August 1943: the American Legion’s campaign and segregation at Tule Lake

Vol. 17, No. 7, August 21, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

The American Legion’s campaign against Japanese Americans ran through this eight-page issue. State Legion conventions in California and Ohio called for army control of the camps and an end to Nisei enlistment, and Homer L. Chaillaux set out a national program. Larry Tajiri’s editorial condemned it, while the Northfield, Minnesota, Legion post protested. Also covered was WRA Director Dillon S. Myer’s announcement that segregation at Tule Lake would begin September 10, with some Amache residents to be moved there.

The front page reported that Sgt. Kazuo Komoto was wounded in the southwest Pacific. Elsewhere, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team held its first parade at Camp Shelby, and Saburo Kido and Bill Hosokawa wrote columns. Smaller items covered the Brooklyn Dodgers’ invitation to Nisei ballplayers, a cleanup of a Portland cemetery that Legionnaires and police blocked, and a Walt Disney emblem for a Manzanar club.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• War Department Announces Japanese American Sergeant Wounded in Southwest Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department announced that Sgt. Kazuo Komoto was wounded in action in the southwest Pacific. His mother is held at the Gila River relocation center in Arizona.
• WACs Start Recruiting of Nisei Women, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Women’s Army Corps opened enlistment to Nisei women with a goal of 500 recruits. Six Japanese American girls had already applied at the Salt Lake office, with recruiting in relocation centers to follow.
• Five Nisei Servicemen Given Soldier’s Medals for Heroism at Camp Shelby Presentation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion received Soldier’s Medals for saving a drowning comrade in March. The medals were presented at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
• Officers of Chinese, Japanese Ancestry Train in Georgia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Chinese American and a Japanese American officer are training together in the foreign legion company at Fort Benning. The Los Angeles Times published an Army photo of the pair.
• Japanese American Members of Army’s Enlisted Reserves Recalled to Active Service, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese American enlisted reservists previously discharged after Pearl Harbor are being recalled to active duty. Most are expected to serve with the 442nd Combat Team at Camp Shelby.
• Minnesota Veterans Oppose Legion Policy On U.S. Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Northfield Post No. 84 of the American Legion appealed to other posts to oppose the national organization’s stance on Japanese Americans. The letter argued that democracy requires rejecting the intolerance of enemy dictatorships.
• Three Volunteers, Two Reserve Men Called at Minidoka, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Minidoka volunteers received induction notices for the Nisei combat team at Camp Shelby. Two enlisted reservists were also notified to report to Fort Douglas.
• Nisei Soldier Held On Return to Home On West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A nisei soldier on leave from Camp Robinson was detained upon returning to his home in Sumner, Washington. Details of the arrest were not fully reported.
• Japanese American Combat Team Stages First Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 442nd Combat Team held its first formal parade at Camp Shelby for visiting press and guests. Observers praised the soldiers’ crack appearance, aptitude and serious purpose.
• Members of 442nd Infantry Unit Get Promotions in Rank, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Twenty-five enlisted men of the Japanese American Combat Team received temporary promotions to staff sergeant, sergeant, technician and corporal. The promotions were listed by name and grade.
• Field Artillery Battalion Host To 100 Nisei Girls, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Field Artillery Battalion hosted 100 nisei girls from Jerome and Rohwer for a weekend of dances, church services and teas. The all-Nisei dance orchestra made its debut at the Cannoneers’ Hop.

Community

• Expect Substantial War Work Approval, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Joint Japanese American Board certified two hundred to three hundred applications for war work from Gila River residents. Employment head William Huso expected approvals to continue through the coming months.
• Gila Initiates Co-op Education, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gila River launched an education program to acquaint residents with the Gila Co-op. Section leaders were chosen from Butte to lead the effort.
• Six Poston Men Recalled For Duty By Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Six enlisted reservists at the Poston relocation center were ordered to active duty effective August 16. They will report to Fort Douglas, Utah, before assignment to the 442nd at Camp Shelby.
• Granada Continues Army-Clerk Course, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The pre-induction army clerk course taught at Amache high school this summer will be offered again this fall. The course is open to both boys and girls.
• 25 Evacuees Relocated in New England, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Twenty-five young evacuees of Japanese ancestry have relocated to New England, mostly as college students. WRA New England supervisor Roger F. Clapp reported that farm placements and additional requests from employers are growing.
• Walt Disney Makes Special Emblem For Manzanar Club, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Walt Disney created an emblem featuring Jiminy Cricket for the Barons, a Manzanar center club. The insignia was reported by the Manzanar Free Press.
• Tule Lake Students Honor Helen Keller, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Handicapped students at Tule Lake named their special school after Helen Keller and received a thank-you letter from her. Keller wrote that their courage would be a lamp for others.
• One Thousand Loyal Evacuees To Arrive at Granada Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Project Director James G. Lindley said 1,000 loyal Japanese Americans from Tule Lake will be moved to Amache, which will remain open. The Colorado center’s residents are mostly loyal, he stated.
• Granadans Honor Minister Upon 89th Birthday, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than fifty Granada residents serenaded the Rev. Kosaburo Baba on his 89th birthday beneath his hospital window. He is the oldest Japanese American minister in the United States.
• Utah Farmers Deny Evacuee Wage Demands, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Utah County farmers rejected evacuee workers’ request for higher picking wages at the Provo labor camp. The prevailing rate was set at 60 cents per hour and 12 cents per bushel.
• Gila Monument To Honor Nisei In Armed Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Canal and Butte camps at Gila River will erect concrete monuments listing all residents serving in the armed forces. The monuments will have raised lettering and reflecting pools.
• Conduct of 300 Nisei Evacuees in Cleveland Area Wins Praise, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cleveland resettlement committee chairman George T. Trundle Jr. praised the conduct of about 300 relocated nisei. He said they are doing splendid work and are as American as anyone.
• Rohwer Workers Leave to Aid in Colorado Harvest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seventy-two Japanese American workers left Rohwer for Grand Junction, Colorado, to harvest peaches and tomatoes. They were recruited by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and granted seasonal leaves.
• Brooklyn Dodgers Invite Nisei Baseball Players for Tryouts, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Branch Rickey Jr. wrote that the Brooklyn Dodgers welcome nisei ballplayers from relocation centers regardless of ancestry. He also announced an open tryout camp in Ogden, Utah, for players sixteen and older.
• IDC Leaders Discuss Future JACL Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Intermountain District Council formed an agriculture committee to help farmers with cooperatives and labor issues. Delegates also passed resolutions honoring former JACL leaders serving in the armed forces.

Incarceration & Redress

• Five San Diegans Organize Group, “No Japs, Inc.”, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five San Diego men filed incorporation papers for “No Japs, Inc.” aiming to prevent the return of Japanese American citizens to California. The directors were named in the filing.
• Legion, Police Block Portland Group from Cleaning Japanese Buddhist Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sheriff Martin T. Pratt closed the Portland Japanese Buddhist Cemetery to outside groups after American Legionnaires and police blocked a Fellowship of Reconciliation cleanup. The group retired after nearly three hours of argument.
• Kenny Creates Alien Land Unit in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Attorney General Robert W. Kenny created an alien land unit to check whether evacuees are transferring farmland titles to evade state law. The unit will examine guardianship arrangements.
• Segregation Will Start September 10, Says WRA Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA Director Dillon S. Myer announced segregation of 15,000 to 18,000 evacuees at Tule Lake will begin September 10. Nine thousand current Tule Lake residents will be moved to make room.
• 150 to 200 Will Be Moved From Amache to Segregation Center, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Amache project director James G. Lindley announced 150 to 200 residents will be moved to Tule Lake for repatriation starting September 15. About 1,000 Tule Lake residents will be sent to Amache in exchange.
• Segregation Policy’s Success Forecast by WRA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA assistant director Robert B. Cozzens predicted segregation at Tule Lake would succeed because most evacuees who answered as disloyal still hold those views. He based this on a visit to the relocation centers.
• WRA Frowns On Legion Policy In Denver Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA Denver supervisor Harold S. Choate asked relocation directors to discourage further evacuee arrivals in the Denver area for now. He cited limited housing and a lack of labor shortage there.
• American Legion Opens Drive To Return Relocation Camps To Control of U.S. Military, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California Legion convention adopted a seven-point resolution calling for army control of Japanese Americans and an end to Nisei enlistment. National commander Roane Waring demanded that relocation centers be placed under army supervision.
• Legion Program On Japanese Americans Outlined by Chaillaux, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National American Legion director Homer L. Chaillaux urged placing relocation centers under military control and limiting releases. He proposed segregating those who refuse loyalty oaths and deporting disloyal aliens.
• Ohio American Legion Scores Release of Nisei From Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Ohio Department of the American Legion passed a resolution condemning the release of American-born Japanese from camps. It called such releases detrimental to civilian morale.
• Utah Lions Urge Closer Check on Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Utah Lions clubs adopted a resolution asking federal authorities to scrutinize loyal Japanese Americans more closely. Salt Lake club president W. E. Featherson argued that loyal Nisei should be engaged in war work.
• Cincinnati WRA Official Flays Legion’s Action, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cincinnati WRA director G. Raymond Booth criticized the Ohio Legion’s demand for the return of relocated Japanese to camps. He said judging citizens by ancestry is not in the American democratic tradition.

Commentary

• Letter Asks Support of Stand of Fair Play for Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Northfield Post No. 84 of the American Legion urged all posts to support its June protest against an article calling for relocating nisei to Pacific islands. The letter condemned race hatred as contrary to American principles.
• The American Legion, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial condemns national Legion leaders for an all-out campaign of racial hatred against Japanese Americans. It praises the Northfield Post for protesting and argues that the rank and file cannot endorse such policies.
• Victory Over the Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial describes American Legionnaires patrolling a Portland Japanese cemetery to block volunteers who wanted to beautify it. It argues the Legion thereby won a victory over the dead.
• The “Beloved Bums”, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Brooklyn Dodgers invited relocation center baseball players to try out, saying ancestry makes no difference. The editorial notes that organized baseball still maintains a color line against Negro players.
• Hollywood’s Oriental Villains, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Hollywood casts Chinese, Korean and Filipino actors as Japanese villains, risking misdirected hatred against all Asians. The editorial urges studios to portray Orientals as real human beings.
• Nisei and Public Relations: Japanese Americans Have a Job to Do in Rectifying Distortions in Public Attitudes, by Elmer Smith, page 5. Elmer Smith urges nisei to act as debunkers of prejudice through everyday conduct and by spreading out rather than clustering. He also urges them to join groups fighting racial discrimination.
• Nisei Problem Is Only One of Many, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa places the Japanese American problem within the larger context of global war and other minority struggles. He notes relocatees are finding acceptance and cautions that the job is not over.
• Small Fry, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A short humorous overheard exchange between two young boys about their future careers, drawn from the Milwaukee Irrigator. The piece is a light filler item.
• Editorial Digest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A digest of editorials from Cincinnati, Lima Ohio, and Colorado newspapers condemning anti-Japanese agitation. The papers argue loyal Nisei deserve fair treatment.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: When You Go Out on Relocation, You Want to Look Your Best, by Jor Masasoka, page 6. Ann Nisei gives practical advice on dressing neatly for job hunting and travel in cities. She advises restraint in fashion and careful preparation of clothing and grooming.
• Letter-Box: Nisei Relations, by Roger W. Axford, page 6. Roger W. Axford describes a Methodist youth class where a student’s prejudice softened after meeting a Canadian-born Nisei. The letter urges readers to appreciate other minority groups.
• Timely Topics: West Coast Agitation Undermines Morale, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Saburo Kido argues that West Coast agitation has undermined Japanese American morale and confidence. He cites congressional bills aimed at stripping citizenship and reviews the legal limits on such measures.
• A Relocation Center Comment: WRA’s Segregation Policy Calls for Serious Thinking Regarding Its Ramifications, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A former relocation center analyst argues that WRA officials misread evacuee motives for signing repatriation requests. The writer recommends evacuee participation in planning Tule Lake and argues most signers are Americans at heart.
• Full Report of L.A. Church Federation Discloses Plea of Fair Play for Evacuee Group, by Rev. E. C. Farnham, page 7. The Los Angeles Church Federation’s full report opposed the return of evacuees to California and defended the WRA. It urged distinguishing loyal from disloyal residents and rejected racial hatred.

National

• Post War World Council Reprints Thomas Pamphlet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Post War World Council reprinted Norman Thomas’s pamphlet “Democracy and Japanese Americans” with updated material. The reprint discusses the Hirabayashi decision and Justice Murphy’s doubts about the curfew.
• Legal Authority Sees Danger In Precedent of Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cornell professor Robert E. Cushman warned in a Public Affairs pamphlet that military evacuation of citizens threatens civil liberties. He argued that military authority overriding civil law is the gravest current danger.
• Churches More Kindly Than Coast Public Toward Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Albert D. Stauffacher of the Congregational Missions Council said church groups on the West Coast are more generous toward Japanese Americans than the general public. Many expect evacuees to return to their churches after the war.

Arts & Entertainment

• Story of the Week: Nisei Girl Is ‘Pin-up Queen’ Of U.S. Forces in Pacific, by Richard W. Johnston, page 3. Rose Tsuyama, an 18-year-old Japanese American, is one of three pin-up models at a Honolulu photo studio serving soldiers and sailors. She also buys war bonds with her substantial tips.

Obituaries

• “Mother” Murphy Succumbs in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Nora Murphy, known as “Mother Murphy” to many Japanese Americans, died in Seattle at age 72. She and her husband served as Methodist Protestant missionaries in Japan until 1908.

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