Tule Lake in the news, and a governor who defended Japanese American rights

Vol. 17, No. 20, November 20, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

Tule Lake dominated the news in this eight-page issue. The front page reported the arrest of six men after a demonstration at the camp, the Army’s statement that no bombs or firearms were found there, and a WRA statement from Director Dillon S. Myer urging accuracy. Alongside it, Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw warned an Ogden audience that the rights of all Americans would be imperiled if Japanese American citizens were restricted. Inside, members of Congress debated the camp, with Rep. Samuel Dickstein deploring a planned investigation and Rep. Richard J. Welch asking for Army control. Editorials praised Governor Maw and the churches.

Other pages carried news of Staff Sgt. Ben Kuroki’s Distinguished Flying Cross, Joe Grant Masaoka’s column on the thrift of the issei, Saburo Kido on JACL post-war planning, and Marion Tajiri’s review of Taro Yashima’s The New Sun. A letter from Sgt. Kaz Yoshihata in the South Pacific also appeared.

What’s in this issue

National

• Utah Governor Upholds Right of Japanese Americans; Says Evacuees Will Return to Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw warned that the rights of all Americans would be imperiled if Japanese American citizens were restricted. He also said Japanese settlers in Utah will return to the Pacific coast after the war.
• Rights of Japanese American Citizens Upheld in Congress Debate on Evacuee Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Samuel Dickstein deplored the Dies Committee’s proposed investigation of Tule Lake and warned against rising racism. He argued that deportation bills threaten the citizenship of native-born loyal Japanese Americans.
• Rep. Welch Asks Army Control of Relocation Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Richard J. Welch called for permanent military control of the Tule Lake segregation center. He argued the Pacific Coast Japanese should have been under Army jurisdiction from the beginning.
• Hawaii Race Situation Is Described, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pearl Harbor veteran John E. Livingstone Jr. described racial conditions in Hawaii before and after the attack. He said Japanese Americans there were well educated and showed little prejudice toward Negroes.
• Norman Thomas Hits Executive Judgment Given Nisei Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Socialist leader Norman Thomas called the mass removal of Japanese Americans from the Pacific coast totalitarian justice. He said the FBI should have handled disloyal individuals and cited the loyalty of Japanese Americans in the East.
• Mrs. Roosevelt Hits Religious, Racial Prejudices in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eleanor Roosevelt said lasting peace requires putting aside prejudices so people of all races and religions can live in harmony. She argued that people of all races need to feel they belong.
• Anti-Evacuee Law Is Invalid, Biddle Tells Gov. Osborn, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney General Francis Biddle wrote that Arizona’s anti-Japanese law contravenes federal civil rights statutes. The Arizona Supreme Court heard arguments testing the law’s constitutionality.
• Grange Leader Opposes Move to Deport Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California State Grange master George Schlmeyer urged the National Grange to demand deportation of all Japanese after the war. National Master Albert S. Goss opposed the resolution, citing State Department and Red Cross concerns.
• Open Forum Urges Discretion in Appraising Tulean Rumors, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The ACLU’s Open Forum urged caution about wild rumors from the Tule Lake disturbances. It noted the loyalty of the great majority of evacuees and criticized commercial pressure groups.

Incarceration & Redress

• Army Reports Arrest of Six Tule Lake Ringleaders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six internees were placed in a special stockade at Tule Lake following a demonstration by children at the camp. Army officials also relaxed curfew orders imposed after the incident.
• No Bombs, Firearms Found at Tule Lake, Army Declares, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army stated no firearms or explosives were found at Tule Lake despite newspaper claims of bombs. It said there had been no disturbances since taking control on Nov. 4.
• WRA Asks for Understanding, Accuracy as Full Story of Incidents at Tule Lake Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA Director Dillon S. Myer issued a detailed statement urging accuracy about the Tule Lake disturbances. He said many sensational reports had not survived investigation and warned they could be used for Japanese propaganda.
• Gov. Warren May Ask for Army Control, by P.C. Staff, page 2. California Governor Earl Warren said he is considering representations to Washington seeking permanent army control over Tule Lake. He argued that a camp of avowedly disloyal Japanese should be under military direction.
• Raps WRA in Report to Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Clair Engle criticized the WRA for establishing the Tule Lake segregation center without regard for military security. He asked the Dies Committee to conduct its own investigation of the camp.
• Loyal Evacuees Should Not Be Penalized Says WRA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA supervisor Ottis Peterson said loyal evacuees in Idaho should not suffer public backlash from the Tule Lake riots. He described taking loyal workers to Tule Lake to harvest crops when disloyal evacuees refused.
• Topaz to Compile Relocation Records of WRA Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Compilation of records required by the relocation planning division will begin at the Topaz center later this month. About 60 resident employees will collect data on forms and leave applications.

Community

• Evacuee Families Located on Inter-racial Farm Project, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Loyal Japanese Americans from Tule Lake have been settled on an interracial farm near Spokane financed partly by Seattle church loans. Several families of Japanese ancestry, along with other families, now live on the farm.
• Tule Lake Incident Has Repercussions in Kent District, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ranchers and businessmen in Kent, Washington posted signs saying they did not want Japanese back. Mayor Grant Dunbar sponsored the campaign, which he admitted could not affect American-born citizens.
• Many Oppose Returning of Nisei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Santa Maria farmers and businessmen testified before a state assembly committee against the return of evacuees to California. Only Mrs. Clarence Gillett spoke in favor of fair treatment for loyal Japanese Americans.
• Nisei Student Finds New Fly in Utah Area, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dan Oniki, a University of Utah senior, discovered screw-worm flies previously unknown as far north as Salt Lake City. The species is medically significant because it lays eggs in living wounds.
• Arizona Church Group Deplores Bans on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Arizona Interchurch Convocation adopted a resolution deploring restrictions on loyal Japanese Americans. Several evacuees had been denied permission to leave camps to attend the convocation.
• Joe Masaoka Speaks on Nisei Americans at Denver School, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL regional representative Joe G. Masaoka spoke to eight classes at East High School in Denver. His talks addressed whether Japanese Americans are friends or foes.
• Firemen Injured in Poston Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Poston firemen were injured when their truck overturned while answering a smoke call. One suffered a fractured vertebra and the others slight injuries.
• Nisei Getting War Jobs in Buffalo Area, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ten nisei relocated in Buffalo, New York met with WRA officer John L. McCormick. Most of the twenty-odd nisei in the area work in defense industries.
• Ten Evacuees Aid Washington Fund Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ten young Japanese Americans work for the Community War Fund in Washington, D.C. Many expect soon to work in government agencies after passing Civil Service exams.
• Denver Group Plans Gifts for Convalescents, by Mrs. Mary Nakamura, page 7. The Cornelian Club, a Nisei women’s group in Denver, is collecting contributions to send Christmas gifts to convalescents in hospitals. Mrs. Mary Nakamura asks for names of patients and donations by December 9.
• Missing Girl Held Up Last Train From Tule Lake Center, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A young girl hid in luggage to delay the departure of 370 loyal evacuees from Tule Lake. Her parents found her and ordered her onto the train.
• Tule Lake Affair Disapproved by Residents of Poston Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Poston project director Wade Head said Poston residents disapproved of the Tule Lake disturbances. He blamed Japanese American hoodlums trained in Japan for instigating the trouble.
• Evacuee Volunteers Harvest Farm Crops at Tule Lake Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Loyal Japanese Americans recruited from centers are harvesting Tule Lake’s $500,000 farm crop after segregees refused to work. The produce will feed evacuees in nine other centers this winter.
• Salt Lake Residents Respond to Annual War Fund Appeal, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake JACL chapter turned over $553.68 to the War Fund, exceeding all previous years. Betty Miyazaki led the Japanese American committee drive.

Military & Veterans

• Officers of Nisei Unit Have Varying Hopes for Yuletide Festivities, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Officers of the 100th Infantry Battalion fighting in Italy discussed their hopes for Christmas in the field. Chicago Sun correspondent H. R. Knickerbocker reported on their wishes and the meager holiday conditions on the front lines.
• Set. Ben Kuroki Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for Part in Ploesti Air Raid, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Staff Sgt. Ben Kuroki received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role as a turret gunner in the Ploesti oil refinery raid. The mission destroyed 42 percent of Rumania’s refining capacity.
• Nisei Veterans From Aleutians Visit Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three nisei servicemen who served in the Aleutian campaigns visited the Heart Mountain relocation center. They praised their Caucasian buddies, who became close friends after initial reserve.
• Nisei Gunner Was Aboard Bomber on Rumanian Flight, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The War Department announced decorations for participants in the August 1 Ploesti raid, including Staff Sgt. Ben Kuroki. Kuroki had previously received the Air Medal and two oak leaf clusters.
• Two Hunt Volunteers Called for Duty, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Waesu Kajiwara and George Hayashi of the Minidoka center reported for induction and were headed to Camp Savage. They bring Hunt’s volunteer total to 309.
• Dear Editor: Letter from Sgt. Kaz Yoshihata in the South Pacific, by Sgt. Kaz Yoshihata, page 7. Sgt. Kaz Yoshihata writes from the South Pacific thanking the Pacific Citizen for keeping soldiers informed. He says Nisei soldiers are angered by questioning of their loyalty and that of relocated families.

Commentary

• Behind the Racists, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that economic motives drive the racist campaign against Japanese Americans returning to the West Coast. It says the cry of sabotage masks fear of commercial competition.
• A Courageous Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw for defending the constitutional rights of loyal Japanese Americans. It argues Utah’s fair-minded officials make it a good testing ground for democracy.
• The Churches Show the Way, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial credits church groups with generous, progressive assistance to evacuees through hostels, gifts, and visits. It suggests churches will help nisei understand that discrimination against any group is wrong.
• Washington’s Misguided Zealot, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes Kilsoo Haan, a registered Korean agent in Washington, for a smear campaign against Japanese Americans. It rebuts his false claims about JACL fundraising and peace advocacy.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes Japanese anti-militarists assisting China and a Japanese surgeon treating Chinese wounded. It also reports congressional proposals against Japanese Americans and Lechner’s lobbying.
• Democracy in the Pulpit: Pasadena Pastor Vigorously Attacks Un-American Practices in Treatment of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Dr. Albert Edward Day charged that the evacuation of Japanese American citizens violated the Constitution’s due process guarantees. He condemned threats by Los Angeles groups to kill returning Japanese.
• Tule Lake Events Prove Wisdom of Segregation Program, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial argues the Tule Lake disturbances showed the wisdom of segregating disloyal evacuees. It notes most segregees were not rioters and urges understanding of their situation.
• Newspapers Inflaming Race Feeling, Christian Century Says, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Christian Century criticized sensational newspaper coverage of the Tule Lake incidents for inflaming race feeling. It said such headlines hindered efforts to relocate loyal Japanese Americans.
• Joe Grant Masaoka’s Column: Believes Nisei Neglecting Virtues of Issei, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 6. Masaoka argues that nisei are abandoning the thrift and self-denial that built the issei’s economic success. He recalls his own family’s sacrifices and urges nisei to adopt those values.
• Ann Nisei Says: Some Prejudices About Making Good Green Salads, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei shares her preferences for crisp green salads with tart French dressing. She offers tips on ingredients, serving, and a homemade dressing recipe.
• What Can Happen to a War Boom, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial warns that Salt Lake City’s war-driven labor shortage will reverse as defense plants release workers. It advises nisei to become firmly established in jobs and consider resettling in the Middle West and East.
• JACL to Launch Post-War Study, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Saburo Kido reports the JACL is launching post-war planning studies. He also urges former California civil service employees to retain counsel before dismissal hearings.
• New Words to a Great American Song: When the War Is Over, by Richard Tynes, page 7. Richard Tynes wrote new lyrics to the Battle Hymn of the Republic calling for Japanese Americans and Negro Americans to lay aside old prejudices. The song envisions a unified new world after the war.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Artist Against Fascism: Taro Yashima Tells His Story in The New Sun, by Marion Tajiri, page 5. Marion Tajiri reviews Taro Yashima’s autobiography The New Sun, describing his resistance to Japanese militarism, arrests, and torture. She calls the book a sign that a democratic movement exists in Japan.

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