Christmas 1943: casualties in Italy and a hostile debate over return

Vol. 17, No. 25, December 25, 1943. 24 pages. View this issue

News from Italy opened this issue: the War Department identified two Japanese Americans from Hawaii killed and 66 wounded in action against German forces, and the paper printed family names and addresses. Elsewhere the paper followed the fight over Japanese Americans returning to the West Coast. California’s State Board of Agriculture backed their return to farming, and Governor Earl Warren sharply criticized it. Commentary came from Saburo Kido on JACL in 1943 and on Christmas in Poston, from Roger N. Baldwin on civil liberties, and from Bill Hosokawa and Dale Oka.

Other pages describe Christmas in the camps, with Minidoka decorating dining halls and Henry Tani writing about gifts sent to children. Taro Yashima wrote on the Nisei and the war, and Capt. K. Kometani sent a V-Mail letter from Italy. A month-by-month review of JACL’s 1943 work ran on page 10, and 15 of the 24 pages carry holiday greeting ads.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• War Department Reveals Two Killed, 66 Wounded During Recent Mediterranean Fighting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department identified two Japanese Americans from Hawaii killed and 66 wounded in action against Germans in Italy. Family members and home addresses of the casualties were listed.
• Nisei Battalion Holds Advance Post, Says Correspondent, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Des Moines correspondent Gordon Gammack explained he had not written about the Japanese American battalion because he could not reach the unit holding an advanced position. He hoped to interview its commander, Maj. James Gillespie, a Des Moines man.
• NISEI USA: Japanese Americans in War, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This feature surveys Japanese American contributions on the home front, including farm labor, war production, and civilian services. It describes evacuee workers and the WRA camps’ self-sufficiency.
• Six Japanese Americans Relate Combat Experiences After Action on Italian Front, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The Des Moines Register profiled six soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion who described their actions in Italy. The article also notes that Maj. James Gillespie of Des Moines now commands the unit.
• Sentiment Against Return of Evacuees Noted by Newspaper, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The Sacramento Union reported a reader poll showing widespread support for excluding Japanese Americans from the Pacific Coast. The poll results indicated most respondents favored wholesale deportation.
• Nisei Soldiers Among First to Answer Call to Action on Dec. 7, Says Ex-Commander, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Colonel Wellington A. Anderson, former commander of a Hawaiian National Guard unit, said Japanese American soldiers were among the first to respond to the Pearl Harbor attack. He praised their training and loyalty.
• Conduct of Hawaiian, U.S. Nisei on Dec. 7 Told During USO Fete in Mississippi, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Six Camp Shelby soldiers spoke at a USO open house about their experiences on December 7, 1941 and afterward. Speakers included Sgt. Joe Itagaki, who witnessed the attack on Schofield Barracks.
• Nisei Soldiers Prepare Pictorial History of Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 20. Hawaii’s Emergency Service Committee funded a pictorial album of the 442nd Combat Team as a Christmas gift for its soldiers at Camp Shelby. Staff sergeant Larry Mizuno of Honolulu edited the project.
• Services Held for Nisei Killed in Fighting in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 22. Services were held in Wahiawa, Hawaii, for Pfc. Chester Takumi Fukunaga, killed in action in Italy on November 5. He had been inducted in 1941 and was a bookkeeper before the war.

National

• California Agricultural Board Backs Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California State Board of Agriculture passed a resolution supporting the right of persons of Japanese ancestry to return to California agriculture once military authorities approve. Governor Earl Warren sharply criticized the action as taken by holdover board members.
• Gov. Warren Raps Action by State Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Earl Warren criticized the State Board of Agriculture resolution, blaming three holdover members for passing it at a skeletonized meeting. He expressed confidence in WRA director Dillon Myer, citing reasons including the relocation program and his handling of the Tule Lake disturbances.
• Bishop Tucker Sends Greetings to Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Episcopal Bishop Henry St. George Tucker sent a Christmas message to Japanese Americans expressing confidence in their loyalty and citizenship. He affirmed that America is a nation of many races.
• Asks Families Plan Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. WRA director Dillon Myer urged Japanese Americans in relocation centers to seriously consider relocating in a holiday message. He encouraged families to plan for life outside the camps.
• Army Officials Decline Comment on Tule Lake Report, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Army ninth service command officials declined to comment on reports that restrictions had been lifted at Tule Lake. The article notes the uncertainty surrounding army curfew decisions.
• Washington Post Questions Move to Disfranchise Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Washington Post argued that stripping citizenship from Tule Lake nisei would be unconstitutional and dangerous to all citizens. It criticized proposals for expatriation as threatening civil liberties.
• Two Senators Back Bill for Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Senators Tom Stewart and Ernest McFarland introduced a bill to deport citizens who indicate allegiance to a foreign country. The measure was seen as a reaction to the Tule Lake disturbances.
• 91 Colleges Rescind Ban Against Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Ninety-one colleges and universities that had barred Japanese Americans due to military regulations may now accept them, according to the Granada Pioneer. Clearance from military authorities is still required.
• Denver Nisei May Reclaim ‘Contraband’, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Japanese Americans who turned in firearms, radios, and cameras after Pearl Harbor may reclaim them with permission of the U.S. attorney. The items are stored in a Denver post office vault.
• Agitators of Race Hatred Hit by WRA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 11. WRA regional director Robert Cozzens condemned race agitators for sabotaging prisoner exchange negotiations with Japan. He argued that the Tule Lake disturbances were not of great concern to Tokyo until domestic agitation intensified.
• Dies Witness Ban Clears Earl Best; Charged with Illegal Entry, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Earl Best, the star Dies Committee witness against the WRA, was arrested on charges of illegally entering the United States. Best had been the source for Denver Post stories against the Heart Mountain camp.
• Los Angeles Kiwanis Raps Race Hatred, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The Los Angeles Kiwanis board adopted a resolution opposing racial incitement and demanding equal opportunity for Negroes, Jews, and Japanese Americans. The resolution urged permanent civic commissions to study racial problems.
• Farm Group in Washington Wants Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The Washington Farmer’s Products Control board unanimously approved a resolution urging that persons of Japanese ancestry be barred from returning to the Puyallup valley. The group charged the Japanese with monopolizing truck gardening.
• L.A. City Council Sidesteps Resolution on Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 14. The Los Angeles City Council voted 8 to 7 to weaken a resolution opposing discrimination against minority groups, deleting the word racial. Proponents of a forthright statement protested the evasion.
• Japanese Canadian Soldier Returns from Overseas Duty, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Gunner Joe F. Aida returned from overseas service to find that his family had been evacuated from British Columbia’s coast. He had no home to go to after serving with the Canadian forces.
• FDR’s Signature Erases Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 18. President Roosevelt signed a bill removing Chinese from the list of excluded groups and ending the 60-year exclusion law. The measure also removed the ban on Chinese naturalization.
• New Relocation Policy Will Be Started Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 21. The Rivers relocation office announced evacuees would be invited to cities with job openings and find jobs through personal contacts. Specific job offers would still be made in areas with few opportunities.
• Name Mix-up Causes Induction of Wrong Nakagawa, by P.C. Staff, page 21. A mix-up between two Roy Nakagawas led to a Poston evacuee being inducted into the Army by mistake. He is receiving discharge papers and the correct man is still awaiting induction.
• Deny Reports Myer to Quit as WRA Head, by P.C. Staff, page 21. Assistant WRA director John Provinse stated that Dillon Myer intends to stay as WRA director despite press reports of resignation. The Butte Community Council also sent Myer a vote of confidence.

Community

• Minidoka Residents Will Vote on New Charter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Residents of the Minidoka center prepared to vote on a proposed community charter. The article describes the upcoming balloting and governance arrangements.
• Minidokans Send Gifts to Men in Armed Services, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Parents-Soldiers Organization at the Minidoka Relocation Center mailed Christmas cards to 470 soldiers whose families live at the camp. The group also planned to entertain Nisei soldiers home on leave during the holidays.
• Japanese Americans Hailed at New York War Fund Rally, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Residents of Japanese, Bulgarian and Hungarian ancestry were honored at a New York rally that contributed $732,505 to the National War Fund. Speakers hailed them as part of the United Nations.
• JACL Leadership in 1943, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A month-by-month review of JACL activities in 1943 covers chapter elections, legal work, congressional hearings, and the national office. It records the organization’s responses to the army combat unit and attacks from opponents.
• End of University Way for Education of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The University of Minnesota ended its ban on Japanese American students, clearing the way for Yoshio Sako to continue medical education. Sako had been unable to enter medical school since leaving California.
• Rohwer Buys Three Jeeps for U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Rohwer school children raised $3,505.95 through a war bond and stamp drive, enough to buy three jeeps for the Army. Student leaders in the campaign were named.
• Minidoka Christmas Fetes Will Be Typically American, by P.C. Staff, page 19. Minidoka camp residents decorated dining halls and prepared for holiday services and gifts. Gifts from outside groups and former residents were to be distributed by a Santa Claus in each dining hall.
• Evacuee Camp Children Hold Biggest Christmas Party, by Henry Tani, page 19. Henry Tani describes the White Gift Christmas program in which outside churches sent presents for camp children. A Hamilton, Ohio church’s Sunday school gift drive is described as an example.
• Japanese-American Miners Help to Meet Coal Shortage, by P.C. Staff, page 23. Hudson Coal Company vice-president V.W. Sweet praised Japanese American miners in Carbon County, Utah, as hard-working and reliable. About 34 Japanese Americans were employed in the mines.
• Study Possibility of Moving M.P. Detachment, by P.C. Staff, page 23. A committee was studying whether to remove the military police detachment from the Topaz camp by January. The Topaz Times reported on the proposal.
• Nisei Soldiers Attend Socials in New York City, by P.C. Staff, page 23. More than 650 Japanese American soldiers, mostly from Camp Shelby, attended weekly social sessions sponsored by the Joint Social Committee in New York. The committee planned a New Year’s dance.

Commentary

• Christmas, 1943, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial notes that some 25,000 Japanese Americans have relocated during the past year and thanks the Americans who supported them. It reflects on war, justice, and the Christmas message of peace.
• Save the FEPC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen southern railroads defied an FEPC order to stop discriminating against Negroes, a serious challenge to wartime fair employment. The editorial argues the FEPC must be protected because it also covers Japanese Americans.
• Inquisition by Gannon, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial condemns Assemblyman Chester Gannon’s legislative investigation as biased, noting his ties to hate groups like the Native Sons and the California Legion. It compares the committee unfavorably with the earlier Tenney and Donnelly committees.
• Un-American Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial condemns an Idaho State Grange resolution barring land sales to Japanese, quoting the Boise Daily Statesman’s rebuke. It argues the measure is bad patriotism and applies even to Nisei soldiers fighting in Italy.
• Civil Liberties in Wartime: Test Cases May Be Necessary to Define Legal Rights of Japanese American Group, by Roger N. Baldwin, page 3. ACLU director Roger Baldwin argues that court decisions shape civil rights and that test cases will be needed to define the legal rights of Japanese Americans. He predicts gradual return and criticizes the racial prejudice behind the evacuation.
• The Evacuees: Passive Victims or Dynamic Creators?, by Galen Fisher, page 3. Galen Fisher categorizes evacuees by their attitudes toward resettlement and urges a creative minority to take an active role. He presents four principles for evacuees to follow, including dispersed resettlement and loyalty through work.
• Vagaries: Hollywood, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A brief column reports on Chinese American actors refusing Japanese roles in atrocity films and on draft reclassification of Japanese Americans. It also notes nisei officer promotions in the South Pacific.
• Christmas Message, by Harry Emerson Fosdick, D.D., page 4. Pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick reflects on the difficulty of Christmas during the war and recalls the enduring triumph of love over hate. He urges Christian confidence and goodwill toward all races and nations.
• Report to the Nisei: National President Refutes Rumors Regarding JACL in Summarizing 1943 Activities, by Saburo Kido, page 9. JACL national president Saburo Kido refutes charges that the JACL caused the evacuation or profited from it. He lays out the organization’s aims for 1943 in citizenship, employment, and post-war planning.
• Beyond the Racial Frontier: An Anthropologist Looks at Race Tensions, by Elmer R. Smith, page 17. Anthropologist Elmer R. Smith argues that racial frontiers are being revolutionized by modern science and communication. He contends that old racial beliefs are becoming obsolete and that the world is being forced into shared living.
• Incidentally, by Dale Oka, page 17. Dale Oka highlights a Detroit Free Press editorial defending Japanese Americans after Ambassador Joseph Grew’s remarks. He argues that prejudice is deaf and dumb to facts and urges nisei to make good.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 17. Bill Hosokawa argues that the West Coast hate campaign is counterproductive, citing Japan’s refusal to negotiate an exchange of civilian nationals. He calls for federal leadership to counter the racists.
• Letter-Box: From Our Readers, by P.C. Staff, page 17. A reader praises the Pacific Citizen’s editorial on equal status for all races and suggests the message be emphasized. The letter also recommends Negro newspapers and their addresses for support.
• V-Mail, by Capt. K. Kometani, page 18. Captain K. Kometani of the 100th Infantry Battalion writes a Christmas letter to a Manzanar resident from Italy. He describes the sacrifice of Japanese American soldiers and hopes families can live freely.
• Remembering Christmas in Camp, by Saburo Kido, page 19. Saburo Kido recalls Christmas celebrations in Poston camp and the gifts sent by outside friends. He reflects on how the camps have affected children and the cost of prolonged confinement.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Mental, Moral Stamina Shown By Nisei In Relocation, by Ann Nisei, page 20. Ann Nisei argues that the nisei have shown remarkable mental and moral strength during relocation, disproving prewar stereotypes. She highlights nisei women working in government offices, factories, and the WAC.

In-Depth

• The Nisei and the War, by Taro Yashima, page 2. Artist Taro Yashima describes the contributions of Japanese Americans to the war effort, from combat in Italy to language instruction and home front work. He argues that the enemy recognizes their role even as anti-democratic forces at home ignore it.

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