Vol. 25, No. 22, December 6, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue
News of the Nisei soldiers who died in the war led the issue. The Army said the remains of men buried at Epinal, France, would not return to the United States until early 1948, with Nisei escorts to accompany the caskets. The front page also reported that Mike M. Masaoka urged Idaho to repeal its Alien Land law at the Intermountain District Council meeting, and that the national JACL board began talking about where to place its headquarters after 1948.
Inside, the JACL filed a friend of the court brief in the Hurd v. Hodge restrictive covenants case, and a national campaign took aim at racial rules in American bowling. Three renunciants filed suits to regain citizenship they gave up at Tule Lake, charging coercion. Other pages followed the Tokyo Rose investigation, Roger Baldwin’s talk in Philadelphia, and sports from boxing to a fishing derby.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Bodies of Nisei War Dead in French Cemetery Will Not Be Returned Until Early 1948, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The remains of Nisei soldiers buried in Epinal, France, will not be returned to the United States until early next year, according to the Army. Nisei escorts will accompany the caskets from distribution centers to final burial sites.
Community
- Dr. Ikeda Reveals Need to Replenish Hospital Blood Banks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Kano Ikeda, pathologist at Miller Hospital in St. Paul, said the blood bank needs a steady year-round stream of carefully screened donors. He urged relatives of transfused patients to help keep the supply replenished.
- Boston Nisei Club Hears ADC Official, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sam Ishikawa, eastern district director of the JACL ADC, urged the need for a JACL chapter in New England before 40 persons in Boston. The talk addressed organizing in the region.
- Three Renunciants File Suits to Regain Citizenship Rights, Charge Coercion at Tule Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Iwao Shigei, Kiyoshi Shigei, and Hajime Kariya filed federal suits seeking to regain citizenship they renounced at Tule Lake. The suits allege the renunciations were made under coercion and threats.
- Chicago Evacuee Group Operates 800 Businesses, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A 1948 Chicago Japanese American yearbook reports over 800 Japanese American businesses and more than 100 Nisei clubs in the city. The Nisei-Issei population is estimated at about 15,000.
- Roger Baldwin Speaks at JACL Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Roger Baldwin, director of the ACLU, spoke at a Philadelphia JACL meeting on November 23. He described his interviews with General MacArthur and the Japanese emperor.
- Prominent Philadelphia Area Residents Join JACL Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twenty-three prominent Philadelphia citizens who aided the relocation program were installed as honorary JACL members. The honorees included civic leaders, educators, and authors such as Pearl Buck.
- Chicago Dance Group Enjoys Social, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Actor John Forsythe was guest of honor at the Chicago JACL inaugural ball on November 22. The event drew members celebrating the new chapter year.
- Survey Discloses Limitation in Health Facilities for Minorities in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A San Francisco Council for Civic Unity report found minority patients are segregated in many hospitals and minority physicians lack hospital privileges. It recommended ending segregation and expanding training and housing options.
- Interior British Columbia Areas More Friendly Toward Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New Canadian reported easing hostility toward evacuees in Okanagan Valley communities. Vernon approved a city lot sale to a person of Japanese ancestry, though a Nisei veteran was refused a business permit.
- Nisei Introduce Mechanical Topper for Beet Harvest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Abo brothers of Rupert, Idaho harvested 170 acres of sugar beets in four weeks using a mechanized topper they helped develop. The approach avoided labor problems that year.
- Hawaii Nisei Active in CIO Sugar Union, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Yoshikazu Morimoto advanced to a runoff for presidency of the new CIO United Sugar Workers Local 142 in Hawaii. Several Nisei were elected to union posts in the new local.
National
- FBI Hunts for Ex-GIs to Identify Tokyo Rose’s Voice, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The FBI asked Pacific war veterans who might identify the voice of Tokyo Rose to come forward. The Justice Department said six different English-speaking women made the broadcasts, only one of whom was an American citizen, Iva Toguri D’Aquino.
- Masaoka Challenges Idaho’s Citizens to Repeal Alien Land Law in Talk at IDC Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike M. Masaoka urged Idaho to repeal its Alien Land law at the Intermountain District Council convention in Idaho Falls. Delegates also adopted resolutions on naturalization reform and evacuation property losses.
- Canada Political Group Opposes Evacuee Return, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Howard Green, a Canadian Member of Parliament, said the Progressive-Conservative party opposes allowing evacuees of Japanese ancestry to return to the British Columbia coast. He said evacuees should never be permitted to return to the fishing industry.
- National Campaign Opened to Outlaw Race Restrictions in American Bowling Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Committee for Fair Play in Bowling asked Michigan’s governor to deny state fairgrounds to the American Bowling Congress over its racially restrictive rules. The JACL is a participating member of the committee.
- Ouster of Chinese American Veteran Charged to ABC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The ABC allegedly rejected a Chinese American veteran’s membership because its rules limit leagues to white males. The UAW responded by planning CIO leagues open to all races.
- Restrictive Covenants Force Nisei Into Little Tokyo Areas, Says National JACL in Brief, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL filed a friend of the court brief in the Hurd v. Hodge restrictive covenants case before the Supreme Court. The brief argues racial housing restrictions confine Japanese Americans to ghettos and contravene national policy.
- Eleven Groups File Briefs in Covenants Case, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL became the eleventh organization to file a brief against racial housing covenants before the Supreme Court. Ten other groups had already filed similar briefs.
Military & Veterans
- Counsel Seeks Evidence to Aid Nisei GIs Facing Tokyo Murder Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Defense counsel for eight Nisei soldiers charged in a Tokyo gangster’s death appealed for witnesses who could clear them. Counsel said the men were unwittingly caught in a feud between rival Japanese gangs.
- Army Veteran Accepted by Paris Sculpture School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Tajiri, a 442nd veteran wounded in Italy, was accepted to the Zadkin School of Sculpture in Paris. He had earlier held a one-man show of paintings at Poston.
- Kawakita Evades Arraignment as Counsel Questions Court Jurisdiction in Treason Case, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tomoya Kawakita, accused of mistreating American prisoners of war in Japan, avoided arraignment when his attorney challenged federal jurisdiction. The matter was set over to December 8 for arguments.
JACL
- New Site for National JACL Offices Discussed by Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The national JACL board opened preliminary discussion on relocating national headquarters after 1948. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. were suggested, while Salt Lake City supporters asked that the office stay.
- Election by Popular Ballot Will Select New President, Cabinet of National JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The national JACL will hold its first popular election of officers in 1948, broadening member participation. The board also discussed the ADC budget, pending evacuation claims legislation, and a Bruyeres memorial project.
- Acceptance of Issei Group Into JACL Recommended by Eastern District Council, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eastern District Council recommended admitting Issei to JACL membership subject to convention conditions, along with other measures. The recommendations came out of a two-day leadership workshop in New York.
- West Los Angeles Reactivates JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The West Los Angeles JACL chapter was reactivated at a November 28 meeting with 21 signers. It is the 14th JACL unit reestablished in Southern California.
Commentary
- JACL Backs Move to Eradicate Bowling Bias on Mainland Teams, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Acting national secretary Masao Satow announced JACL support for ending racial discrimination in bowling. He noted a survey found over 200 Japanese American bowling teams on the mainland.
Obituaries
- Former Actress Succumbs in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Kamiyama, known professionally as Chiyeko Mita, died at 62 in Los Angeles. A star of the Tokyo stage, she later appeared in Hollywood films.
Sports
- Maruo May Get Crack at Ortiz Bantam Title, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tsuneshi Maruo, a 442nd veteran and 1946 AAU bantamweight champion, was reportedly promised a world title bout with Manuel Ortiz next spring. His manager said Maruo had beaten Stan Rowan in London.
- Yokoyama Wins Fishing Derby, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fred Yokoyama of Berkeley won the first East Bay JACL fishing derby with an 18.75-pound striped bass. More than 150 fishermen from Northern California participated.
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