Relocation and the beet harvest, October 1942

Vol. 15, No. 21, October 22, 1942. 8 pages. View this issue

Life after the forced removal was the subject of this eight-page issue. WRA national director Dillon Myer, touring Minidoka, predicted that 25,000 or more of the 100,000 people held in the relocation centers might eventually be relocated. About 2,100 Minidoka residents had already left for farm work in southern Idaho. Larry Tajiri described the Snake River valley and the beet workers there, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about the goodwill that evacuee labor was building near Heart Mountain. An editorial answered Oregon Governor Sprague’s call to force evacuees to harvest sugar beets.

Elsewhere, Assistant War Secretary John J. McCloy said the Army’s part in the removal would end by the end of October. Another editorial summarized Mike Masaoka’s list of pressing issues, Teiko Ishida reported on relocation aid in Salt Lake City, and Ann Nisei offered travel tips for women. A lighter story told of a ghost at Heart Mountain.

What’s in this issue

National

• WRA Director Believes Large Group May Be Resettled, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA national director Dillon Myer, touring Minidoka, predicted that 25,000 or more of the 100,000 relocation center residents may eventually be relocated. He stressed decentralization and scattering of relocated colonists and noted that aliens and citizens may apply to leave under the simplified policy.
• Couple Commended By U.S. Attorney, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mr. and Mrs. Otoshiro Miyata of Kaysville, Utah, asked the U.S. district attorney to cancel their travel permits, saying income beyond necessities should go to war bonds. The attorney sent them a commendatory letter, and the couple has invested $1,100 in war bonds.

Incarceration & Redress

• Army Official Says No Major Changes Considered In Present Relocation Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assistant War Secretary John J. McCloy said the Army’s part in moving West Coast Japanese would be completed by the end of October and praised the Wartime Civil Control Administration. He said the Army would then hand all care of evacuees to the War Relocation Authority.

Community

• 2100 Leave Minidoka for Harvest Work, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Approximately 2,100 Minidoka evacuees have left the center for farm jobs, mainly topping beets and picking apples and potatoes in southern Idaho. Many are young urban workers doing farm work for the first time, and the departures leave the center’s remaining population of 7,500 short of labor.

Commentary

• Editorials: On Evacuee Labor, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes Governor Sprague of Oregon for asking the President to force evacuees to harvest sugar beets and threatening deportation. It notes that thousands of evacuees already volunteered and argues that a cooperative approach would produce better results.
• Editorials: Mimeo for Today, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial summarizes Mike Masaoka’s list of pressing evacuee issues, including resettlement assistance, student relocation, Selective Service eligibility for Nisei, government statements of loyalty, and improved center conditions. It calls for immediate attention to these problems.
• The Hawaiian Election, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges the two Nisei elected supervisors on Kauai who announced withdrawals from the November election to reconsider. It argues that this is no time for Nisei to become inactive or defeatist.
• Manpower and the War, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article discusses the nation’s manpower needs for war production and the armed forces and the strain on agriculture. It describes War Manpower Commission efforts to make the best use of labor and says voluntary cooperation has been the main tool so far.
• Nisei Angle, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri describes the Snake River valley and the evacuee beet workers in southern Idaho, who earn better wages than in Montana and enjoy town life. He records their remarks on pay, camp conditions, sharecropping prospects, and the high education level of the workers.
• U.S. People Becoming Aware Of Tremendous Implications Of Coast Evacuation, Says Hall, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Clarence Hall, editor of the Christian Advocate, reports that evacuation was handled humanely but raises concerns about injustice to citizens. He describes how hysteria and political pressure drove the removal and how Nisei were caught off guard by the dual citizenship issue.
• Evacuee Workers Develop Public Understanding, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reports that the inland press and residents near Heart Mountain have been welcoming and that evacuee workers are building goodwill. He argues that contacts made by farm laborers are dissolving West Coast prejudice.
• Traveling is Fun—But, Go Light, by Ann Nisei, page 5. Ann Nisei offers practical advice for women traveling by train, recommending one light suitcase and a small vanity box. She lists essentials and tips for keeping clothes wrinkle-free and comfortable.
• How Can U.S. Nisei Prove Their Loyalty, by Tad Uyeno, page 5. Uyeno responds to critics who say buying bonds is not enough proof of loyalty by pointing to evacuee volunteers harvesting crops. He argues that Nisei farm labor is a concrete contribution to the war effort.
• Calling All Chapters!, by Teiko Ishida, page 6. Ishida reports on the Salt Lake City Relocation Aid Committee’s organization, projects, and donations, including book shipments to Topaz and fundraising. She also notes a Sacramento Chapter donation of $500 to National Headquarters.
• Ghost Makes Nightly Visits At Cody Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Residents of two Heart Mountain apartments describe a ghost that visits nightly, clanking and pressing on sleepers. The bulletin speculates that a buried Shoshone body may be responsible.
• Dimouts and Dingy Days: Ding-Dong Nisei Coming and Going, by Kenny Murase, page 7. In a dialogue-style column, Little Esteban argues that Issei should be given useful roles in block gardens and community organizations based on their experience. He urges Nisei to put community harmony ahead of self-interest.

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