The Kawakita treason trial and the fight for equality in naturalization

Vol. 27, No. 4, July 24, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

The treason trial of Tomoya Kawakita filled the front page as the government finished its case in the fifth week. Testimony came from former American prisoners of war at Oeyama camp, and defense attorney Morris Lavine challenged the court’s jurisdiction and Kawakita’s nationality. Mike Masaoka argued that the Judd bill on equality in naturalization would do more than a new court test of California’s Alien Land Law, and two Oregon groups passed resolutions backing it. Larry Tajiri wrote on how radio fought prejudice, and Bill Hosokawa wrote on New Orleans and the Nisei furniture designer George Nakashima.

JACL news included the candidates in its first popular election, with Hito Okada and Dr. Randolph Sakada running for president, and delegates named for the September convention in Salt Lake City. Chapters in Spokane and Boise Valley sent relief funds to Vanport flood victims, and officials worked to speed small evacuee claims. Page 7 carries a long run of sports items.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Prosecution Winds Up Case in Fifth Week of Kawakita Trial in California Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The government concluded its treason case against Tomoya Kawakita, Calexico-born Japanese charged with overt acts at Oeyama prison camp, through testimony from former American POWs. Defense attorney Morris Lavine challenged the court’s jurisdiction and the sufficiency of evidence, while the nationality question remains a central issue.
  • Evacuee Holdouts Evicted as Moose Jaw Hostel Finally Closed by Government, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Canadian government closed the Moose Jaw relocation hostel after forcibly evicting its remaining holdouts. The sit-down protest by evacuees had continued for months against government handling of Japanese Canadian relocation.

National

  • No Exit Permits Required in Future for Japanese Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Resident Japanese aliens will no longer need State Department exit permits to leave the United States after July 27, according to travel bureau operator Tak Kusano. Issei returning to the country must still obtain military clearance from SCAP and a return permit from immigration.
  • Seek to Expedite Payment of Evacuee Small Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL ADC officials are conferring with the Justice Department to speed processing of small ‘pots and pans’ claims under Public Law 886. Hito Okada and special counsel Edward Ennis seek simplified procedures so evacuees are not exploited.
  • Kawakita’s Nationality to Be Issue as Trial Nears End, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Citizenship of Tomoya Kawakita is expected to be a major issue as the defense prepares its case, with prosecutor James Carter and defense counsel Morris Lavine clashing over the burden of proof. Judge Mathes overruled defense objections, leaving the allegiance question for the jury.
  • Congress and the Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial says the Judd bill for equality in naturalization is the key to ending legalized discrimination against alien Japanese, but quick congressional action is unlikely. It notes Mike Masaoka’s effort to pass remedial legislation such as the McCarran bill during the special session.

Military & Veterans

  • Army Officer Serves as Aide to MacArthur, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. Lieut. Kan Tagami of Fresno serves as personal interpreter for Gen. MacArthur in Japan, a post he has held for nearly two years. The Nisei officer, a veteran of Burma and Malaya, describes MacArthur as very friendly to his staff.
  • Honolulu Police Chief Post Sought by Nisei Capt. Yoshio Hasegawa, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Capt. Yoshio Hasegawa, head of the Honolulu police records division, has applied for the chief of police position opening October 1. He is among 20 applicants for the post carrying a starting salary of $8,000.
  • Nisei Veteran Weds Girl He Met in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Pasqualina Bellani of Genoa, Italy, arrived in Hawaii to marry Nobuyuki Onishi, a Nisei veteran she met while he served with occupation forces. The marriage followed a petition to the American consul in Genoa made possible by Delegate Joseph Farrington.
  • Story of Nisei Officer Told Congress by Judd, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Representative Walter Judd told Congress about Second Lt. Harry Konishi, who defied a Yugoslav ultimatum to abandon a road block in Trieste. Judd argued the incident showed the loyalty of Japanese American soldiers despite discrimination against their parents.

Community

  • Seattle Honored Nisei GI Remains Returned, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Eight soldiers of Japanese ancestry from the 442nd Combat Team were returned from France for reburial in the Pacific Northwest. A memorial service was held at the First Methodist Church in Seattle to honor their sacrifice.
  • San Francisco CL Opposes City’s Redevelopment Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Francisco JACL organized Japanese American property owners and businessmen to oppose the Western Addition redevelopment plan. The chapter argues the plan lacks protections for minority and low-income residents after slum clearance.
  • Two Nisei Attend Oregon Boys State, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harry Yamada of Vale and Tom Uriu of Ontario attended the Oregon Boys State at Corvallis, sponsored by the Snake River Valley JACL chapter. Yamada received a special invitation based on his outstanding work as junior counselor the previous year.
  • Parents Thank Town Library for Aid Given Daughters, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mr. and Mrs. M. Noguchi donated $50 to the Sterling public library in appreciation for its help to their five daughters, three of whom earned University of Colorado degrees. Two others graduated from Colorado State College of Education.
  • Nisei Wallace Backers Attend Party Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei from the New York area participated as observers at the opening session of the New Party convention in Philadelphia. Harry Oshima presented suggestions for the platform on issues facing persons of Japanese ancestry.
  • Chicago Nisei Form Group to Back Wallace, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A city-wide organization of Chicago Nisei supporting Henry Wallace’s third party was formed July 9. The group argued that peace, employment, housing and anti-discrimination issues directly affect Japanese Americans.
  • Issei Arrested as Police Embarrassed in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Zenske Yoshimura, an alien, was arrested in Los Angeles for illegal possession of a gun that belonged to a McCarty, who claimed he had loaned it to Yoshimura for sale. The arrest followed a complaint by a Nisei girl who said Yoshimura threatened her life.
  • Nisei Goes to Court to Change Name, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kiyoo Shimatsu of Los Angeles petitioned Superior Court to change his name to Kiyosaburo Shimatsu Utsushigawa. He sought the change because his prospective father-in-law wanted a male heir to perpetuate the family name.
  • Nisei Student Loses Eye in Explosion During Experiment, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Loyd J. Kitazono, a New York City College student and war veteran, lost his right eye when a test tube exploded during a chemistry demonstration. Doctors said he would retain perfect vision in his left eye.
  • San Jose Names Queen Candidates, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Candidates from the San Jose area were named for the Golden Jubilee queen contest in San Francisco. The nominees were Janet Okagaki, Mary Nakagawa and Mary Isono.
  • San Jose Plans Meeting to Hear Claims Discussion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joe Grant Masaoka, regional JACL ADC director, will answer questions on evacuation claims at a public meeting in San Jose on August 2. The session was rescheduled to allow a fuller turnout.
  • Boise Valley JACL Sends Fund to Aid Vanport Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Boise Valley JACL sent $298.50 to the Portland JACL to aid Japanese American flood victims of the Vanport disaster. The money came from the chapter treasury and member canvassing.
  • California Nisei Killed in Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mitsuo Murakami, 29, of Venice, Calif., died without regaining consciousness after his car crashed into a truck on Highway 99 near Grapevine. Highway patrolmen said he apparently fell asleep at the wheel.
  • Spokane JACL Sends Fund to Vanport, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Spokane JACL collected $527 for relief of Vanport flood victims and forwarded it to the Portland JACL. Chapter president Ed Tsutakawa thanked the community for its generous support.
  • A Note on Persistence, by P.C. Staff, page 5. After six months of picketing by CORE, the Bimini Hot Springs pool in Los Angeles reportedly changed its admittance policy to welcome all races. The editorial praises the peaceful campaign that ended more than twenty years of discrimination against Orientals.
  • Japanese Girls Adopt New Look, Says Nisei Veteran on Return, by P.C. Staff, page 7. James Iso, a veteran and former civil service worker, returned to San Jose after three years in Tokyo and described Japanese girls adopting American styles. He praised Japan’s rapid postwar recovery and democratic progress.
  • Long Beach JACL Sets Harbor Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Long Beach JACL will sponsor its first Harbor District picnic on August 22 at Peck Park in San Pedro. Races, entertainment and a feast are among the day’s planned attractions.
  • Special Events Planned for JACL Convention Delegates, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Convention events in September will include a civic reception tea at the governor’s mansion, booster discussion meetings, a public luncheon at the Hotel Utah Roof Garden, and a farewell ball. The reception tea is sponsored by the Salt Lake City JACL women’s auxiliary.
  • Will Discuss JACL’s Role on Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Northern California District Council will meet August 1 in San Francisco to discuss JACL’s role in processing evacuee claims under Public Law 886. Delegates will also consider the new deportation stay law and the chapter’s participation in the national convention.
  • Scholarship Awards Approved for Nisei Students in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Many Nisei are among 25 scholarship awardees approved by the University of Hawaii board of regents. Recipients include students from Konawaena, Leilehua and Lahainaluna high schools and several university programs.
  • Eastern Oregon Groups Back Judd Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ontario Lions Club and the Ontario American Legion post both passed resolutions supporting the Judd equality in naturalization bill. Copies of the resolutions were sent to congressional representatives and the Oregon Legion department.
  • Two Soya Sauce Poisoning Cases Settled in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Attorney Henry Tsurutani announced out-of-court settlements in two damage suits over illness caused by tainted soya bean sauce in 1947. The cases were brought by Mr. and Mrs. Tokizo Nakane and Mr. and Mrs. Matahachiro Sugisaki.

Commentary

  • Saito Shows Growing Restlessness in Postwar Nisei Community, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dollar depositors in the Yokohama Specie Bank of California are set to receive 80 per cent payments soon, according to state banking commissioner Maurice Sparling. Most affected depositors are persons of Japanese ancestry.
  • Masaoka Opposes Proposal to File New Test Case on California’s Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka argued against filing a new court test of the California Alien Land Law at this time. He said passage of the equality in naturalization bill would better undermine the land law’s legal foundation.
  • Patterns of Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial argues that minority businesses in Utah often adopt majority discrimination patterns, citing refusals of service to Louis Armstrong and the King Cole trio. It notes that discriminating cafes are not necessarily more successful than those that serve all patrons.
  • Minority Week: Incompatible, One Win One Loss, Mixed Parentage, Results, Glutton, Barrier, Oh Well, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A collection of short items on racial discrimination covers a Baltimore golf court victory, a tennis matches arrest, a Mississippi jury breakthrough, and registration barriers for Southern Negro voters. Quotations from Cameron Hall and Stanley Askin highlight the case against discrimination.
  • The Radio Combats Prejudice, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri examines how American radio has countered discrimination against Nisei and other minorities, citing the CBS Man Called X episode and wartime Army broadcasts. He notes that radio, unlike the press and films, was more consistently committed to presenting both sides of controversial issues.
  • From the Frying Pan: The Brink of Catastrophe, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa draws parallels between the tense summer of 1948 over Berlin and the 1941 Shanghai situation before World War II. He notes that Nisei are now secure in their American status and will not face the hysteria they faced then.
  • Lost Generation, by Jobo Nakamura, page 6. At a Chicago Nisei church weiner bake on North Avenue Beach, Nakamura feels he no longer belongs to the younger Nisei generation. He reflects on the gap between the older Nisei shaped by Japanese upbringing and the postwar youth.
  • Grief with a Bathtub, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Denver bathroom remodel for a mail-order tub spiraled into a larger renovation project under the city’s strict building code. The author describes compromising by returning the tub and keeping the original fixtures.
  • Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Brief notes cover a forthcoming book on wartime evacuation pressures, Nisei delegates to the political conventions, and Nisei contributions to magazines and war crimes evidence work. Tom Ouye is noted as a delegate who supported the strong civil rights plank.
  • Heifers For Relief, by H. V. Nicholson, page 7. Nicholson reports from Yokohama on the distribution of Heifers for Relief goats to villages in several prefectures. He describes visits with the village people and Prince and Princess Chichibu, who posed with their goats.

JACL

  • Okada, Sakada Candidates as 6400 Ballots Mailed in First Popular Election of JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National Board announced candidates for the 1948-1950 JACL term, with Hito Okada and Dr. Randolph Sakada running for president. Results of the first popular vote will be announced at the September national convention in Salt Lake City.
  • JACL Units Name Delegates for Coming National Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chapters across the country have named official delegates to the Tenth Biennial National JACL Convention in Salt Lake City, September 4 to 8. Ira Shimasaki of Washington, D.C. was the first to register officially.

In-Depth

  • South in New Orleans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa describes New Orleans as a leisurely, traditional Southern city with a strong French, Spanish and Negro heritage. He notes the small Nisei community there, the region’s strict racial attitudes, and the opposition that met a 1945 evacuee farming proposal.

Arts & Entertainment

  • More on George Nakashima, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa profiles Nisei furniture designer George Nakashima, who worked in India and designed buildings in Tokyo before the war. The article notes his Pondicherry work and his acquaintance with a Wilson daughter studying there.

Sports

  • Los Angeles Team Wins Mid-State Bowling Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Vogue Bowl No. 1 of Los Angeles won the first Mid-State Nisei bowling tournament at the Playdium in Fresno. Jim Uyemura won the singles crown with a 664 series.
  • Yonamine Reports to 49ers with Broken Hand, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Wally Yonamine reported to 49ers practice with a cast on his left hand after breaking a bone while playing for the Honolulu Athletics. He expected the cast to come off within a week or ten days.
  • Joe Kobuki, New Nisei Horse Trainer, Wins First Race, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Joe Kobuki, formerly a jockey and now the only licensed Japanese ancestry horse trainer in the United States, won his first race at Pleasanton with J. Carter. The win came six weeks after he obtained his trainer’s license.
  • Kinoshita Upset After Setting Record Pace, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Honolulu carpenter Sadaji Kinoshita, the sensation of the early rounds of the National Public Links tournament, was eliminated by Ben Hughes of Portland. Kinoshita had been one under par when his earlier match ended.
  • Lyle Kurisaki Sr. Wins First Utah Nisei Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Lyle Kurisaki Sr. of Salt Lake City captured medalist honors in the first annual Utah Nisei golf tournament with a pair of 75s. Choppy Umemoto placed second as the event drew entries from around the region.
  • Clovis Nine Wins Central California Nisei Loop Title, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Clovis Commodores, led by pitcher Tak Abo, edged Visalia 11 to 10 to win the 1948 Central California Nisei baseball league championship. The victory gave them the league crown.
  • Zebras to Compete in Semipro Tourney in San Jose, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Jose Zebras will play in a four-team invitational semi-pro elimination tournament opening July 27 at Washington Park. Luke Williams directs the event, with each team allowed fifteen players and a manager.
  • Takeshita Faces Maxie Docusen in Honolulu Bout, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Golden boy welterweight Takeshita faces Maxie Docusen in a Honolulu bout on July 27 that could establish him as a title contender. A victory would also set up a possible New York match at Madison Square Garden.
  • Barnstormers: Honolulu Hawaiians Face Harlem Globetrotters, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Honolulu Hawaiians, with eleven Nisei players, will meet the Harlem Globetrotters in Salt Lake City on July 28. The Hawaiians have lost fifteen of their first eighteen games to the Negro team on the mainland tour.
  • Tsukamoto Turns Down Pro Baseball Offers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sacramento College star Nisei southpaw Jim Tsukamoto reportedly declined all professional baseball offers, including one from a Texas League team. He was unbeaten in league play this year.
  • Aftermath of Berje Death Prompts New Boxing Rules, by P.C. Staff, page 7. After Joe Berje died following his fight with Roy Higa, the California State Athletic Commission ruled that referees must separate boxers for an eight count after knockdowns. Promoters will also be asked to use eight-ounce gloves.
  • Nancy Ito Scores Winning Run in Colorado Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nancy Ito, a 16-year-old star of the Crown Tar girls softball team, scored the only run as Crown Tar defeated Denver Industrial Bank in the semifinals of the Colorado State Softball tournament on July 11.
  • Kinoshita Upset After Setting Record Pace (Golf Tournament), by P.C. Staff, page 8. Honolulu carpenter Sadaji Kinoshita, the sensation of the early rounds of the National Public Links tournament in Atlanta, was eliminated when Ben Hughes of Portland won 5 and 4. Kinoshita had been one under par when his match ended.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.

More from Issue archive