Vol. 15, No. 4, June 25, 1942. 8 pages. View this issue
Leadership at the War Relocation Authority changed in this issue. Milton Eisenhower was appointed deputy director of the new Office of War Information, and Dillon S. Myer succeeded him as WRA director, with resettlement policy expected to stay the same. Other front-page stories covered a planned relocation center near Abraham, Utah, for 10,000 people, and Senate critics who delayed a bill that would let the secretary of war intern all Japanese for the war’s duration.
Manzanar drew attention on the editorial pages. An editorial said morale had improved under new management, while Tad Uyeno argued that self-government there fell short. Saburo Kido urged confidence in the WRA, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about Nisei meeting hardship. Elsewhere, six Japanese American soldiers startled bystanders on a furlough in Chicago, and a column recalled Jack Shirai, killed in Spain in 1937.
What’s in this issue
National
- Eisenhower Out, Myer Appointed WRA Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Milton Eisenhower was appointed deputy director of the new Office of War Information, and Dillon S. Myer succeeded him as WRA director. The WRA’s resettlement policy was expected to remain unchanged under the new leadership.
Incarceration & Redress
- Utah Relocation Center Planned Near Abraham, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new relocation center for evacuees will be built in the Abraham area of Millard County, Utah, to hold 10,000 people. Volunteer evacuees already farming sugar beets nearby have prepared the way for the project.
- Manzanar Chief Motors 1500 Miles to Check Work Conditions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Manzanar WRA director Roy Nash traveled to Idaho to check on volunteer sugar beet workers from Manzanar. He found conditions satisfactory and the workers were moved toward better housing.
- Senators Rap Concentration Camp Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senators from both parties delayed a Senate measure that would let the secretary of war intern all Japanese for the war’s duration. Critics argued it would violate the constitutional rights of American citizens.
Military & Veterans
- Japanese in Uniforms Startle Bystanders on Chicago Streets, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six Japanese American soldiers from Camp Grant walked through downtown Chicago on a furlough, startling some bystanders. Soldier James Ito said they wanted only a chance to prove they were loyal Americans.
Commentary
- Have Confidence in WRA Administration, by SABURO KIDO, page 4. The author expresses confidence in the WRA administration under Milton Eisenhower and its staff, while urging that politics be kept out of relocation. He calls for cooperation so the relocation program succeeds.
- Manzanar, U.S.A., by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that morale at Manzanar has improved under the new WRA management, contrary to published reports. It describes earlier conditions and the concrete steps that lifted morale.
- Jack Shirai: Japanese American Who Died Fighting Fascism, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The column recounts the life of Jack Shirai, a New York restaurant worker who joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain and was killed at Brunete in 1937. The author holds him up as an example of Japanese American commitment to democracy.
- The Lancer: Manzanar Self-Government Falls Short, by TAD UYENO, page 4. Uyeno argues that self-government at Manzanar remains more illusion than reality, with flawed block leader elections and favoritism in jobs and housing. He calls for a better understanding of democratic government within the camp.
- Nisei Experience Trial by Fire, by BILL HOSOKAWA, page 6. Hosokawa observes that most Nisei are meeting the hardships of evacuation with dignity, while a few exploit their neighbors. He praises young evacuees who volunteer for hard labor.
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