1944: Nisei soldiers, the draft and the fight over return

Vol. 18, No. 14, April 29, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers and the draft ran through this eight-page issue. Pvt. Kungo Iwai wrote from the Anzio beachhead about the 100th Infantry Battalion’s Christmas in a rest area after the fighting at Cassino. The War Department said the roughly 10,000 Nisei soldiers would not be used in combat against Japan, and 19 soldiers who refused infantry training at Fort McClellan were sentenced by courts-martial. Opinion pages took up the draft and the politics of return: Bill Hosokawa criticized Ohio Governor Bricker, Saburo Kido wrote on seasonal farm work, and Larry Tajiri looked at stereotypes of Oriental Americans in fiction.

Other pages followed Tule Lake, where residents were called for draft physicals and the WRA reopened the Leupp isolation camp. The Supreme Court moved the Korematsu and Endo cases to its fall calendar. Heart Mountain welcomed Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki. A Colorado anti-alien proposal drew organized opposition, and resettlement news came from Idaho, Utah and Brooklyn.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Japanese American Soldiers Transferred to New Positions: Members of Hawaiian Unit Report Nisei Troops Spent Christmas in Rest Area After Long Service in Front-Lines at Cassino, by Pvt. Kungo Iwai, page 1. The 100th Infantry Battalion, a Japanese American unit from Hawaii, was withdrawn from combat at Cassino and transferred to the Anzio beachhead, according to dispatches. Pvt. Kungo Iwai describes a makeshift Christmas celebration in a rest area, with decorated trees and carols, tempered by the losses of comrades.
• Young Japanese Alien Gets American Citizenship Through Service in United States Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Noboru Nakamura, born in Nagasaki and raised in the United States, received his citizenship certificate on April 12 after being accepted for combat service despite earlier rejection. He is believed to be one of the first Japanese aliens serving in the U.S. forces in World War II to gain citizenship this way.
• Tule Lake Men Called for Draft Physicals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seventy-three Tule Lake residents of draft age were scheduled for pre-induction examinations at the Amache hospital on May 2 and 3. The announcement was the first official word on the Selective Service status of draft-age nisei at Tule Lake.
• Japanese Americans Serve Marines in Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Robert J. Newell of the U.S. Marines praised Japanese American soldiers who served with a Marine combat military police unit in the South Pacific. He described their dedication and the protection the Marines had to give them from friendly fire.
• 19 Soldiers Sentenced by Army Court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nineteen of 28 Japanese American soldiers who refused infantry training at Fort McClellan were convicted by courts-martial and sentenced to terms ranging from 10 to 30 years. The soldiers were charged with disobeying orders from superior officers.
• Wounded Veterans of 100th Infantry May Go Home, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The War Department said it was considering allowing wounded Japanese American veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion to return to their homes in Hawaii after hospitalization. The policy would follow the general practice of returning men to where they first entered service.
• 630 Accepted for Army from Relocation Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Preinduction physicals have been completed for 2,446 Japanese Americans in relocation centers, with 680 accepted for military service. Assistant Director Robert Cozzens said 406 others await assignment to military duty.
• Nisei War Hero Acclaimed in First Camp Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki received an ovation from thousands of Heart Mountain residents during his first visit to a war relocation center. He was introduced to community leaders and also planned a visit to Minidoka.

Incarceration & Redress

• Army Says Nisei Will Not Be Used as Combat Troops Against Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department announced that the approximately 10,000 Japanese American soldiers will not be used in combat in the Pacific because of retaliation risks and infiltration concerns. The statement, sent to the WRA regional office, says the policy is not based on discrimination but on operational considerations.
• Denver Liberals Map Fight on Colorado Anti-Alien Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-five representatives of liberal, religious and social groups met in Denver to plan opposition to a proposed anti-alien property ownership initiative. The group planned to fight the measure after legislative action had been defeated.
• Ickes Blasts New York Mayor, Two Governors for Biased Views on Evacuee Question, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes accused Mayor La Guardia and Governors Bricker and Edge of racial discrimination for opposing the relocation of Japanese Americans. He argued their views conflict with the nation’s democratic principles.
• WRA Reopens Isolation Camp in Arizona, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Secretary Ickes announced that the Leupp segregation center in Winslow, Arizona, will reopen around May 15 to confine about 100 men arrested after the Tule Lake disturbance last November. Most of the men are American citizens.
• U.S. Supreme Court Postpones Test Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Supreme Court reportedly shifted the Korematsu and Endo test cases on evacuation and detention to its fall calendar. The Mitsuye Endo case had been sent up from the Ninth Circuit, which found itself unable to decide the question of detaining loyal persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Federal Judge Upholds Nisei Injunction Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Federal Judge Tillman Johnson denied Layton, Utah officials’ motion to dismiss an injunction suit brought by merchant Clarence Okuda, who was refused a business license because of his Japanese ancestry. The case is expected to be tried in late May.
• Four Evacuees Released in Detroit After Questioning, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Japanese Americans held for investigation along with a Saginaw driver found with gasoline in his trunk were released in Detroit. The nisei passengers denied knowledge of the gasoline or coupons.
• WRA Answers Statement of Ohio Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The War Relocation Authority said it never had jurisdiction over the 28 Japanese American soldiers at Fort McClellan, correcting Governor Bricker’s Los Angeles remarks. The WRA stated those men were inducted into the Army before evacuation.
• Heart Mountain Committee Will Urge Youths to Change Views, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Heart Mountain committee formed to provide counsel will urge draft-evasion defendants to accept voluntary induction instead of standing trial on May 8. Representatives of the community council, block managers and churches planned the effort.
• L.A. Sheriff Launches Drive to Tighten Anti-Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Los Angeles Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz became the first California voter to sign an initiative petition to amend the anti-alien land law. The measure, endorsed by the Native Sons of the Golden West, would bar persons of Japanese ancestry from owning land or water craft through their children or others.

Community

• Tule Lake May Pick Delegates for Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The WRA invited Tule Lake segregation center residents to select block delegates as a first step toward forming a representative committee to consult with officials. Seven members of the existing coordinating committee resigned as the colony gradually returned to normalcy.
• Student Relocation Program Successful, Reports Hibbard, by Carlisle V. Hibbard, page 2. Carlisle Hibbard, formerly of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council, wrote in the Wisconsin State Journal that relocated nisei students have performed well academically and socially. He argued their presence has helped prepare the way for broader resettlement.
• Segregated Church Opposed by Protestant Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Protestant Church Commission for Japanese Service reaffirmed its position that a racially segregated United Japanese Church would be undesirable. The commission also approved student volunteer work programs and recommended measures to support family group resettlement.
• Nisei Students Attend Central College in Iowa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei students are replacing wartime absences at Central College in Pella, Iowa, as the campus adjusts to the war. The article lists several Japanese American students from California and Hawaii enrolled there.
• Seasonal Workers Arrive at First Farm in Illinois, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Five resettlers arrived at Gerald Schraeder’s farm near Des Plaines, Illinois, the first group of seasonal workers under a War Food Administration contract in the North Central Area. Schraeder was previously impressed by the Japanese Americans he employed in 1943 and plans to hire 15 more.
• Heart Mountain Holds Service for Mrs. Abiko, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Memorial services were held at the Heart Mountain Community Christian church for Mrs. Yona Abiko, former publisher of the San Francisco Japanese American News. The Rev. T. Kaneko delivered the sermon.
• Expect 1500 to Aid in Idaho Farm Work, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Approximately 1,500 Japanese American farm workers were expected in Idaho to help with spring farming through May, according to the emergency farm labor program supervisor. The workers are part of a seasonal labor program.
• Evacuee Workers Arrive in East Idaho, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The first group of Japanese American farm workers, 28 evacuees, arrived in Madison and Bingham counties in eastern Idaho and began work. WRA official John Robertson confirmed their arrival.
• Evacuees Arrive in Utah County, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The first group of 50 Japanese American evacuees arrived at the Orem WFA labor camp from Heart Mountain, with 50 more scheduled to arrive May 1.
• Relocation Boom Seen for East, by Harold S. Fistere, page 7. Relocation supervisor Harold Fistere reports good employment opportunities and a favorable attitude toward evacuees in the Mid-Atlantic area. He says he expects more relocations there during spring and summer.
• 75 Accepted for Army from Colorado Area, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seventy-five Japanese Americans from Adams County were accepted for military service at the Denver induction station. The article lists their names and notes the county had been a center of anti-Japanese agitation.
• Ogden Buddhists Visit Wounded Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A group from the Ogden Young Buddhists Association visited wounded Japanese American veterans convalescing at Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City. The visit was the first time the soldiers had seen Japanese American civilians in two years.
• Idaho Board Rates Hunt High School in Approved Class, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Minidoka relocation center high school at Hunt was classified as an approved school by the Idaho board of control of high school athletics. The classification allows its teams to compete with member schools in non-championship games.
• Davis Citizens Hold Successful Red Cross Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Davis County JACL collected $364.25 for the Red Cross and was allocated 615 sewing kits. The chapter also reported $951.50 raised in a recent IDC donation drive.
• Tension Between Groups at Tule Lake Center, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Klamath Falls Herald and News reported growing tension at Tule Lake between segregees cooperating with the administration and those opposing it. Officials announced three arrests tied to disputes over cooperation.
• Salt Lake City Ruled Without Power to Set Racial Lines, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Salt Lake City legal counsel advised commissioners that the city has no legal right to prohibit sale or purchase of homes by American citizens on racial grounds.
• Canada’s CCF Reaffirms 1943 Stand on Evacuee Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The British Columbia CCF reaffirmed its 1943 position favoring a democratic, government-directed resettlement of Japanese Canadian evacuees. The Vancouver Province praised the party’s courage in opposing wholesale repatriation.
• First Hostel Will Open in New York Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A hospitality center for relocating evacuees will open in Brooklyn on May 10 at 168 Clinton Street. The project is a joint effort of the Brethren Service Committee and the American Baptist Home Missions Society.

Commentary

• New Jersey Governor Blamed by Post for Evacuees’ Ouster, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington Post editorially criticized New Jersey Governor Edge for failing to protect five evacuee farm workers driven from their jobs by neighboring farmers. The paper argued that the evacuees are innocent victims of military necessity and are entitled to protection.
• Two Race-Baiters: Larry Smith, Commentator, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes NBC for sponsoring commentator Larry Smith’s broadcasts, which the paper says spread lies about Japanese Americans. It cites a fabricated invasion story and a false claim about Dr. Inazo Nitobe.
• John Lechner, Patriot, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines race-baiter John R. Lechner, who has campaigned against Japanese Americans through speeches and the pamphlet Playing with Dynamite. It notes he is himself a naturalized citizen born in Austria.
• Mail Order Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reports that Montgomery Ward in Denver has refused to hire qualified nisei applicants despite doing a large business with evacuees. It contrasts this discriminatory practice with the company’s defiance of War Labor Board authority.
• Goodbye to Hashimura Togo, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri argues that literature about Oriental Americans has relied on distorted stereotypes, from Bret Harte to Wallace Irwin. He calls for Oriental American writers to tell their own stories as humans rather than caricatures.
• Nisei Vagaries: Wor Workers Agitate…, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Midwest war plant story describes Japanese American workers who, after being hired over Negro workers, asked for the Negro workers to be rehired. The article notes the plant workers were discussing forming a union to prevent race-playing by employers.
• Joe Grant Masaoka’s Column: Supporters of Fair Play for Japanese Americans Stand by the Principles of Democracy, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka describes individuals who spoke up for fair treatment of Japanese Americans, from a Phoenix questioner to a Hollywood neighbor and a Southern California radio host. He argues that public opinion will eventually stop the persecution.
• From the Frying Pan: Gov. Bricker Sacrifices Principles for Votes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa criticizes Ohio Governor Bricker for proposing community-by-community decisions on Japanese American return and continued surveillance of loyal citizens. He argues the proposals ignore citizenship rights and resemble Jim Crow policy.
• Nisei Letter-Box: Letters from Readers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Readers’ letters include James Kaminishi urging more resettlement from relocation centers, Pfc. Rikio Nakagawa from Italy describing the 100th Battalion, and Lowell Pratt of the Selma Enterprise supporting fair play.
• Timely Topics: Seasonal Workers Will Aid Farmers, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Kido discusses seasonal workers from relocation centers helping with food production and argues they should be sent to the Middle West and East where prejudice is lower. He also urges students to learn farming and the nisei to seek permanent resettlement before the draft.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Stew Is a Man’s Dish, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei offers recipes for beef stew, Brunswick stew, and mixed meat stews, with tips on seasoning and vegetables. The column is practical cooking advice for readers.
• Incidentally: Whither Goest Thou?, by Dale Oka, page 7. Dale Oka reflects on the nisei’s future as the draft resumes, noting that the nisei will again be uprooted and face uncertain postwar prospects. He credits the 100th Battalion and 442nd for earning the right to serve.

National

• Evacuation, Detention Rapped by Dr. Nash in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Vernon Nash, writer and minister, called the evacuation and detention of Japanese Americans the worst demonstration of race prejudice he had heard of. He spoke in Salt Lake City and predicted that authorities would protect the civil rights of Japanese Americans.
• ACLU Director Describes JACL in New Republic Letter, by Roger Baldwin, page 8. ACLU director Roger Baldwin wrote that the JACL is the most representative and influential Japanese American group. He defended the restoration of the draft for Nisei as a deserved recognition.

Obituaries

• Memorial Service Held for Nisei Writer in New York City, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Friends and organizations held a memorial service in New York City for George Watanabe, a nisei writer and former editor of the Sangyo Nippo who died recently. Before his death he had completed the first book of a novelized trilogy about the growth of fascism in Japan.

JACL

• Race Tensions Discussed at JACL Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rev. J. Raymond Cope of the First Unitarian Church spoke to the Salt Lake JACL chapter on the deeper implications of racial problems. He urged Japanese Americans to remain loyal to the tradition of human freedom.

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