The War Department reopens the draft for Nisei, January 1944

Vol. 18, No. 3, January 22, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The War Department’s plan to bring back regular selective service for Japanese American citizens led the news. Under it, Nisei would be reclassified on the same basis as other citizens. Editorials credited the 442nd Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion, and casualty reports from Italy named the dead, wounded and missing. Larry Tajiri wrote about a blinded Nisei soldier coming home, and an editorial took up Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt’s report defending the 1942 forced removal.

Elsewhere, Tule Lake returned to War Relocation Authority control, and Bill Hosokawa’s Vagaries column covered the camp. Colorado’s attorney general ruled that Japanese Americans could buy land. Sueo Sako and Lee Casey wrote about Governor Vivian’s stance. JACL news included the Credit Union’s first annual meeting and new chapter officers in Boise Valley, Pocatello, Salt Lake and Davis County.

What’s in this issue

National

• War Department Reopens Drafting of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department announced plans to reinstate general selective service procedures for Japanese American citizens on the same basis as other citizens. The move followed the success of the 442nd Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion.
• Gen. DeWitt Asserts Threat of Aid to Enemy Responsible for Evacuation Decision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt defended his 1942 evacuation order in a report to General Marshall, claiming signaling from the shore aided Japanese attacks. The report offered no proof that Japanese Americans were responsible.
• U.S. Army Captain Deplores Coast Witchhunt on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Capt. Iph T. Lui, a veteran of the Attu campaign, wrote to the Sacramento Bee criticizing Assemblyman Chester Gannon’s anti-Japanese American statements. He wrote that loyal Japanese American soldiers had fought with honor and that returning soldiers would not harm loyal Japanese Americans.
• Colorado Attorney General Affirms Right of Evacuees to Purchase Land in State, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Colorado attorney general’s office ruled that persons of Japanese ancestry have a legal right to buy property in the state. The opinion came after communities protested evacuee land purchases.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei In Italy Declines Credit For Rescue of Paratroops, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Japanese American soldier in Italy wrote to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin disputing that he and his unit rescued 22 American paratroopers at Benevento. He said they found no one to rescue when they reached the location.
• Nisei G.I. Jane Spends Christmas on KP Duty, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Iris A. Watanabe, a former Amache resident serving in the WAC at Fort Des Moines, spent Christmas day on KP duty but said she loves army life. She urged other nisei women to join the Women’s Army Corps.
• Secretary Stimson Reports Casualties Sustained by 100th Infantry Battalion Since Salerno Landing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Secretary of War Stimson reported 96 Japanese Americans killed, 221 wounded and 17 missing in the 100th Infantry Battalion in Italy. The unit had suffered casualties amounting to one-third of its personnel.
• War Department Announces Identify Seven Japanese Americans Killed, Twelve Missing in Recent Fighting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department released names of Japanese American soldiers killed, wounded and missing in the Mediterranean area. Families and home addresses in Hawaii were listed for each casualty.
• Brother of Topaz Resident Injured on Italian Front, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department notified Hiroshi Fujihara of Topaz that his brother, Pvt. Fujihara, was slightly wounded in Italy. The brother is a former Honolulu resident.
• Japanese American Soldier Returns to United States, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Yoshinao Omiya of Honolulu was flown to a Memphis hospital after both his eyes were blown out by a land mine in Italy. He had fought bravely with the Japanese American battalion until wounded.
• WACs Induct Seven Nisei Girl Recruits, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seven Japanese American women were inducted into the Women’s Army Corps in recent weeks. Francis Iritani of Colorado was the first Nisei to be inducted.
• Idaho Nisei Enlists, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kazuo Endow of Pocatello, Idaho enlisted in the Reserve Corps and is awaiting his army call. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. U. Endow.
• Army Announces Selective Service, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The column welcomes the army’s announcement reinstating selective service for nisei and traces how the 442nd and 100th Battalion earned that recognition. It notes that nisei soldiers have been praised across the Pacific and Italian fronts.

Incarceration & Redress

• Tule Lake Evacuees Repudiate Strike Leadership; Segregees Vote to Return to Work, by P.C. Staff, page 2. According to the Klamath Falls Herald and News, Tule Lake residents voted by secret ballot to end their protest strike and return to project jobs. The paper said a small group of agitators had attempted a hunger strike that failed.
• Administration of Tule Lake Camp Not Job for Military, Gen. Emmons Answers Protest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lt. Gen. Delos C. Emmons said it was not logical for the army to run the Tule Lake center and that the War Department must guard against dissipation of manpower. He said the army’s role was limited to preventing threats from the camp.
• Native Sons Protest WRA Jurisdiction, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Native Sons of the Golden West protested the return of the Tule Lake center to War Relocation Authority control. They demanded military or Justice Department control instead.
• Tulelake Civic Groups Oppose Transfer of Control, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tulelake civic organizations opposed restoring control of the segregation center to the WRA. They said the army should continue handling the center.
• California Lawyers Organized For Anti-Evacuee Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 7. State Senator Jack Tenney organized a committee of lawyers in Los Angeles to study problems from evacuee release. The committee aims to probe alleged violations of the Alien Land Act and possible deportation of persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Idaho Farm Group Says Evacuees Should Return to Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Deer Flat Protective Association in Idaho passed a resolution saying loyal Japanese Americans should be allowed to return to their West Coast homes after the war. It opposed resettling them in the Deer Flat area.
• Intolerant Race Attitudes Hit by WRA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 7. James Curtis of the WRA Denver office told educators that racial intolerance prevents loyal evacuees from leading normal lives. He called the belief that some groups should be disfranchised fascism.
• California Agricultural Board Reverses Stand on Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The California State Board of Agriculture voted 5 to 1 to rescind its earlier resolution supporting the return of evacuated farmers. Governor Earl Warren had pressed for the reversal after ousting Prof. Paul Taylor.

Community

• Thirty-One Minidoka Girls Leave for Nursing Careers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Thirty-one girls from the Minidoka Relocation Center have entered nursing training under the Cadet Nursing Corps program. Their schools and hospitals are listed across eight states.
• WRA Takes Over Control At Tule Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department and WRA announced the return of Tule Lake to full civil administration after military authorities withdrew. Rep. Clarence Lea urged firm control be maintained over the camp.
• Nisei Repatriates Very Unhappy, Says Ex-Internee, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ted Winebrenner, a returned internee, said Japanese Americans repatriated to Japan on the Gripsholm exchange were very unhappy. He said some young people who did not speak Japanese well had been forced to accompany their parents.
• Ogden Cracks Down on New Evacuee Cafes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Ogden city commission ordered license fees refunded to two Japanese Americans who opened restaurants. The commission’s policy bars licenses to Japanese Americans not in business before Pearl Harbor.
• Postpone Proposed Chicago Conference of Evacuee Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A planned conference of evacuee representatives from relocation centers in Chicago was postponed to allow preparation of a complete agenda. WRA regional offices were notified of the change.
• Canada Will Stress Family Relocation Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The New Canadian reports that relocation of Japanese Canadians is shifting from individuals to family resettlement. The former evacuee population of British Columbia has been reduced to 16,000.
• Incidentally, by Dale Oka, page 6. Dale Oka writes humorously about surviving a Michigan winter as a newly arrived nisei. He also praises the welcoming attitude Michigan residents have shown toward the incoming Japanese Americans.
• Church Leader Praises Christians in Evacuee Camps, by P.C. Staff, page 6. E. Stanley Jones, a noted churchman, praised Japanese Christians in relocation centers as an inspiration for American Christianity. He cited their low crime rate and their meeting of hardship with Christian spirit.
• Evacuee Begins Language Course for Marine Trainees, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Koko Serisawa, a Japanese alien adjudged loyal, began teaching Japanese to a class of marine trainees in Des Moines. She had previously taught Japanese in Hawaii and California.
• Eleven Infantile Paralysis Cases at Poston Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Of 13 infantile paralysis cases at Poston last year, eleven patients recovered with few after-effects due to the Kenny treatment. A committee was established to aid victims and educate the public.
• Canada Will Stress Family Relocation Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New Canadian reports a shift from individual to family resettlement of Japanese Canadians. The population in British Columbia has been reduced to 16,000.
• Poston Leads Centers in Civil Service, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Twenty-nine Poston residents have been placed in civil service jobs, the highest number among relocation centers. Positions include clerks, doctors, relocation counselors and a draftsman.
• Salt Lake Resident Wins Major Prizes at Canary Show, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Terry Adachi of Salt Lake City won most blue ribbons at the Salt Lake Roller Canary club show. Gozo Shimada of Ogden won a team competition prize.
• Hawaii’s First 1944 Baby Born to Nisei Parents, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaii’s first baby of 1944 was born to Mrs. Masato Masuhara, wife of a Japanese American serviceman stationed on the mainland. The birth occurred just after midnight on New Year’s Day.
• Anti-Evacuee Sentiment Seen in L.A. Poll, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Los Angeles Research Jury poll found 65 percent believed the WRA had not capably handled the Japanese problem and 64 percent opposed freeing loyal Japanese to take midwest jobs. Majorities also supported exclusion of Japanese from the Pacific coast.
• Student Relocation Helps 2,000 Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Thomas Bodine reported that some 2,000 nisei and sansei students have relocated to 350 schools and colleges across the country. Church groups are providing scholarship funds for 1944.

Commentary

• Granada Pioneer Criticizes Attitude of Governor Vivian, by Sueo Sako, page 3. Sueo Sako, editor of the Granada Pioneer, criticized Governor Vivian for hinting that public sentiment should be mobilized against Japanese American land purchases. He warned that inflaming Colorado residents could eventually lead to serious harm.
• Denver Editor Praises Granada Pioneer’s Editorial, by Lee Casey, page 3. Lee Casey of the Rocky Mountain News praised Sueo Sako’s editorial exposing Governor Vivian’s duplicity on Japanese American land purchases. Casey said Vivian quoted the Constitution while hinting that public sentiment should be inflamed.
• A Nisei Soldier Comes Home, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri reflects on a blinded Japanese American soldier returning from Italy and the civil restrictions he would still face as a citizen. He urges Japanese Americans at home to fight prejudice and secure their rights.
• Editorial: General DeWitt’s Report, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that General DeWitt’s report reveals the mass evacuation was based on rumor and suspicion rather than proof. It calls for those guilty of aiding the enemy to be dealt with and for the evacuation to be recognized as a disgrace.
• Editorial: Selective Service Regained, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the War Department’s reinstitution of selective service for Japanese Americans as a major step toward restoring nisei rights. It credits the 442nd and 100th Infantry for earning this recognition.
• Editorial: The Nisei in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises Japanese Americans in Hawaii who did much of the construction work strengthening Pearl Harbor’s defenses. It notes they have sent sons to battle and worked to defend their home islands.
• Comic Strip Tells Story of Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The comic strip Mr. Mystic depicted a group of Japanese American soldiers in training who were mistaken for invaders. The strip ends with the soldiers being praised for their service in Italy.
• From an Issei Father to His Soldier Son, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An issei father in a relocation center writes to his son in the U.S. Army, urging him to serve his country faithfully and be willing to die for it. The letter affirms the family’s belief in the son despite what others say.
• Vagaries, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column covers developments around Tule Lake, a Hollywood-linked anti-Japanese American film project, and repatriation exchange details. He notes Japanese authorities changed meal arrangements for Americans.
• Making Democracy Work, by Hileen O’Brien, page 5. A Hawaii publication article describes the contributions of Japanese Americans in Hawaii to the war effort through bond drives and volunteer enlistment. It credits the Emergency Service Committee for easing tensions and building trust.
• Nazi-Like Campaign Continues Full Energies, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial condemns West Coast fascist groups who promote race hatred and seek to deny constitutional rights to Japanese Americans. It warns that such activity threatens American democracy as a whole.
• Realistic Attitude of Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column contrasts Hawaii’s realistic treatment of its Japanese American population with the hysterical anti-Japanese campaigns on the West Coast. It credits Lt. Gen. Delos Emmons for policies that let the community prove its loyalty.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Prices Rise as Quality Drops, Buy Bonds Instead, by Ann Nisei, page 5. Ann Nisei advises shoppers to compare quality and not just price as wartime shortages drive up costs and lower standards. She urges buyers to avoid unnecessary purchases and invest in War Bonds.
• Editorial Digest: Emotion vs. Reason, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Common Sense News Letter of Santa Barbara argues that hatred toward Japanese Americans is being whipped up by people who will change tune once it serves no purpose. It holds that assimilation of all peoples is possible in America.
• Nisei Labor Leaving Utah for East, Says Ogden Editor, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ogden Standard Examiner editorial says Japanese American workers are leaving Utah for less prejudiced areas in the midwest and east. It argues Utah is losing needed farm labor because of racial antagonism.

JACL

• JACL Credit Union Buys War Bond With Surplus, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The JACL Credit Union purchased a $1,000 Series G War Bond with surplus funds. Officials also announced new meeting procedures and an operating loss for the first three months.
• JACL Credit Union To Hold First Annual Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The JACL Credit Union will hold its first annual meeting on January 29 in Salt Lake City, including officer elections and a social. Members and families are invited.
• Boise Valley Selects Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Nishitani was elected president of the Boise Valley JACL chapter and the chapter pledged support for the Fourth War Loan drive. The chapter also raised over $400 for the nisei USO at Camp Shelby.
• Novo Kato Elected President of Pocatello JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Novo Kato was elected president of the Pocatello JACL for 1944, assisted by a new cabinet. Other officers and executive board members were also named.
• Install Aoki as Prexy of Salt Lake JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Isamu Aoki was installed as president of the Salt Lake JACL, succeeding Dr. Jun Kurumada. Other cabinet members were also installed at the ceremony.
• Credit Union Aids Centered on Draft, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Saburo Kido describes the benefits of the JACL Credit Union, including insurance coverage and loans available to members. He encourages members to save through the credit union to help buy more bonds.
• WACs Launch Campaign for Nisei Recruits, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Women’s Army Corps intensified its recruitment of Japanese American women in the Ninth Service Command. Pvt. Mary C. Holbrook is in charge of recruiting in the Salt Lake City area.
• Calling All Chapters! Nisei USO, by Hito Okada, page 8. Hito Okada reports that contributions to the Japanese American USO unit at Hattiesburg have reached $337. He also reports receipt of chapter dues and details about the JACL staff dinner.
• Davis County JACL Elects Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Akasaka was elected president of the Davis County JACL chapter for the coming year. The installation of the new cabinet took place at North Davis Junior High school.

Obituaries

• Funeral Services Held for Oregon Issei Pioneer, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Funeral services were held in Ontario, Oregon for Mankichi Wakasugi, 63, of Weiser, Idaho, who came to the United States in 1901. He is survived by his widow, children and siblings.

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