Renaming the Munemori ship and the push for Issei citizenship

Vol. 26, No. 11, March 13, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

The USAT Pvt. Sadao Munemori was the lead story. The Army transport Wilson Victory was to be renamed in New York harbor on March 16, honoring the only Nisei Medal of Honor recipient, with a JACL plaque placed aboard. Mike Masaoka asked that the ship be stationed in the Pacific. Naturalization for Issei ran alongside it: Senator J. Howard McGrath introduced S. 2245, a House subcommittee set hearings on the Judd bill, and an editorial backed the McGrath proposal as a practical step.

Elsewhere, Alien Land law escheat cases were dismissed in Stockton, and a Civil Rights Defense Union report urged suits to clear land titles. Payments for losses in the Poston and Manzanar camp fires were nearly complete. Sports pages covered the National JACL bowling tournament in Salt Lake City, and arts pages looked at Hizi Koyke in Madame Butterfly and sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s stage designs.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• 2nd Combat Team Home from Leghorn, Italy: Munemori Ship Naming Rites Set for March 16, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army transport Wilson Victory will be officially renamed the USAT Pvt. Sadao Munemori in New York harbor on March 16, honoring the only Nisei Medal of Honor recipient. A JACL plaque will be placed aboard the ship during the ceremony.
• Son of Los Angeles Nisei Arrives in U.S. from Okinawa, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen-year-old Haruo Yamashiro arrived in San Francisco aboard the General Meigs to meet his Nisei father, Kanichi Yamashiro, who was presumed dead after an air raid on Okinawa. The boy can become a citizen under a provision of the Nationality Act for those who lived in the U.S. five years between ages 13 and 21.
• Wounded Veteran Held in Slaying of Aged Father, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tommy Tsutomu Miura, a decorated 442nd veteran and Rexburg farmer, is held for the killing of his father, Zenzo Miura, and his attorney entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea. A sanity hearing has been set by Judge C. J. Taylor.

National

• Masaoka Suggests Assignment of Munemori Ship to Pacific, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka urged the Secretary of the Army to station the renamed Munemori in the Pacific as a demonstration of American democracy to Japan and Asia. He also suggested it carry relief goods to Yokohama on its first Pacific voyage.
• Senator McGrath Introduces Bill to Grant Naturalization Rights to Issei Residents, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator J. Howard McGrath introduced S. 2245, which would naturalize all persons lawfully admitted for permanent residence before January 1, 1925. The bill meets the minimum objectives of the JACL ADC citizenship goal but does not repeal the racial provisions of the Nationality Act.
• Sasaki Goes on Trial Before Allied Military Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. James Kunichi Sasaki, a Japanese native who had lived in the United States, pleaded not guilty before an Allied military commission in Yokohama to charges of causing the deaths of six Allied prisoners of war. He had served as a civilian staff member at a prison camp during the war.
• House Group Sets Hearing on Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House immigration subcommittee scheduled hearings on the Judd naturalization bill, H.R. 5004, for March 29 and 30. The bill would extend naturalization to all permanent immigrants and make quotas available to Asiatic and Pacific peoples.
• New York Japanese American Group Will Back Third Party, by Dyke Miyagawa, page 3. Forty-seven Nisei in New York organized a Nisei-for-Wallace committee and elected a temporary steering body to support Henry Wallace’s third party. They called on Nisei progressives in other cities to form similar groups.
• Bill Liquidating Vested Assets Of Japanese Enemy Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL objected to H.R. 4044, which would liquidate vested Japanese and German assets to pay civilian war claims without returning property to original owners. The JACL argued the bill would deprive American citizens and Japanese aliens of property without due process.

Community

• Tom Itami Named President of Snake River JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thomas Itami was elected president of the Snake River JACL at a February 6 meeting in Ontario, Oregon, with George Sugai as vice president. Other officers and committee assignments were also named.
• JACL Veterans Committee Endorses Rent Control Act, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka endorsed on behalf of the Nisei Veterans Committee the resolutions for stricter rent control, low-cost housing, and the Taft-Ellender-Wagner Housing bill adopted at a National Veterans Housing conference. He also urged congressmen to speed adequate housing legislation for veterans.
• Satire on Congress To Be Presented by Chicago Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago JACL legislative committee will present the comedy satire Congress in Action on March 25 at the International Relations Center. Dr. John Lapp will also speak on current political problems, and Sherwood Dixon will attend as a guest.
• Queen Contest Will Be Held for JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George S. Mochizuki announced the rules for the Miss JACL of 1948 contest, whose winner will reign over the biennial convention in Salt Lake City in September. Each chapter may enter one contestant who must meet membership and photograph requirements.
• Denver JACL Named To Head Project For Nisei of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Denver JACL was named to head the 1948 Nisei of the Year project and will be responsible for its planning and arrangements. Min Yasui was appointed chairman of the national committee.
• Ogden Fellowship Elects Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tada Sato was elected chairman of the Young People’s Fellowship in Ogden, with a full cabinet named to lead the group. The new cabinet is planning an Easter service and breakfast and a coming intermountain Christian youth conference.
• Eastern JACL Group to Hold District Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The first meeting of the Eastern District JACL Council will be held in Philadelphia on March 20 with delegates from four chapters expected. The agenda includes EDC participation in the national convention and amendments to the constitution.
• Eden Township JACL Plans Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eden Township JACL outlined a full schedule of activities including a March 19 general meeting, a community cemetery cleanup before Easter and Memorial Day, and a Mother’s Day tea. Officers were also named to lead a fund drive.
• Joint Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Fresno Teenage Crusaders held a joint meeting with the teenage fellowship of a Negro church to study race relations. Speakers emphasized brotherhood, and a Negro choir performed.
• Sacramento Valley Churches Discuss Church Federation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Representatives of Sacramento valley churches met March 4 to explore forming a Sacramento valley district of the Northern California Church Federation. A follow-up meeting to elect officers is set for April 11.
• Canadian Nisei Killed by Snow Slide, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Takeshi Ise, 21, is believed to have been killed when a snow slide buried him on his way home from work near Brookmere, B.C. A 72-hour search failed to recover his body, and the search will resume in spring.
• Japanese Merchants Form Honolulu Trade Group, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Japanese merchants in Honolulu revived their trade organization as the Honolulu Businessmen’s Association, which has grown to 400 members. Nisei are increasingly prominent in its leadership, and the group plans to build its own office.
• Cortez Chapter Holds Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The newly organized Cortez JACL adopted its constitution at a March 5 meeting attended by 75 members. The chapter reported 106 active members and has raised $709 for the ADC fund.
• Cleveland JACL Holds Joint Meeting with B’nai B’rith Women, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland JACL and the Woldman chapter of B’nai B’rith Women held a joint meeting to discuss minority problems. A panel of speakers addressed the topic before refreshments were served.
• Mt. Olympus Sets Date for Comedy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Mt. Olympus JACL will stage the three-act comedy Susie Shoots the Works in Salt Lake City on April 2. A preview performance will be given in Idaho Falls on March 20.
• Eden Township Drive Nears Completion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Eden Township JACL and ADC fund drive was scheduled to conclude that weekend under chapter president Toichi Domoto. The Eden group raised $1,200 the previous year.
• Nisei Kegling Records Fall as Chicago Bowlers Dominate National JACL Tournament, by Masao Satow, page 6. Chicago bowlers swept the individual events at the second annual National JACL bowling tournament in Salt Lake City, with Harley Kusumoto posting a 275 game and 676 series. Okada Insurance of Salt Lake City won the team title with 2849 pins.
• Chicago JACL Bowling Results, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chicago bowlers finished first and second in the men’s singles and doubles, while also winning high game and series honors at the Salt Lake City JACL tournament. Prize money and trophies were awarded to winners across several events.
• Nisei Workers May Be Taken Into Union, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Negotiations are under way for the hotel service workers union to admit seven Japanese alien workers in Stockton who lost jobs under a union shop contract. The union is considering membership if they file first papers for citizenship.
• Eastbay JACL Will Aid Issei File Papers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Eastbay JACL office in Berkeley will open on three consecutive Sundays in March to help Issei fill out naturalization first-paper applications. The first session begins March 14.
• Engagement, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The engagement of Mari Oino to Jerri Y. Shibata of Mt. Eden, California, was announced. The groom-to-be is a former JACL president in Eden Township and a veteran of military intelligence.
• Wedding Bells, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kiyoko Florence Date and Akira Albert Abe were married in a candlelight ceremony at Pine Methodist Church in San Francisco on February 15. About 150 guests attended the service.
• Eden Township JACL Holds Supper Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Over three-fourths of the Eden Township JACL membership attended a supper dance where the 1948 cabinet was installed. Regional director Joe Masaoka addressed the group on national JACL goals.
• Bussei League Will Meet in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The California Young Buddhist League will hold its first postwar convention in Los Angeles on March 27 and 28 to discuss the future of Buddhism in America. Discussion topics include organization, community services, publications, and education.
• First Nevada JACL Organized in Reno, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The first JACL chapter in Nevada was organized in Reno with 27 active members following a visit by regional ADC director Joe Grant Masaoka. Ida Fuki serves as secretary pro tem.
• Osaka Wedding, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fumiko Mary Tanaka and Makoto Nao were married at the Military Cathedral in Osaka on February 14 with Chaplain Loanie Knight officiating. Shigeo Takahashi served as best man.
• Dismiss Fourth Escheat Case in Stockton, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Judge George F. Buck dismissed a fourth of five Alien Land law escheat cases involving persons of Japanese ancestry in San Joaquin County. The dismissals followed a January Supreme Court ruling allowing aliens to purchase property for their citizen children.

Incarceration & Redress

• Japanese Canadians Plan Drive for Removal of Free Movement Restrictions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese Canadian Citizens Association launched a campaign at its Ontario conference to end federal orders restricting persons of Japanese ancestry, which come up for review March 31. The conference also decided to wire the prime minister and justice minister denouncing the orders.
• Largest Group of War-Stranded Nisei Arrive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The General Meigs brought 234 war-stranded Nisei and five Issei from Japan, the largest contingent to return on a single ship. Most arrivals were between 15 and 24 years old and were minors when the war began.
• CRDU Report Urges Filing of Suits to Clear Land Titles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Civil Rights Defense Union report recommended filing disclaimer suits to clear title to agricultural land owned by Japanese Americans. The state has dismissed pending escheat cases after a Supreme Court ruling, and the CRDU noted the state will forego future suits under the Alien Land law.
• Payments for Evacuee Losses in Camp Fires Near Completion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Payment of claims for property losses in the 1943 and 1944 fires at Poston and Manzanar relocation centers is nearly complete, according to the General Accounting Office. The claims totaling $34,040.89 were authorized by Congress, the first time it approved payment of economic damages to persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Christian Century Asks Prompt Action By Senate on Bill to Pay Evacuee Property Losses, by Leonard Bloom, page 3. The Christian Century urged Congress to enact the Japanese Evacuation Claims Bill before adjournment, with Professor Leonard Bloom arguing delay diminishes its value. Bloom contended the evacuation was designed to maximize economic loss and that the bill fails to cover lost earning power.

Commentary

• Munemori Ceremony, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Army’s decision to name the Wilson Victory for Pvt. Sadao Munemori, calling it an honor to all Nisei soldiers. It quotes the bronze plaque inscription the JACL will place aboard the ship.
• Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial supports the McGrath naturalization bill as a practical step granting citizenship to about 90,000 resident Japanese aliens. It urges Congress to pass the broader Judd bill or, failing that, the McGrath proposal promptly.
• Restricted Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial lists occupations and rights barred to aliens in California, including land leasing, commercial fishing, law, and public office. It argues these disabilities can only be overcome by eliminating racially discriminatory naturalization laws.
• Nisei Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A brief round-up of news items including a Nisei toll collector hired on the Bay Bridge, a Salinas church property condemnation, and a planned Los Angeles Nisei newspaper. Each item is noted in a sentence or two.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hizi Koyke’s Performance Heralded, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Soprano Hizi Koyke’s success as Cho-Cho-San in the San Carlo Opera’s Madame Butterfly on the Pacific coast reflects a changed public attitude toward persons of Japanese ancestry. The opera had been dropped from repertoires during the war.
• Hizi Koyke’s Performance Is Heroine of Puccini Opera, by Elji Tanabe, page 5. Hizi Koyke’s singing dominated the San Carlo Opera’s Madame Butterfly in Los Angeles, marking a major comeback for the Tokyo-born star. She described the war years as a period when she put her operatic career away.
• Noted Sculptor Wins Fame as Dance Stage Designer, by John Martin, page 5. Sculptor Isamu Noguchi has made a significant contribution to modern dance through his stage designs for Martha Graham’s productions. His abstract, space-defining settings are dynamic and integrated with the choreography rather than serving as static backdrops.

Sports

• Top Bowlers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Shorty Tanaka of Chicago established himself as the top mainland Nisei bowler after winning the all-events title at the National JACL tournament. He and Harley Kusumoto also bowled a special match game against a Los Angeles team and won.
• Top Series, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seattle’s Main Bowl team set a new high team series of 2980 in a final match at the national tournament in Salt Lake City. The team beat Chicago’s Victory Recreation squad, and the win included a single game of 1054.
• Denver’s Amy Konishi Scores Grand Slam in Women’s Bowling, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Amy Konishi of Denver won the singles, doubles, and all-events titles at the national Nisei women’s bowling tournament. Her team also won the team event, led by a Salt Lake City all-star squad.
• Salt Lake Seagulls to Defend Intermountain Basketball Title, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Harlem Seagulls will defend their intermountain basketball championship in the thirteenth annual tournament March 25 to 27 in Salt Lake City. The team returns three regulars from last year along with former players from other squads.

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