Race hatred, resettlement and Nisei soldiers, June 1944

Vol. 18, No. 19, June 3, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Debate over whether Japanese Americans could return to the West Coast ran through this eight-page issue. Bishop Phillip G. Scher of the Monterey-Fresno diocese warned a Knights of Columbus convention of growing racial hatred in California, citing his visit to the Manzanar relocation center. WRA director Dillon S. Myer told a House subcommittee that evacuees should return to the coast when military conditions allow. The editorial page took on the Native Sons’ claims and a Hearst campaign against resettlement, and also marked the paper’s third year as a weekly.

Soldiers were a steady presence. Honolulu’s Nisei were praised for their Army enlistment record, and Tech. Sgt. Gary Hisaoka of the 100th Infantry Battalion was reported killed in action in Italy. Cpl. Dave Kamayatsu of the 442nd Combat Team cabled his family that all were well. Letters from Sgt. Roy Takai in India and First Sgt. Kaz Ohka at Anzio describe life near the fighting. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Saburo Kido, Joe Grant Masaoka and Ann Nisei fill the inside pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Catholic Bishop Hits California Race Hatred, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bishop Phillip G. Scher of the Monterey-Fresno diocese warned at the Knights of Columbus convention that racial hatred was growing in California. He cited his visit to the Manzanar relocation center as evidence that the press had overdone its propaganda against persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Mayor LaGuardia Asked to Reconsider Protest on Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirteen faculty members of the New York School of Social Work at Columbia University wrote to Mayor LaGuardia asking him to reverse his opposition to relocating persons of Japanese ancestry in New York City. The letter urged him to apply the same minority-rights leadership he had shown in the past.
• Dillon Myer Urges Return of Evacuees to Coast as Military Situation Permits, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA director Dillon S. Myer told a House appropriations subcommittee that evacuees should be allowed to return to the West Coast when military conditions allow. He reported that about 500 mostly mixed-marriage families had already returned and that he knew of no sabotage or espionage by West Coast Japanese Americans since Pearl Harbor.
• Japan Government Doesn’t Want Tule Lake Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The WRA disclosed that the Japanese government does not want most of the Tule Lake segregees who requested repatriation. Myer said Tokyo preferred people with money or college educations and had sought some Nisei college graduates who refused repatriation.
• WRA Reports Examples of Successful Evacuee Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The WRA cited successful resettlements of evacuees in farming, greenhouse, manufacturing and railroad work across several states. It noted that seasonal farm labor might be scarcer in 1944 because many of the best workers had found permanent jobs.
• National Group Decries Discrimination Against Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Marshall, chairman of the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties, said discriminating against loyal Japanese Americans in residence or employment was as untenable as discriminating against any other racial or national minority. The statement responded to objections to resettling evacuees.
• Cozzens Challenges Disloyalty Charge of Native Sons Leader, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA assistant director Robert B. Cozzens disputed Seth Millington’s claim that Japanese Americans in Hawaii could have prevented Pearl Harbor. He said the claim does not match history, though he agreed with Millington’s praise for Sgt. Ben Kuroki.
• Native Sons’ Stand on Nisei Evacuees Told, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seth Millington told the Commonwealth Club that the Legion and Native Sons would accept Japanese of proven loyalty but wanted disloyal persons deported. He praised Sgt. Ben Kuroki while attacking Secretary Ickes and WRA director Myer.
• Washington Attorney General Hits Relocation in Spokane, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Acting Washington Attorney General Fred E. Lewis questioned why about 1,500 Japanese Americans were allowed to settle in Spokane County near defense plants. He said the state had brought escheat actions against aliens’ real estate interests.

Military & Veterans

• Hawaiian Nisei Lauded for Record of Army Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Japanese Americans in Hawaii made up 40 per cent of Army inductions and enlistments between 1940 and 1943, far above their population share. The paper called their war service excellent in both percentage and numbers.
• 442nd Combat Team Corporal Cables All Well, Safe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cpl. Dave Kamayatsu of the 442nd Combat Team cabled his brother in Denver that all family members were well and safe. JACL regional representative Joe Masaoka reported the message on June 2.
• War Department Announces Death in Action of Nisei Sergeant Who Rescued Major, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department announced that Tech. Sgt. Gary Hisaoka of Hilo, a member of the 100th Infantry Battalion, was killed in action in Italy. He was previously cited for rescuing a wounded Fifth Army major under German machine-gun fire near Cassino.
• 23 Nisei Soldiers Qualify for Army’s Paratroop Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Twenty-three Japanese American soldiers attached to the 13th Airborne Division completed Fort Benning jump training and were studying airborne tactics at Camp Mackall, N.C. The Thirteener reported that their names would not be published because some have relatives in Japanese-controlled territory.
• WRA Pamphlet to Feature Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The WRA reports division in Washington is preparing an illustrated booklet on Japanese Americans in uniform. It will cover the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Combat Team and feature wounded Nisei veterans recuperating in army hospitals.
• A Soldier Comes Home, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Cpl. Hideo Uchida, wounded by shrapnel in Italy, returned to Honolulu for recuperation and a likely medical discharge. His Caucasian wife followed him across the country to reunite with him and meet their son.
• Camp Savage Observes 2nd Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Camp Savage, Minnesota, marked its second anniversary with a formal retreat, dancing, movies and an outdoor radio program. The camp had been a state homeless men’s camp before the federal government took it over.
• Camp Shelby Soldier Tells of Action on Italy Beachhead, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Mitsuru Watanabe, serving with the 100th Infantry Battalion at Anzio, wrote home describing close shelling and his newfound faith. Pvt. Edward Yamane also wrote of the Italian spring landscape overshadowed by war damage.
• Legless Nisei War Veteran Appears on Radio Program, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wallace Y. Hisamoto, a legless 100th Battalion veteran born in Honolulu, spoke on the national radio program Visiting Hour about discrimination against Nisei. He said Americans of Japanese ancestry deserved equal treatment, and his remarks were reported by columnist Bob Considine.
• Nisei Sergeant Reported on Duty in South Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tech. Sgt. Yurikichi Ikehara, a former Libby, McNeill and Libby employee inducted in 1940, is serving in the South Pacific. He trained at Camp McCoy and Camp Savage before sailing to New Caledonia.
• Nisei Over 26 in Camps Will Be Inducted, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Selective service boards in California indicated that Japanese American registrants aged 26 to 37 in relocation centers could be inducted. Men in essential war work in the 26-29 group could apply for deferment.
• Letter from India, by Sgt. Roy Takai, page 7. Sgt. Roy Takai, serving with British troops in India, describes hearing artillery and air raids near his hillside camp. He reflects that war is hell but that he will fight for lasting peace.
• Oregonian in Italy, by First Sgt. Kaz Ohka, page 7. First Sgt. Kaz Ohka, a Portland native, describes surviving an artillery barrage on the Anzio beachhead while walking back from the front. He recounts diving into a ditch repeatedly.
• 4500 Soldiers from 39 Posts Have Visited Jerome, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Since October 1942, at least 4,535 Nisei soldiers from 39 army posts have visited the Jerome relocation center. Visiting servicemen stayed in project apartments and Japanese American teams played local games.

Community

• New York Nisei Hangs Self at Home of Employer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ruth Kono, 35, a Japanese American domestic worker in Queens, took her own life on May 22 at the home where she had worked since before Pearl Harbor. Police believed she had been brooding over the war and was obsessed with the mistaken idea that boys throwing stones had targeted her.
• Vacaville Business Group Opposes Return of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Vacaville Chamber of Commerce voted 9 to 5 for a resolution opposing the return of persons of Japanese ancestry to the town after the war. A minority sought to exclude Japanese Americans from the resolution but failed.
• Poston School Accredited by State, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Poston’s Parker Valley high school became the first school at the Colorado River relocation center to receive accreditation from the Arizona state school system. A state accrediting committee visited the school before granting approval.
• Heart Mountain Ranks 26th in Fire Prevention, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Heart Mountain Sentinel reported that the camp ranked 26th among American cities in the 1943 Fire Prevention Week ratings. A committee of fire protection and interested organizations did the rating.
• Nevada Nisei Girl Graduates from Medical College, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Toshiko Toyota of McGill, Nevada, was among 21 graduates of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Her sister Shizuko was also awarded a scholarship at the University of Idaho Southern Branch.
• Calling All Chapters! Boise Valley Chapter Campaign Report, by Hito Okada, page 6. The Boise Valley Chapter’s Caldwell district reported donations toward its Intermountain District Council pledge to National Headquarters. Contributors ranged from $2.50 to $20.
• Large Audience Attends Exhibition, by P.C. Staff, page 7. More than 11,000 persons at the Poston relocation center attended a two-day handicraft exhibition sponsored by Community Activities. The auditorium in Unit 1 was packed.
• Milwaukee College Group Holds Tea for Nisei Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Milwaukee-Downer College hosted a tea honoring Nisei women students attending the school. The City Students’ Organization sponsored the event.
• Anti-Alien Unit Seeks New Law in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Articles of incorporation were filed for the American League of Colorado, which will campaign for a state constitutional amendment barring property ownership by aliens of Japanese ancestry. Its directors are listed.

Incarceration & Redress

• War Veteran Assaulted at Tule Lake Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kaoru Nagatami, a First World War veteran, suffered fractured bones in an assault at Tule Lake allegedly by Tatsuo Yokoyama. Yokoyama was convicted by camp authorities and sentenced to 90 days in jail less than 12 hours later.
• Tule Lake Holds Funeral for Evacuee Killed by Sentry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A coroner’s jury of white ranchers ruled that the military policeman who shot Shoichi James Okamoto acted in line of duty. About 7,000 attended the outdoor funeral at Tule Lake, where WRA director Ray Best expressed regret over the incident.
• San Joaquin County Sues for Property, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California attorney general and San Joaquin County district attorney sued to forfeit two parcels registered to American-born Nisei, alleging they were really owned by aliens. The suit targeted Kiyoshi Watanabe and Terumitsu Aki.
• Tule Lake Residents Given Sentences, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Yoshio and Hideo Kawazoye were sentenced to one-year prison terms for operating a low-power shortwave transmitter at Tule Lake. The brothers were convicted on May 25.
• Judge Upholds Indictment of Three Women, by P.C. Staff, page 3. U.S. District Judge Symes upheld treason indictments against three women of Japanese ancestry accused of aiding the escape of two German prisoners of war in Trinidad, Colorado. The trial is set to begin June 12.
• California Denies Vacation Pay for Nisei Ex-Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California Attorney General Robert Kenny ruled that two former Nisei state employees were not entitled to cash for unused vacation because they filed claims too late. He also ruled that three other civil service employees of Japanese ancestry were not entitled to such payment.
• Evacuated Workers Failed to File Within Specified Period, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney General Kenny ruled that two evacuated Japanese American state employees missed the deadline to claim cash for unused vacation. The ruling turned on the one-year filing requirement.
• Self-Styled Attorney Steals Stored Goods, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A man posing as a San Francisco lawyer and two helpers stole about $2,500 worth of furniture and appliances stored for an evacuated Japanese family in Los Angeles. A neighbor helped them load the truck before they fled.

Commentary

• Hearst Campaign Backfires, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pacific Citizen argues that Hearst correspondent Ray Richards’ campaign against Japanese American resettlement has backfired after congressmen met to discuss returning evacuees to the coast. It warns that the hysteria may encourage mob violence.
• Native Sons’ Attitudes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial rebuts Seth Millington’s claim that Hawaii’s Japanese Americans were disloyal, noting no record of sabotage or treason. It calls the Native Sons’ long campaign a deliberate effort at race-baiting for economic gain.
• An Editorial Note, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editors reflect on the difficulty of writing hopeful editorials amid anti-democratic persecution of minorities. They mark the start of the paper’s third year in weekly format and pledge to keep fighting bigotry.
• Evacuation and Intermarriage, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the government’s permission for mixed-marriage families to return to the coast tacitly recognizes intermarriage despite state laws. It contends that cultural integration, not racial purity, measures Americanism.
• Shattered World, by Bun Browning, page 4. Columnist Bun Browning of the San Fernando Valley Sun recounts meeting a Nisei sergeant on emergency leave who had served overseas for eighteen months. He reflects that the soldier’s sober face showed a world shattered by the experience of being judged by his ancestry.
• Mr. Tojo of Japan, by Taro Yashima, page 5. A cartoon by Taro Yashima titled Mr. Tojo of Japan satirizes Japanese militarism under the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere banner. It appears as a graphic commentary rather than a text article.
• A Challenge to Patriotism: Situation of Canada Evacuee Offers Striking Parallel to Japanese American Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The article summarizes Dr. Norman F. Black’s pamphlet arguing that Japanese Canadian evacuees should be dispersed and economically resettled. It refutes myths about sabotage, crime, birthrate and assimilability.
• Need Understanding to Solve Dilemma, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes a nisei girl meeting a boy on a bridge and a talk to a women’s group that led to understanding of evacuee experiences. He argues personal contact is the key to overcoming prejudice.
• Editorial Digest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The digest quotes the Washington Post, Chicago Sun and Detroit Free Press criticizing Rep. John Costello and Martin Dies. It notes that Costello lost his California primary after attacking the WRA and that Dies’s anti-Japanese rhetoric was condemned.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A column of brief items covering Carey McWilliams’ forthcoming writing, Nisei baseball players in Hawaii, anti-evacuee lobbying in Washington and Utah’s anti-alien land law debate. It also notes Larry Smith’s welcome of Mike Masaoka.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Summer Fashions Feature New Designs, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei describes new summer fashion trends like bright prints and hand-painted white garments. She gives simple instructions for painting or appliquing designs yourself.
• Joe Grant Masaoka’s Column: Past Crusades Reflect Attitudes of Denver Post, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 6. Masaoka recounts the Denver Post’s sensational past crusades, including its campaigns against cannibalism and a creamery, as examples of its sensationalism. He suggests its treatment of Japanese Americans follows the same pattern.
• Larimer Street in Mile-High City, by Saburo Kido, page 6. Denver’s Larimer Street, once deserted in 1943, had become a new Japanese American business and meeting area by 1944. The author warns that city licensing policies may be creating another Little Tokyo.

Sports

• Yosh Kawano Visits Pals on Chicago White Sox Nine, by Sam Greene, page 8. Detroit News writer Sam Greene profiles Yosh Kawano, a former Hollywood Stars clubhouse attendant and White Sox batboy who was evacuated and later visited the team in uniform. Kawano organized baseball teams at his relocation center.

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