June 1945: Canada’s segregation plan and the return to the West Coast

Vol. 20, No. 25, June 23, 1945. 8 pages. View this issue

Canada’s plan to separate Japanese Canadians who asked for repatriation from those seeking relocation to the East led the front page. Tashme, Greenwood, Lemon Creek and Slocan were set aside for repatriates, and New Denver for non-repatriates. CCF leader M. J. Coldwell charged that Ottawa had used Nisei Canadians to call troops. In the United States, Dillon Myer said about half of the 48,000 eligible evacuees would return to the West Coast, and Richard Wright urged continued activity to secure their return. Larry Tajiri contrasted two West Coast unions, Dave Beck’s Teamsters and the ILWU, in an editorial.

Also in this issue: reports of resettlement hostels in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, and a $6,000 Rosenberg Foundation grant to the National JACL for a San Francisco office. Awards for Nisei soldiers appear, including Silver Stars for Cpl. James Okubo and Pfc. Kanagawa. Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at American-born Japanese women found on Okinawa, and Sam Hohri reviewed Richard Wright’s Black Boy.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Canada Moves to Segregate Group Asking Repatriation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Canadian authorities announced a segregation plan separating evacuees requesting repatriation from those seeking relocation to the East. Tashme, Greenwood, Lemon Creek and Slocan were designated for repatriates, while New Denver was designated for non-repatriates.
• Topaz Population Drops as Evacuees Leave for Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Topaz, Utah relocation center population fell 45 percent through departures of residents for former or new homes. Many evacuees were heading back to the West Coast.
• Jewish Community Loans Hostel for Evacuee Use, by Godfrey Frankel, page 2. Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and a Presbyterian church are providing a hostel housing 25 families for resettlers. The city’s resettlement committee arranged the facility.
• Judge Grants Motion to Shift Escheat Case to Federal Court, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Superior Court judge granted a defense motion to move California’s escheat proceedings against the Kitahara family to federal court. The case involves about 270 acres of land near Reedley and Kings County.

National

• Coldwell Charges Ottawa Used Nisei Canadians to Call Troops, by P.C. Staff, page 1. CCF leader M. J. Coldwell charged that the United Kingdom asked Canada for 200 Nisei volunteers for intelligence service. He said the CCF’s fair-treatment stance cost seats in British Columbia but he would prefer that to winning by compromising principles.
• Richard Wright Calls for Continued Activity to Insure Return of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Author Richard Wright urged continued activity to secure the return of evacuees of Japanese ancestry to their West Coast homes. He warned that government power to remove a population group could be used against any group in future emergencies.
• Domestic Work Seen as Answer to Housing Lack, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA director Dillon Myer suggested that West Coast homes needing domestic help could offer rooms to returning Japanese Americans as a partial solution to housing shortages. He said evacuees might readily accept such work.
• Teamsters’ Dave Beck Declares Opposition to Evacuee Return, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Teamsters vice president Dave Beck said his union opposes the return of evacuees to the West Coast but would accept Nisei veterans honorably discharged from the armed forces. He also reiterated suspicion of non-serving Nisei.
• Fresno Official Disagrees with Reward Plan to Nab Terrorists, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fresno District Attorney James Thuesen opposed State Attorney General Kenny’s proposal of rewards to stop attacks on returning Japanese Americans. He said the Multanen case could not be reopened and that officers were already pursuing the attackers.
• Besig Criticizes Reward Plan to Stop Terrorism, by P.C. Staff, page 2. ACLU Northern California head Ernest Besig called Kenny’s reward suggestion a palliative and said Kenny’s attitude was evasive. Besig argued the response to terrorism was inadequate.
• ILWU Trial Committee Holds Hearing for Five Members Suspended for Race Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An ILWU trial committee tried five Stockton union members for discriminating against a fellow worker of Japanese ancestry. The outcome will go to the union’s executive board for decision after review of evidence.
• Tenney Committee Reverses Position, Opposes Return of Evacuee Group to West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California Tenney Committee reversed its earlier stance and announced opposition to evacuee return to the West Coast for the duration of the war. It also criticized Secretary Ickes and the WRA for inconsistent messages.
• Union War Veterans Condemn Terrorism Against Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The war veterans committee of UAW Region 6 condemned outrages against Japanese Americans in a resolution urging police to protect them. The resolution was sent to other UAW units.
• ILWU Organizes 20 Thousand Workers in Hawaii Industry, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The ILWU organized about 20,000 Hawaiian workers, most of them Japanese Americans, in sugar, pineapple, and other industries. The union opened contract negotiations with sugar employers seeking higher wages and benefits.
• New York JACL Asks President to Save FEPC, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The New York JACL sent telegrams urging President Truman and DNC chairman Hannegan to support the FEPC bill. The chapter also planned a July 1 picnic and discussed a federal court ruling on Army removal of evacuees.

Military & Veterans

• Eight Japanese American GIs Liberated from German Prison Camps, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of War Information listed eight Americans of Japanese ancestry liberated from German prisoner of war camps. None were listed among the dead or wounded, and the names and families were given.
• Dillon Myer Believes 24,000 Evacuees Will Return to Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA director Dillon Myer said about half of the 48,000 eligible evacuees would return to the West Coast in the final movement. He noted that the War Department, not the WRA, determined eligibility for relocation.
• Win Medals for B-29 Missions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Staff Sgts. Masaharu Okinaka and Kazuo Kamoto received Air Medals for combat missions over Japanese territory from an India base. They were the first Nisei to fly combat against Japan in the India theater.
• Navy Will Issue New Identification for Nisei Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Navy will issue a new identification badge to Nisei war veterans employed as civilians on war projects in the 14th Naval District in Hawaii. The badge will bear a red stripe marking it.
• Navy Issues Order to Prevent Incidents with Returning Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 12th Naval District directed personnel to respect the contributions and constitutional rights of loyal Japanese Americans returning to the West Coast. The order noted about 18,000 Japanese Americans were serving in the armed forces.
• Tule Lake Nisei Killed in Action in Pacific War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. T/4 Mitsuru Shibata of Tule Lake was reported killed in the Okinawa campaign and believed to be the first Tule Lake man lost in the Pacific campaign. Another Tule Lake Nisei, Eddie Fukui, was also reported killed on Okinawa.
• 4-C’s May Ask for Review of Classification, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans classified 4-C by Selective Service who want early reconsideration should write to the Provost Marshal General’s Office. Letters may include information supporting a changed classification.
• Sgt. Gosho Speaks to Young Democrats, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Henry Gosho, a Japanese American veteran wearing the Bronze Star, spoke to the Young Men’s Democratic Club in Seattle about his service in the Burma-India theater. He described his experiences there.
• Winchell Responds to Seattle Incident Involving Wounded Nisei Veterans, by Walter Winchell, page 2. Walter Winchell reprinted a letter from Life photographer Eliot Elisofon describing wounded 100th Battalion veterans refused service at a Seattle drugstore. Winchell argued that uniform should have changed the outcome.
• GI from Sanger Risks Life to Aid Wounded Comrade, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Takashi Wada of Sanger, California received the Bronze Star for rescuing an injured comrade under German artillery fire in the French Vosges. He administered first aid and helped evacuate the casualty.
• Hunt Volunteer Awarded Silver Star, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Kanagawa of the Minidoka relocation center was awarded the Silver Star as a medical aid man for rescuing eight wounded men near Castellina, Italy. He administered first aid and evacuated the casualties under heavy fire.
• Washington Soldier Awarded Silver Star for Combat Bravery, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cpl. James Okubo of Bellingham, Washington received the Silver Star as a medical aid man in the 442nd for repeatedly rescuing wounded comrades under fire in Italy and France. He had been a football player at Bellingham High School.
• Myer Transcribes Message to Men of 442nd Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA director Dillon Myer recorded a message to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team broadcast on the Minidoka Matinee program from Twin Falls. The recording was sent to Nisei soldiers overseas.
• U.S. Army Newspaper in India Backs Rights of Nisei Buddies, by Cpl. J. J. McDermott, page 3. Cpl. J. J. McDermott wrote in the Assam Noose that Nisei soldiers deserve respect and admiration for their service. He urged people on the West Coast to recognize their fellow Americans’ loyalty.
• Two Soldiers Die in Accident at Hawaiian Base, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Susumu Motonaga and Sgt. Jack Eso Miura, two Japanese American soldiers, were killed when an Army truck was struck by a radio-controlled target plane at Mokuleia. Army officials said the plane had difficulty during takeoff.
• Major Kovac of 442nd Tells Chicagoans of Nisei Exploits, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Major Ivan Kovac spoke at the Chicago YMCA about the 442nd’s campaigns, praising the unit’s stamina and valor. He said he would like the regiment to tour the country to correct public attitudes toward Japanese Americans.
• Rohwer Nisei Returns from Nazi Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pvt. Takahashi of Rohwer returned home after seven months as a German prisoner of war. He was captured in October 1944 in the Vosges sector and held at a camp near Munich.
• Salt Lake Veteran Returns to States, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. Roy T. Tsutsui of Salt Lake City is receiving treatment at Stark General Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina after ten months of European service.

Commentary

• Canadian Legion Backed Nisei, Columnist Reports, by Ed Sullivan, page 1. Columnist Ed Sullivan reported that the Canadian Legion blocked an attempt to bar Canadians of Japanese ancestry from Ontario. An Ojibway Indian leader’s speech against the bigots helped defeat the resolution.
• Two Coast Unions, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial contrasts Dave Beck’s Teamsters, who oppose evacuee return, with the ILWU, which disciplined members for racial discrimination. It argues Beck’s stance protects his control over the produce industry.
• Canadian Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines the political debate over Canada’s Japanese Canadian residents during British Columbia’s June federal elections. It notes the CCF gained three seats despite opposition attacks on its stance.
• The Center Press, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial reviews the relocation center newspapers as they near closure after reduced staffing. It credits these papers with informing residents and shaping camp opinion on issues like draft resistance.
• No Changes Seen for WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial expects no major WRA policy change after President Roosevelt’s death and cabinet shifts. It notes the WRA plans to close all camps except Tule Lake within six months.
• The Nisei Situation as Part of America’s Race Problem, by Sam Hohri, page 5. Book review of Richard Wright’s Black Boy and an anthology of Negro literature, connecting their accounts of racial violence to the treatment of Nisei. The reviewer urges Nisei to resist intimidation and join broader struggles against prejudice.
• From the Frying Pan: U.S. Army Uses Nisei Found on Okinawa, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses American-born Japanese women found on Okinawa who were used by the U.S. Army as interpreters. He raises questions about their citizenship status and the fate of Nisei caught in Japan during the war.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A miscellany of news notes covering congressional support for the ILWU, Army officials visiting Nisei troops, and WRA budget matters. It also notes shootings in Pocatello, Idaho and Senator Murdock’s stance on evacuee farm labor.
• The Restless Dead in Auburn, by Attude N. Settles, page 6. A poem imagining Nisei soldiers killed in war marching through Auburn to confront prejudice. The dead soldiers are depicted as continuing to fight for equality at home.

Arts & Entertainment

• 25 Nisei Will Go on Location with Film Unit to Puerto Rico, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twentieth Century Fox engaged about 25 New York Nisei for Japanese officer and soldier roles in a film based on The American Guerilla in the Philippines. The movie will be shot in Puerto Rico beginning in late July.

Community

• Tule Lake Nisei Killed in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A second entry about Tule Lake soldiers killed on Okinawa. Details repeat the Shibata and Fukui reports.
• National JACL Given $6000 Grant from Rosenberg Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Rosenberg Foundation granted $6,000 to the National JACL to establish and maintain a San Francisco district office. Joe Grant Masaoka was appointed to head the San Francisco JACL office.
• Milwaukee Region Prepares Services to Aid Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Milwaukee and Wisconsin agencies met to prepare services for newcomers during the closing months of the relocation program. The group formed the Milwaukee Committee on Resettlement.
• Hood River Area Citizens Form Fair Play Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Citizens of Hood River, Oregon organized the Hood River County League for Liberty and Fair Play. The group will help returning evacuees resettle and work to prevent un-democratic demonstrations.
• Plan Meeting to Discuss Race Tension, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Councils for Civic Unity workshop will be held in Sacramento on June 25 to address racial tension in California. Attorney General Robert Kenny and Laurence Hewes are among the speakers.
• Harold Choate Will Take Charge of Los Angeles WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harold Choate of Berkeley was named acting WRA district relocation supervisor for Los Angeles, succeeding Booth who resigned. Choate had served in the Washington headquarters field supervision section.
• Japanese American Flown to India for Swimming Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tech. 3rd Gr. George Maeda of Honolulu was flown to Agra, India to compete in the All-India swimming championships. He is a veteran of a year’s service in the India-Burma theater.
• Nisei Ride in Captured Japanese Jeep, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei students at Fort Snelling, Minnesota repaired and test-drove a captured Japanese jeep. Participants included Pfc. Alice Shimoyama, Lt. William Tsuchiya, and M/Sgt. Takeo Kubo.
• Nisei Student Wins Chicago Art Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Byron Goto, a Nisei art student, received a $1,500 traveling fellowship at the Chicago Art Institute commencement. The award recognized his achievement in art studies.
• Doane College Nisei Gives Piano Recital, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Elinor Umezawa, a Doane College junior from Denver, gave a piano recital on May 28. She came to Doane from the Santa Anita assembly center and is active in campus organizations.
• Dave Tatsuno Heads San Francisco JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dave Tatsuno was elected president of the revived San Francisco JACL chapter at a June 16 election. Other officers were named and the next meeting is set for July 7.
• Washington Nisei Attend Forum on Future of Relocation Work, by P.C. Staff, page 6. About 80 Issei and Nisei attended a Washington D.C. forum titled After the WRA, What? on resettlement services after camps close. Local agency representatives described how they would assist resettlers.
• All Religious Groups Support Kansas City Evacuee Hostel, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Volunteers from Issei and Nisei and Caucasian friends renovated a Kansas City parsonage into a hostel for resettlers. Dr. George Nagamoto, an orthodontist, will direct the hostel.
• Army Veteran Protests VFW, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Staff Sgt. Warren Stephens of Emmett, Idaho criticized a Spokane VFW post for denying membership to two Japanese American veterans. He argued the men had done their share for America.
• Nisei Student Attends Leadership Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. George Tsuda represented Carroll College at a YMCA/YWCA leadership workshop at Lake Forest, Illinois. The workshop ran June 6 to 13.
• Ivanhoe Meet Hears Protests Against Nisei Return, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A mass meeting of about 500 residents in the Ivanhoe area of Tulare County adopted a resolution urging local option on evacuee return. District Attorney Walter Haight doubted the resolution would have effect.
• 1022 Evacuees Back in South California, by P.C. Staff, page 8. WRA supervisor Paul Robertson reported 1,022 Japanese Americans have returned to nine Southern California counties since January. Most, 991, settled in Los Angeles County.
• Evacuee Student Wins Fashion Prize at Chicago Institute, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Akiko Saito, formerly of Medford, Oregon and Tule Lake, won a fashion prize at the Chicago Art Institute for a watermelon wool dress design.
• Evacuee Students Receive Diplomas in Milwaukee, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Shizuko Yokomizo and Fukichi Shibata, former Central Utah Project residents, received diplomas at Milwaukee high school commencements. Their achievements were noted at the June 14 ceremonies.
• Charter Six Coaches for Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Heart Mountain residents chartered six coaches to carry 240 evacuees to former West Coast homes and Eastern points. The center was the first to exceed 300 relocatees in a week.

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