pioneers in farming virgin land, or
land that was not wanted by Caucasian farmers.

"Nearly all of the Japanese farming is of the intensive type, re

quiring much care and handwork. It is pf the kind the market places a
premium upon, but which, the ordinary American farmer is slow to engage in."
(The Japanese Problem in the United States, by Prof. H. A. Millis, pp, 89-
90.)

"There can be no doubt that the extensive leasing by them (the

Japanese) about Newcastle and in a few other localities has caused prospec
tive settlers to locate elsewhere, and the white population in some neigh
borhoods has actually diminished... But it should be noted in this con
nection that in some communities much of the land leased was reclaimed and
reduced to cultivation by Japanese, or was first devoted to intensive
farming by them... The instances where the prices realized for crops have
been adversely affected as a result of Japanese competition are compara
tively few. As a matter of fact, where their acreage has been added to
that productively used in the community, it has generally been devoted to
growing crops not extensively grown'by white farmers." (Report of ,U.S.
Immigration Commission, Part 25. VolT 1. pp. 86-87.)
 50
"They (the Japanese) were engaged chiefly in raising sugar beets in
Utah, Colorado, and Idaho, berries..and vegetables in Washington and Oregon,
and in California varied intensive crops — vegetables, berries, deciduous
fruits, grapes, melons%-and hops♦ t The specialization .of Japanese farmers
Was extreme." (Tolan Committee, Fourth'Interim .Report, p. 69)

"The concentration (.in, the production, of vegetables, berries, and

small fruits) resulted from a trial-and-error experimentation with other
types of agriculture,.. By 1930«» they (the Japanese) had abandoned almost
every other type of agriculture. Experience had shown that they could not
compete successfully in other types of farming."' (Prejudice, by Carey
McWilliams, p • N

In the. March 1, 1924, issue of The Country Gentleman, the leading

•article, by Robert V/elles Ritchie, discussed the Japanese problem" in Cali-
'fornia, "scrupulously.avoiding.any controversial bias" according to the
author’s declaration. This paragraph appears in it:

"The three areas of greatest Japanese concentration then (in 1920),

as now, were in the cantaloupe and winter-lettuce, fields of the Imperial
Valley, in -the extreme southeastern part of the state; in the mountain fruit
center of Placer-County; and in the strawberry fields, and the potato, celery,
onion, and asparagus districts roughly embraced in the term, that Delta,'
which lies in the exact center of the state. Let us', be very blunt in this
context and say that in the Imperial Valley and the Delta country the Japan
ese 'never displaced!white men,- for white .men would not work there; and in
the mountain fruit district the Ch;inese ,r ap,d aft.e'r th.m. the Japanes&, came
in NQ-after nearly -every white man had, quit — and made' a go of a- crippled
industry," v ; . V... "

"No small part of the acreage now controlled, by the Japanefeé in Oregon
has -been ’taken wild’ .and reduced to cultivation, .This..is especially true
in’thè vicinity of. Hood Fiver..;. !•’> (The Japanese Problem in the United
States, By-II. A. -Millis,. p, 9^:..) ■ *.

"Much of the land (famed by the Japanese in Washington) has been

taken as left by the timbermon, the stumps removed, and reduced to cultiva
tion bF
/ the Japanese tenants. They have.-.done, much to develop the agricul- .
tural possibiliti'es .of those communities, — .more undoubtedly than any other
race has shown a n ’
ihclinatioh to d o ." (Ibid, pp. 91-2.}' , •_

Myth: ' The.farming methods of ,thé. Japanese ruin, the soil and cause'the land
to 'depreciáte in value. • .. .. \ \ !**

.Pabti.l ■ This ■ Charge- Is 'denied by Próf. H , .A, Millis, Whose book, "The
1Japanese .^Problem- in-lphe United" St at’es'^ris,•frequently--cited...as,,,an authorita
tive study in thp Report of th’ e;Tolan*'Goji»nd-ttee, Millin'states:
 V- 1 1

nThe complaint that the Japanese ’skin* the land and ruin the or^
chards is frequently heard. Most of the Japanese are tenants, and tenant
farming is likely to have such results. No case can be made against the
Japanese as against other tenants, however. On the contrary, while one
finds rather numerous instances in which the landowners have been dissatis
fied with the Japanese tenants they have had, the general .opinion is that
tne Japanese are good farmers and .give rather more than less interest than
is usual among tenants to the care and conservation of the properties leased
oy them. At Sacramento,,, the president of one large fruit—shipping firm
and the treasurer of another said that the Japanese were among the most
careful and painstaking orehqrdists• At Fresno, a prominent American told
me that he would rather lease his vineyards to Japanese .than to farmers of
his own race because they took better care of them. The charge that the
Japanese ruin the farms is a charge, which, like many others, one hears
less of the, closer he gets to the place where the damage is presumed to have
taken place. On the whole the Japanese are regarded as. good farmers and.
good'; tenant s." (p . 148.)

20, Myth: Japanese farmers evacuated from the West Coast have stubbornly refused
to release trucks and farm machinery for the use of other farmers who des
perately needed such equipment.

Fact $ Very little of the-farm equipment owned by the Japanese Americans was
left idle when they were evacuated. By far the greater part of it was either
sold or leased to the tenants who took over the' operation of the farms' after
the owners departed. On May .8, 1942, the Farm Security Administration, which
had^charge of the disposal of evacuee-owned farm property, reported that
satisfactory disposals had been made of thv> machinery on all but thirteen
farms in Exclusion Area No. 1, It was the policy of the FSA to hold the
machinery on the land to the extent that it was needed to keep the land in
operation.

Typical of the grossly exaggerated stories that have been spread on

the West Coast is one reported to the WRA by an implement dealer in Sacra— *
mento, who stated that more than 200 farm tractors, owned by"Japanese Americans,
were standing idle in storage in the Sacramento Valley area, and that he,
himself, knew of approximately 50 idle tractors in the city of Sacramento.
A^representative of the WRA immediately called upon the dealer, and asked
him where the tractors were stored and who was custodian of them. As a re
sult the dealer admitted that he knew of only four tractors the rest of
his report had been based on hearsay.

On another occasion, Senator Sheridan Downey sent- to the WRA office

' a coPy a telegram from the Salinas, California, Chamber of Commerce, which
stated that some 500 articles of farm equipment, owned by evacuees, was
stored in that vicinity. The telegram declared that the use of the equip
ment was essential if the farmers of that community were to meet their food
production goals.

Again, a WRA representative went immediately to the source of the

report and sought the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce in checking the
accuracy of the information. Implement dealers and many others who- were
presumed to have knowledge of the equipment were interviewed. This survey '
 a
-22 -

revealed one tractor, two listers, a ten-foot ring roller, and a.‘land
chisel which were in storage — a total of five (not 500) pieces of farm
equipment. The Salinas Chamber of Commerce corrected the erroneous infor
mation given to Senator Downey, in a second telegram to him, which re
ceived only a fraction of the publicity given to the first.#

The report was published in West Coast newspapers that some 33,000
Japanese-owned automobiles were in storage and, consequently, that more
than 100,000 tires were kept away from persons needing them# An inspection
of the records in the motor vehicle departments in Washington, Oregon, Calif*»
fornia, and Arizona revealed that only 32,9?7 motor vehicles were registered
to Japanese owners before the evacuation; 18,522 of them had been sold
to non-Japanese owners; 3,379 were registered to owners whose'names were
not included in the evacuation lists '(probably voluntary evabuees who
• took the cars with them); 879 ware owned by Japanese outside of the exclu
sion areas; and 174 were owned by evacuees released from relocation centers#
Therefore, only 8*923 (not 33,000) vehicles were recorded as owned by
people living in the relocation centers# Of this number, many had been
left with dealers to be sold, or returned to dealers by purchasers who
owned only a small equity in them; others had been sold and the sales had
not been recorded#.

These incidents reveal the mythical character of the evidence used

as a basis for charges .that the evacuees stubbornly refused to sell great
quantities, of idle equipment* It should also be noted that any reluctance
. on the part of the evacuees to part with such property would have had
. considerable justification# Many of them expected to return to their West
Coast homes, and .when they returned they wanted machinery to cultivate
their•land, and trucks and cars to be used in their work*.

21# Mythi The evacuees in the relocation centers have been pampered and cod
dled/, while Americans imprisoned by Japan have- received inhuman treatment*

Fact; This charge, which provided the basis for an especially vicious cam
paign against the WRA in tide early part of.1943, was carefully.investigated
by Governor Maw of Utah#. His comment,.after a personsal tour of the
‘Central Utah Relocation Center, was reported in the Salt Lake City Tri
bune, of January 16,. 1945, as follows^

’*These Japanese are pioneering a project#*# They’re not living

the life of Riley and they're not being pampered* It* s' not luxury when
six persons of a family live in a single room# I found that these
thousands are not getting.more than their share of coffee, sugar, moat,
or *any other commodity#' The ration regulations are. rigidly adhered to
by the project director’s -staff#"

Every statement made to support the charge that the evacuees have
been pampered has been proved to be untrue* In April, 1 943, the War
Relocation Authority issued a memorandum refuting a series of accusations
published by the Denver Post which was spearheading the attack# Typical
of the accusations was a statement that WRA had stored at Heart Mountain
"enough food to supply the 10,300 Japs there for three years, seven months
and two weeks#"
 23

An actual inventory at the center, made two days after the Post st£w o
ment was published on April 24, revealed that the food supply wao su --
cient to last only sixty days, which was the minimum period for safety.

On ¿uly 17, 1943, the War Department and th§ . Relocation Autho
rity issued a, joint statement-through, the Director of War Mobilization
which read, fn part, as follows? "A portion o£ the food (used in the
relocation centers) is produced by the evacuees themselves on gov^rnmen
owned or government-leased land within the project area; some perish«.b e
commodities are purchased locally; and practically all other food it
brought through the Quartermaster Depots of the Armyf All rationing
restrictions applicable to the civilian population are strictly followed
and two meatless days are observed each >OiC. * Bcsf .served at the cen
ters is third grade and no fancy meats of any hind are furnished. Th<j
cost of feeding at the centers over the past sovefil monvns has ranged
from 54 to 42 cents" per person per day.111

The following description of a relocation center was written by a

well-known author who investigated the pampering charges in the summer
of 1943:

"You may think you have gotten into an Army camp by mistake, for
the barracks were bhilt according to Regular Army design and construction.
True, they were built hastily of green lumber which split apart. Tne
floor boards are not close together...The land is silt, so when the dust
storms come, the dust seeps through the crevices into the barracks.••

"The barracks are in blofeks. The buildings have been divided into
’apartments’, and about 260 men, wbmon, and children live in an average
block. The ’apartments* are roams twnnty by twenty— live feet in size,
and families of from two to five or more occupy each of them. In each
block there are two latrines, one for the men, one for the women; one
laundry room, one ironing room. In each block there is a mass hall --
for food is supplied by the government through the Army Quartermaster
Corps and eating is communal...

"It is not quite so grim as it was. in the beginning. The evacuees,

young and old, hearty and frail, had come from the moderate West Coast
climate to this desert when the temperature was 120 degrees. The govern
ment had offered them their rooms, cots, straw with which to make matt
resses, and Army blankets. They had no furniture. They needed soap,
brooms, pails, everything. Most of them had to raake furniture out of
scraps of lumber left when the barracks were finished. After a .-while
those who had furniture at ;home got some of it moved here. Some got
plyboard from a mail-order house and partitioned their apartments. In
some blocks the men secured air conditioners for the mess halls* The
inevitable Japanese gardens began to bloom in window boxes and. around
the blocks and between them. Most of the comfort you see lias been created
by the Japanese themselves; it is not donated by the government.... At
best, this is hot the lavish luxury In which many of us have heard tha
bho War Relocation Authority has pillowed the Japanese...

"There is a swimming pool which is merely a wide place in the ditch

From the uproar..., I had expected a marble pool with, umbrella—shaded
tables beside it and liveried waiters serving champagne. But i t ’s only
a ditch and there is no alcoholic beverages of any sort*«># Indeed, there
isn*t even any soft drink or candy to be had, as a rule#«► .And recreation
is whatever the people'made for themselves#• (The Trip•h About ¿UP
Camps, ky Maxi ns Davi s, Liberty Mftga%ine, Aug # 7, lC43# j
 WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY

Washington, D. C.

J. Edgar Hoover, Director

Federal Bureau of Investigation

(Excerpts from testimony before the House

Appropriations Committee on the Department
of Justice appropriation bill)

"Vie have hc.d practically no trouble with the Japanese in Hawaii.

I made the statement before that there has been no sabotage or espionage
committed in Hawaii, subsequent to Pearl Harbor. There was espionage
committed prior to Pearl Harbor, but not by the Japanese population as
such, but by espionage agents and consular agents of the Japanese
government•

"I want to mention briefly the work which the bureau has per
formed in the field of enemy control.

"Immediately following the incident at Pearl Harbor on December

7, 1941, we were called upon to effect the apprehension of potentially
dangerous alien enemies.......

"The action taken and the prompt manner in which it was taken,
took out of circulation those individuals who might have been the
nucleus of any espionage or sabotage rings of either Japanese, Germans,
or Italians in the United States.

"I think that is the reason why we have had so little trouble
from subversive agents in this country at the present time. Of course,
we are constantly on the alert as to the activities of such groups
that are still in the country in the alien enemy class.

OM-299
 EVIDENCES OF AMERICANISM AMONG JAP/^JESE-AMERICANS

Statement by Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation Authority.

In view of the fact that the Japanese side of Japanese-American life

has been so strongly emphasized during recent weeks, .1 believe that, in the
interest of fairness and accuracy, some attention should be drawn to evidences
of Americanism among the Japanese-American people.

Of the 110,000 people of Japanese descent who were evacuated last year
from the Pacific Coast military area, approximately 70,000 were born in the
United States and are American citizens. Roughly 72 percent of this group
have never even seen Japan. They have attended American public schools and
have been subjected to all the other Americanizing influences that operate
constantly in any American community.

More than $,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry— approximately

half of them volunteers— are now serving in the United States Army. Some are
in service overseas and three have already been cited for bravery in action.
One is serving as a turret gunner in Liberator engaged in bombing operations
over the Continent of Europe.

Over 1,200 of these soldiers volunteered for service from behind the
wire enclosures of relocation centers. As a result, the centers today contain
large numbers of service flags and other evidences of ties with the Army. Men
in uniform are frequent visitors at the centers and arrangements for entertain
ing them are part of the regular community activities program.

There are many other evidences of Americanism among these people both
in the relocation centers and in normal communities throughout the country.
At all centers, training in American ideals and American institutions is part
of the regular school program just as it is in public schools outside. Formal
flag raising and the pledge of allegiance are a regular ceremony in most of the
center schools. Practically all national organizations for young people —
such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H Clubs, YMCA, YWCA, and Junior Red
Cross— have active programs at the centers and many thousands of members.
Boy Scouts alone number several thousand.

Outside the relocation centers, the thousands of Japanese-Americans—

including both those who have left the centers on leave and those who were
never evacuated— are displaying their patriotism in the same ways as other
civilian Americans. They are buying war bonds and stamps, donating money
and blood to the Red Cross, and participating in salvage campaigns. Several
hundred are serving effectively in the intelligence branch of the United Stated
Army. Others are serving as language,instructors, helping tc train intelligence
officers for the Army find Navy. Still others are working as translators with
the Overseas Branch of the Office of Yiar Information. Many are employed as
carpenters, machinists, welders, and in other jobs essential to war-production.

*- # * -x- *- # # -x- -x-

Presented before Costello Subcommittee of House Committee on Un-American

Activities, on July 7., 1943.

C-0329-N0BU-WP
 omi m

1* SUBJECT — Publio relations pertaining to Inforemtlcn ocnoendag persons of

Japanese ancestry la relation. to future status in the ttalbed States
(particularly In the iAddle West) for the dilation of the w r and
after.

2« PCRtPOSR — Dissemination of authentic information tcsmrd moulding publio

’"i r T opinion, toward an acceptance of at least partial dispersal from
W.HJU Centers»

5. M ASS — Use of dippings edited by responsible committee, plus artiolos

* ■ submitted by some — *

a. Collected through branch office in Southern California,

Washington and Oregon

b. Edited and mailed from Berkeley.

6. LOCATION — First Concrogational Church* Berkeley

6. STAFF — M u l t «omen of prominence, mature ¿udgoonfc and objective mind.

son:tol U.C. Students and Alumni , 7*1#« and 1 »*•

»• Coop,
2 Church Social Action

6. SCOPE — Wookly two-fago release for 5-4 months, cent to

a« Um&fBm of Con roes •

b. Boospsper© of Middle West
e* Churches of Idddle west
i. Catholio
11« Protestant
• - * iif* Jewish synagogues
d* I .TJU of Middle West
i« Womoafs Clubs
1. Federated
ii. League of Konon Voters
ApproKimtoly 260 letters per day.

7« SgOHSOHSHIP — ff
a. ftmil group in Berkeley
b. Big Dames
o« Some Gristing organisation
d« Oovemmaot

0« COST ***** Stamps, paper, rental of mimeograph

9* FIDASICSS — * Dependant upon sponsorship

 SIGNED STATEMENTS

July 16, 1942

Mr* Milton Eisenhower, as Director of the War Relocation Authority (sinoe

resigned, and succeeded by Dillon S. Myer) made the following statement in
July, 1942, to a Congressional Committee in connection with the then pending
Budget of the W.R.A.:

"I would say that from eighty to eighty-five per cent of the nisei
(American-born citizens of Japanese ancestry) are loyal to tho United States,
I just cannot say things too favorable about the way they have cooporatod
under tho most adverse circumstances*”

(Quoted in PACIFIC CITIZEN)

Monroe E. Deutsch, Vice-President and Provost, University of California

September 12, 1942

As one who has lived almost all his life in California and has seen a great
deal of the Japanese population, I feel able to express a considered judgment
on them. I have never had occasion to doubt tho loyalty of any of those with
whom I havo been in contact; I have found them hard working, devoted and law-
abiding. On the Berkeley campus of the University of California we have had
some four hundred American-Japanese; they have acquitted themselves well, not
only in their studies but in their conduct also. It has been a joy to mG to
see how in tho days preceding the war these students were accepted more and
more as part of the student life on the campus.

(Signed) Monroe 2. Deutsch

Frederick J. Koster, President, California Barrel Co. Ltd.; Chairman of

the San Francisco Chapter Red Cross; San Francisco, California

September 18, 1942

From my own association with Japanese people throughout tho years, I havo no
hesitation in expressing my confidence that there are many who are just as
loyal to our country as any of us, and I believe that we can depend upon the
judgnent of the 7/ar Relocation Authority and the F.B.I. to certify those who
are worthy. I believe tho policy of the W.R.A. of gradually releasing those
evacuees whom it and the F.B.I. deem worthy, providing inland communities will
welcome them, is entirely sound,

(Signed) Frederick J. Koster

SIGNED STATEMENTS (Conn)

Arthur C. MoGiffert, Jr., President, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, Calif.

September 18, 1942

American-born Japanese young people were an unfamiliar species of A f r ican

citizens to me until I came to the Coast from Chicago a feu years ago. Since
thon I have observed them as industrious students living in the dormitory, de
lightfully visiting us in our home and consulting me on religious, civic and
educational problems. I have played, eaten, prayed and counseled r-ith them.
Except for their appearance they give no indication of difference from their
Caucasian—American fellow students and Christians with whom I have similar
dealings.

I am glad the policy of the W.R.A. will permit other parts of the United States
to become acquainted with these admirably young people.

(Signed) A, C. McGiffert, Jr.

Chester Rowell, Editor San Francisco Chronicle

October 8, 1942

I have known many Japanese, including some who worked for me personally and
others of much higher social status, of whose personal loyalty to mo I was a
hundred per cent certain, and whose loyalty to the United States I had no
reason whatever to doubt.

I know that it is the opinion of the national authorities, including the vory
ones who'conducted the deportation, that this attitude was thon more common
then the reverse one. In my opinion it is our responsibility to make it pos
sible to preserve that attitude.

(Signed) Chester Rowell

Newton E. Moats, President of Seattle Council of Churches

September 25, 1942

Some of the finest and most S&y&X citizens in America are included among those
who are evacuated. It has been my privilege to become intimately acquainted
with second generation Japanese doing work in our Christian churchos in Seattle
and the surrounding territory*

The effort of the War Rolocation Authority to give these good citizens the ordi
nary privileges guaranteed under our democratic form of government should not
bo defoatod by hystoria, foar and blind raco prejudice. Surely wo can trust
our F.B.I., and upon thoir recommendation, it is not only tho privilogo but
also tho duty of good citizens to holp thoso pooplp live normal lives and find
a place of sorvico in our community. Certainly, it is tho duty of tho Christian
members of our Democracy to aid the W.R.A. in making these adjustments*

(Signed) Newton E. Moats

 SIGNED STATEMENTS (Con*t)

August Vollmor, Criminologist. Formerly, Chief of Police, Berkeley, California;

° Police Administration in University of Chicago and University of
California.

October 12, 1942

Sinoo I have unbounded faith in J. Edgar Hoover, Director of tho Bcdoral Bureau
°f „ Y0I3tleation* 1 "oula unhesitatingly approve tho rcleaso of ovacuoos who.
in Mr. Hoovor's op inion, are worthy to be roloasod.

Most of tho native born persons of Japanese parentage are undoubtedly good
citizens and r;ill not give the government any trouble if reloasod.

(Signed) August Yollmcr

James Chamberlain Baker, Bishop of the Methodist Church for the California Area.

r ”7 Jupunoso-taioriean citizens. I era proud of thorn

^3 fcUOT-eituons and should count it a privilege to have thorn as ray neighbors '
They aro persons of character and are dovotod to tho ideals of t o e r ^ dotocracy.

The War Relocation Authority in its scattered resettlement policy, can be de-
i T o l Z n l t T 3Z Cl ^ - y SU°h bo gonuino a s L t a
test -iUingaoss to nolcorao those follon-citizons is a searching
test of tho roality of our onn Americanism.

(Signed) James C. Baker

Ray Lyman Wilier, Chancollor of Stanford ühivorsity; Chairraan of Bav Beeler,

Division institute of Pacific Relations; foxraerly S o c r o t a ^ f the interior.

September 22, 1942

L r W u r L r t h f n ^ t 1^ ? ? 101,101100 W ® th° Japanoss> b°*b foreign and native

q+nrinn+ a Pc*st fiíty years. I havo had more experience ttith Univcrsitv
States than I have uith any other groups of Japanese.
s, than ^ the United"

t h f » a M o n s 0andSttf0^ re“ ble> ul-ays Pilling to abide by

k js
K -+ . b b b 7- : K c ,

(Signed) Ray Xyman Wilbur

November, 1942

* ■ —

(Monthly Bulletin, No. 8, of American Civil

Liberties Union).