The Endo case reaches the Supreme Court, and the 100th Battalion at war

Vol. 18, No. 16, May 13, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

The Supreme Court agreed on May 8 to hear the appeal of Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese American woman whose detention in a war relocation center was being challenged. Her case tested the government’s authority to hold her. The same front page reported on the 100th Infantry Battalion, whose record included 900 Purple Hearts, and on ten wounded veterans recovering at a Utah hospital. Representative Herman Eberharter defended loyal Japanese Americans before the House. A federal grand jury in Denver indicted three women from the Amache center on treason charges, and one of them, Mrs. Tsuruko Wallace, denied the accusation.

Opinion pages carry Saburo Kido on integration, Bill Hosokawa’s “From the Frying Pan,” Dale Oka on a train trip to Chicago, and Hito Okada’s JACL headquarters notes. Lawrence Nakatsuka tells Sgt. Arthur Komori’s escape from Bataan. Page 8 reports news from Gila River, Poston and Rohwer, including a petition signed by 620 Gila River residents.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Supreme Court Grants Request to Consider Endo Detention Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court formally agreed on May 8 to hear the appeal of Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese American woman whose detention in a war relocation center is being challenged. Her case tests the government’s authority to hold loyal citizens after the WRA ended their status as evacuees.
• Federal Grand Jury Indicts Three Amache Women for Alleged Aid to Nazi Prisoners, page 2. A federal grand jury in Denver indicted three American-born Japanese American women on treason charges for allegedly helping two German POWs escape from Trinidad, Colorado. The women, residents of the Amache relocation center, were accused of supplying money, clothing, maps and transportation.
• Disloyalty Charge Denied by Mrs. Wallace in Interview, page 2. Mrs. Tsuruko Wallace, one of the three indicted sisters, denied disloyalty and said they had volunteered for farm work to aid national defense. She said she and her sisters were being persecuted because of their race.
• King Clarifies Voting Rights of Evacuees, page 2. San Francisco registrar Cameron King wrote that evacuees keep their permanent residence at their prewar address and may vote by absentee ballot. The clarification addressed questions about evacuees’ voting status in relocation centers.
• Gila Draftees Send Petition to President, page 8. Six hundred twenty loyal Americans at Gila River signed a petition asking President Roosevelt for an early restoration of constitutional rights for Japanese Americans. The petition also requested equal opportunity in all branches of the armed forces.

Military & Veterans

• Anzio Reveals Nisei Heroism: 900 Purple Hearts Awarded to 100th Infantry Battalion, page 1. The 100th Infantry Battalion, made up almost entirely of Japanese Americans from Hawaii, has earned three Distinguished Service Crosses, 21 Bronze Stars, 36 Silver Stars and 900 Purple Hearts in combat. Accounts from the front describe the battalion’s courage at Anzio and in earlier battles in Italy.
• Wounded Soldiers Convalescing in Utah Hospital, page 1. Ten wounded veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion are recovering at Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, Utah, after fighting on the Italian front. Visitors from Salt Lake City and Ogden have called on the Hawaiian-born soldiers.
• Nisei Troops at U.S. Camp Vote in California Elections, page 2. Soldiers of Company E at a U.S. Army training camp used air mail ballots to vote in California’s primary elections. Their statement urged voters to reject race-baiting politicians.
• U.S. Marines, Army Combat Troops Back Loyalty of Nisei, Says Officer, by 2nd Lieut. Morris Kritz, page 2. Marine Lieutenant Morris Kritz wrote in a letter to PM that combat soldiers who have fought the Japanese vouch for the loyalty of Nisei troops. He called for Japanese Americans to receive the same constitutional rights as other Americans.
• Sgt. Arthur Komori Tells Story of Escape from Bataan, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Technical Sergeant Arthur Komori, a Maui-born soldier, recounted his evacuation from Bataan to Corregidor and then to Australia on General MacArthur’s order. He described the hardships of jungle combat and the flight out of the Philippines.
• Employer Praises Contribution of Nisei to U.S. War Effort, page 3. J.H. Grayson of Grayson Manufacturing wrote to Secretary Ickes praising two Nisei engineers whose work saved millions of man-hours. He criticized Governor Bricker for treating Japanese Americans as a menace.
• 11th Hour Escape from Bataan, page 3. A Signal Corps photo identifies a Japanese American soldier on the Italian front. The accompanying story describes the wartime service of Nisei troops in Italy.
• Hawaii’s Japanese Americans Winning Reputation as One of Finest Units, page 8. Two wounded 100th Infantry Battalion veterans, Pfc. Charles Takenaka and Pfc. James Funakoshi, returned to Honolulu on furlough. They described the battalion’s combat at Salerno and their own wounds.
• Lieut. Hirota Transferred to Colorado Camp, page 8. First Lieutenant Carl Hirota, a Nisei dentist, was reassigned from Camp Shelby to the 129th Evacuation Hospital at Camp Carson. The report also lists seven other Japanese American dentists transferred to new army posts.
• Purple Heart Medal Received by Widow, page 8. The Purple Heart awarded posthumously to Sgt. James Shiramizu was received by his widow in Poston. He was the first California Nisei killed in action with the 100th Infantry Battalion in Italy.
• Five Rohwer Nisei Called to Army, page 8. Five Rohwer youths were called to active army service and reported to Jefferson Barracks and Camp Robinson. They were the first reservists from the center to enter active duty.

Commentary

• Eberharter Defends Loyal Nisei, Answering Charges by Costello, page 1. Representative Herman Eberharter told the House that no Japanese American released by the WRA has committed espionage or sabotage. He rebutted Representative Costello’s attack on the planned Brooklyn hostel for Japanese Americans.
• Anti-Evacuee Spokesmen Would Permit Return of Loyal Nisei to West Coast After War, page 3. In a Los Angeles radio debate, attorney A.L. Wirin and Rev. Fred Fertig argued against prohibiting the return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast. Opponents Lechner and Cupp conceded that loyal evacuees should be allowed to return after the war.
• From the Frying Pan: Vagaries, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa’s column collects brief items on Japanese Americans, including the oldest Nisei at Manzanar, Mayor Cain’s stance on loyalty, and congressional remarks on Arkansas. It also notes a California investigation into alien land holdings.
• Nisei in Uniform: Letters from Servicemen, by The Crusaders, page 5. This column reprints letters from Nisei servicemen and women who describe their motivations and feelings about the war. The writers stress the need for home-front support and understanding.
• The Race-Baiters Are Helping Tojo’s Work, page 5. A Singapore-born Chinese entertainer, now known as Li-Sun, explains his wartime experiences and his view that anti-Asian politicians aid Japanese propaganda. He argues that racial discrimination undermines Allied promises to Asian peoples.
• Calling All Chapters!, by Hito Okada, page 5. JACL national headquarters reports contributions, Buck-a-Month Club members, and new ACLU application availability. It also notes that JACL pins can be purchased at headquarters.
• Evacuees Express Hope of Integration, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Kido argues that Nisei resettling in the Midwest and East should seek integration rather than forming separate groups. He warns that race-baiters from California are spreading hostility and that Nisei must work to win acceptance.
• Pleasant Experiences in Traveling, by Dale Oka, page 6. Dale Oka describes a wartime train trip to Chicago and Milwaukee, praising the courtesy of servicemen and civilians toward Japanese Americans. He also recounts meeting old acquaintances at the Chicago WRA office.
• Try Some Exercises, Eat Moderately, by Ann Nisei, page 6. This beauty column gives exercises for the waistline, hips and abdomen and offers dieting advice. It recommends moderate eating and regular exercise rather than drastic diets.

Community

• Ministers Hit Attitude of Realty Boards, page 2. The Salt Lake City Ministerial Association protested a local real estate pledge to keep nonwhites out of white neighborhoods. The group argued that restrictive property practices contradict the principles America claims to fight for.
• Takeno Named New Editor of Denver Paper, page 2. Roy M. Takeno was appointed managing editor of the bilingual Rocky Shimpo in Denver. He previously edited the California Daily News and the Manzanar Free Press.
• Selma Paper Takes Issue With Criticism of Coast Committee, page 5. The Selma Enterprise rebuked E.R. Combs, an investigator for the California Assembly committee on un-American activities, for calling the Committee on American Principles and Fair Play subversive. The paper defended the committee’s respected members.
• Manzanar Hog Project Irks L.A. Officials, page 8. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power protested the WRA’s plan to set up a 1,000-hog ranch near the Manzanar relocation center. The city feared pollution of its water supply from the project.
• Rohwer Group to Aid Farms in Illinois, page 8. A group of 50 seasonal workers recruited from Rohwer arrived in Naperville, Illinois, to cut asparagus for two months. The War Food Administration and WRA arranged transportation and housing for the workers.
• Karl Taku Weds Masako Odow in Salt Lake, page 8. Masako Odow and Karl Taku, formerly president of the San Luis Obispo JACL, were married in a simple ceremony at the Odow home in Salt Lake City. The wedding was held on May 3.
• Masuda Elected Mayor of Poston, page 8. Thomas D. Masuda, a former Seattle attorney, was elected chairman of the Poston Community Council with the title of mayor. He was chosen unanimously at the council’s first meeting.

JACL

• Frank Tashima Elected President of National YBA, page 8. Frank Tashima of Salt Lake City was elected president of the National Young Buddhist Association for 1944. Other officers include Yukio Isaki as vice president and John Nakano as treasurer.

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