Go for Broke casting, a bar association opens, and Japanese American claims

Vol. 30, No. 8, February 25, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

The film “Go for Broke” led the news. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported from Honolulu that the clamor from Hawaii’s Nisei veterans over casting in MGM’s picture about the 442nd had eased after writer-director Robert Pirosh promised acting roles to a representative group of men from Hawaii. Also on the front page, the Los Angeles Bar Association ended its half-century whites-only policy and admitted attorney John F. Aiso and Loren Miller, and the Justice Department reported 24,081 evacuation claims filed by Japanese Americans. Larry Tajiri’s column marked the eighth anniversary of the forced removal and what he called a loaded weapon, citing the Korematsu case.

Elsewhere in these eight pages, Sue Kunitomi wrote a tribute to her father in “I Remember Papa,” and Bill Hosokawa took a light look at the flying saucer craze. Plans for the JACL national convention in Chicago and the national bowling tournament in San Francisco filled the JACL and sports pages, alongside news of Mike Masaoka’s work on the Walter Resolution.

What’s in this issue

National

• Hawaiians’ Clamor for Share in 442nd Film Subsides After Letter from Writer-Director, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. Hawaii Nisei war veterans had been upset believing only mainland Nisei would be cast in MGM’s ‘Go for Broke’ film about the 442nd. Writer-director Robert Pirosh wrote to assure the 442nd Veterans Club that a representative group of Hawaii men would be included in casting.
• L.A. Bar Group Drops Ban on Non-Caucasians, page 1. The Los Angeles Bar Association ended its half-century whites-only membership policy, admitting Nisei attorney John F. Aiso and Negro attorney Loren Miller. The change came via a two-to-one vote amendment after a fight led by Miller and Daniel G. Marshall.
• Sentenced to 14 Years for Fraud; Report Ringleader of Alleged Swindle Arrested in Chicago, page 1. Edwin T. So of Denver was sentenced to up to 14 years for obtaining money under false pretenses in a $5,000 bunco swindle against a fellow Nisei. Alleged ringleader Joe Ito, alias ‘Montana Joe,’ was apprehended in Chicago by the FBI.
• Masaoka Speaks Before Washington Church Seminar, page 2. Mike Masaoka spoke at a Washington Seminar for Christian Citizens about the UN Declaration of Human Rights and American immigration and naturalization laws. He explained that passage of the Walter Resolution and Judd bill was needed for the U.S. to meet UN standards on freedom of movement and naturalization rights.
• Non-Segregation Policy Set for Proposed San Francisco Low Cost Housing Project, page 2. The San Francisco housing commission and board of supervisors agreed that a projected 3,000-unit low cost housing project would be administered without regard to race after a three-month deadlock. However, the ‘neighborhood pattern’ discriminatory policy will continue in 8,000 other existing or planned units.
• Sen. Lucas Will Urge Policy Committee to Place Walter Measure on Senate Schedule, page 3. Senate Majority Leader Scott Lucas told Mike Masaoka he would urge the Democratic Policy Committee to place the Walter Resolution on the Legislative Calendar, which would allow debate and a vote. Sen. Russell of Georgia has twice blocked the measure on procedural grounds related to naturalization provisions for treaty visitors.
• Swedish Official Says Some Ex-GIs Hold Dual Nationality, page 8. Many Nisei war veterans in Hawaii learned their U.S. military service did not automatically remove their Japanese citizenship, according to the Swedish vice consulate handling Japanese interests. An estimated 5,000 or more Hawaii residents may still hold dual citizenship, which could affect military re-enlistment or civil service appointments despite not impacting veterans’ benefits.

JACL

• Pasadena Chapter Sets Goal for ADC Fund Drive, page 1. The Pasadena JACL Chapter unanimously agreed to a $1,900 goal for the 1950 ADC drive at a meeting at Union Presbyterian Church. Co-chairmen Tad Hamane and George Kobayashi will also lead a membership drive with a goal of 200 members.
• New Chapter of JACL Set for Oregon, page 1. The 77th JACL chapter will be organized March 4 as the Gresham-Troutdale JACL in Troutdale, Oregon. Fourteen local Nisei met to discuss organization and named temporary officers including Shio Uyetake as temporary chairman.
• Boise Valley Elects 1950 Cabinet Members, page 2. Dyke Itami was elected president of the Boise Valley JACL, succeeding George Ishihara, along with a slate of other new officers. District officers for Nampa and Caldwell were also elected, with Parma and Homedale elections pending.
• Convention Personalities: Meet Dr. Bill Hiura, by Hannah Tani, page 2. Dr. Bill Hiura, head of the JACL national convention’s special events committee, will oversee the coronation ball, veterans’ memorial service, talent show and queen contest. A Sebastopol, California native and optometrist in Chicago, he is active in numerous Chicago organizations including golf, bridge and businessmen’s associations.
• Chicago Officials Plan Convention, page 3. Finance committee chairman Mike Hagiwara and other convention officials reviewed plans for the JACL national convention set for Chicago Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. Key officials pictured include souvenir booklet manager Ken Yoshihara, treasurer Tom Masuda, board chairman Mas Sakata, and vice chairman Noboru Honda.
• Palmer to Talk on Adjudication on Claims Cases, page 3. William W. Palmer, acting head of the Evacuation Claims Field Office in Los Angeles, will publicly disclose adjudication practices at a Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter luncheon meeting on March 1. The meeting, organized by chapter president Dr. George Kambara, is open to the public with a question period.
• Cleveland JACL Meets With Shinwakai Club, page 3. The Cleveland JACL cabinet and Shinwakai Club held a dinner meeting to plan community projects including the ADC membership drive, Fourth of July picnic, Japanese festival and children’s Christmas party. Plans are also underway to organize a beginning English class with YMCA assistance.
• Knowledge of Nisei Problems Will Aid Contestants in JACL National Queen Competition, page 3. Dr. William Hiura announced detailed rules for the Miss National JACL contest to be held at the Chicago convention, with points awarded for beauty, charm and intelligence including knowledge of Nisei problems and JACL affairs. Chapter queens will compete at district council meetings, with district finalists meeting at the national convention to select the queen and her attendants.
• Downtown Meetings, page 3. The Downtown Los Angeles Business and Professional Men’s JACL chapter will devote regular meetings to hearing speaker Dr. George Kambara, the chapter president. New business matters will instead be introduced at cabinet meetings held the third Wednesday of each month.
• Takei to Head Committee for L.A. Convention, page 3. William Takei was chosen general chairman of the 1950 Pacific Southwest District Council convention, expected to draw 400 delegates. Committee appointments are being organized for registration, finance, banquet, queen contest, coronation ball and other convention activities.
• San Diego JACL Sets $1,400 Goal, page 3. More than 150 Issei and Nisei attended a San Diego JACL meeting to discuss the ADC fund drive and evacuation claims, approving a $1,400 goal for 1950. Saburo Kido explained procedures for preparing evacuation claims for hearings.
• French Campers Plans Installation Dinner, page 8. The French Camp JACL will install its 1950 cabinet at a dinner at the Canton Low, marking the chapter’s third year of activity. JACL regional director Joe Grant Masaoka will be the guest speaker, with numerous community leaders attending as special guests.
• Downtown Chapter in L.A. to Select Queen Candidate, page 8. The Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter is preparing to select a queen candidate for the Pacific Southwest District Council convention, with Taro Kawa chairing the selection committee. Candidates will be chosen from attendees at a chapter benefit dance by a panel of judges before the final selection by popular acclaim.

Community

• Watermelons in Winter Repay Kindness Shown to Evacuee, page 1. Dick Yoshimura, helped by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kataoka when he struggled to find housing in Seattle after leaving Minidoka in 1945, repaid their kindness years later. When Mrs. Kataoka fell ill and needed watermelons for treatment, Yoshimura arranged to have two melons flown in from Cuba during February.
• Wins Scholarship, page 1. Hatsuko Tani of Lincoln, Nebraska, a student at Nebraska Wesleyan University, was named winner of the $300 Middlebrook scholarship given annually to a sophomore. She plans to go into religious education and youth work.
• Steady Transfer of Leadership From Issei to Nisei Taking Place in Honolulu Organization, page 1. The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce’s annual election placed Hawaiian-born Japanese in most top offices, with six of nine 1950 officers being Nisei. The organization, marking its golden jubilee, has been slowly transitioning from Issei to Nisei control since WWII.
• Survey of Nisei Employment Now Being Made in Chicago, page 1. Graduate students Alan Jacobson and Lee Rainwater of the University of Chicago are studying the employment picture of Japanese Americans in Chicago, extending earlier research. Harry Mayeda of the Chicago chapter welcomed the study as helpful for guiding employment assistance efforts.
• Noboru Kondo Named to Honor Fraternity, page 1. Noboru Kondo, a third-year engineering major at Cornell University, was named to Tau Beta Pi, the national honorary engineering fraternity. He had returned to the U.S. early in 1938 after going to Japan with his parents on the first exchange boat.
• Tomato Growers, page 2. Henry Kanegai was elected chairman of the new Orange County Tomato Growers Association at the group’s first meeting. Two Nisei, John Madakoro and George Osumi, were also elected to the board of directors.
• Movie Night, page 2. The Northern Wyoming JACL sponsored a Japanese movie on Feb. 4 at Masonic Hall in Worland, Wyoming. Issei donated a total of $185 for purchase of a loudspeaker for the chapter.
• Karie Shindo Wins Applause in Honolulu, page 2. Nisei movie starlet Karie Shindo is drawing applause in the International Carnival in Honolulu, sharing billing with the Mills Brothers. The California-born singer appears in Humphrey Bogart’s film ‘Tokyo Joe’ and is meeting Nisei war veterans who were friends of her brother Tak Shindo.
• Nisei Will Take Part in Pasadena Folk Festival, page 2. An intercultural folk festival in Pasadena on March 12 will feature songs, dances and musical instruments from various cultural groups, including Japanese dance students of Fujima Kansuma. Other participating groups include Negro, Mexican, Jewish, Indian and native West cultures.
• Lent Services Set by Ellis Center, page 2. The Ellis Community Center Church in Chicago began Wednesday night Lenten services on Feb. 22 with a showing of the film ‘Simon Peter.’ Subsequent services will feature speakers and a church choir performance leading up to Easter week.
• Seattle Chapter Holds Installation at the Chinese Gardens, page 2. Dr. Robert W. O’Brien addressed the Seattle JACL at its installation dinner dance, where Harry Takagi was installed as president along with vice presidents James Matsuoka, Jaxon Sonoda and Mac Kaneko. Other officers installed included Takako Yoda as corresponding secretary, Yoshiko Shitama as recording secretary, and Ted Sakahara as treasurer.
• Special Pleading by Minority Groups Hit by Togo Tanaka, page 2. Togo Tanaka, senior editor of the American Technical Society, told an intercultural panel audience in Chicago that minority groups are frequently guilty of ‘special pleading and self-deception.’ Other panelists discussed shortcomings in America’s practice of democracy at home and abroad, including treatment in DP camps.
• ELLE Club, page 2. Members of the ELLE club in Fresno enjoyed a day of skiing and tobogganing at Shaver Lake on Feb. 12, organized by Clara Honda and Kimi Kotsubo. The group’s next meeting was scheduled for Feb. 24 at the YWCA.
• Corky Kawasaki Will Speak at Ellis Center Church, page 3. Corky Kawasaki, a goodwill emissary recently returned from Japan, will speak to the Ellis Community Center Church and Sunday school in Chicago on Feb. 26. Sunday school members will fill ‘self-sacrifice banks’ during Lent to buy a goat for a Sunday school in Japan.
• Seabrook Residents to Hold Annual Festival of Dolls, page 3. Seabrook, N.J. village residents will hold the traditional Doll Day festival March 2-4 at Soman House, featuring Japanese celebration traditions alongside new Estonian resident folk songs and dances. More than 4,000 visitors attended the exhibit last year to see songs, dances and craft shows.
• Actors Group Opens School for Children, page 5. The Actors Company Creative Theater in Chicago will sponsor a creative school for children regardless of race, color or creed, offering courses in acting, creative workshop, modern dance and speech. The school is open to children ages 5 to 14 with classes held after school.
• Chicago Calendar, page 8. The Chicago Resettlers Committee listed upcoming Nisei events including basketball games, a scholarship benefit dance, and Lenten-season activities at Olivet Institute and Lawson YMCA. Regular basketball games are scheduled weekly at both venues.
• Veledas, page 8. Mrs. Kiyo Nakayama was elected president of the Veledas Women’s Club in Portland, Oregon for 1950. Other officers elected include Helen Hachiya as vice president and social chairman, Sumi Murakami as secretary, and Francis Niimi as treasurer.
• Jamboree, page 8. The Boise Valley JACL will conclude its membership drive with a jamboree at Dairymen’s Hall in Caldwell, featuring entertainment, dancing, card games and children’s activities. The chapter also runs judo classes three times weekly under instructor Mas Yamashita through the end of April.
• Parkdale Wedding, page 8. Dorothy Suguro of Seattle married Ray Sato of Parkdale, Oregon in an afternoon ceremony on Feb. 12. The wedding party included best man Tom Toyota, matron of honor Mrs. Esther Yuge, and bridesmaid Arline Hashizume.

Incarceration & Redress

• Justice Department Reports 24 Thousand Claims Filed by Japanese American Evacuees, page 1. The Justice Department announced 24,081 evacuation claims were filed by Japanese Americans seeking restitution for property losses from WWII evacuation, with the deadline having passed Jan. 3. A second claims processing office will open in San Francisco, and total claims value may exceed $50,000,000.

Sports

• New York Newspaper Cancels Annual Bowling Tournament Because of ABC’s Race Bans, page 2. Hearst newspapers the New York Journal-American and Chicago Herald-American cancelled their bowling tournaments to protest the American Bowling Congress and Women’s International Bowling Congress ‘whites only’ membership rules. The ABC also faces a lawsuit from New York’s attorney general challenging its discriminatory policies.
• 80 Teams Enter National JACL Bowling Tourney, page 6. More than 400 bowlers will compete in the 4th annual National JACL bowling tournament March 3-5 at Downtown Bowl in San Francisco, with approximately $5,000 in cash awards. The Hawaii AJA All-Stars enter with the highest team average at 932, competing against teams from California, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Illinois.
• Kimura Loses Car, Wins $500, page 6. Stockton bowler Jimmy Kimura came four pins short of winning a new Studebaker in the El Dorado Bowl’s automobile singles classic, settling for $500 in prize money. Paul Engstrom of Richmond, Calif. won the car while Kimura’s winnings topped the $400 recently won by Tok Ishizawa in a Los Angeles tournament.
• Goto Leads Placer to League Title, page 6. George Goto helped the Placer College football team overcome a halftime deficit against Sacramento College despite a stiff arm injury, and later scored 11 points as Placer won the northern division junior college title by defeating Yuba College 59-28. Several major schools are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old Nisei player, a veteran of occupation duty in Japan.
• Toku Tanaka Coaches Hawaii U. Nine, page 6. Toku Tanaka begins his first year coaching the University of Hawaii baseball team, which loses star pitchers Harry Kitamura and Henry Tominaga but retains strong players including football captain Saburo Takayesu. The team also features a strong track squad led by broad jump champion George Uyeda.
• Sumida, Hawaiian Cage Star, Will Enroll at Utah University, page 7. Herbert ‘Gunner’ Sumida, an outstanding Nisei basketball player from Hawaii, will enroll at the University of Utah on an athletic scholarship, believed to be the first Hawaiian Nisei cager to do so at a major mainland school. He was named outstanding player in the 3rd annual national all-Oriental tournament in San Jose and previously impressed scouts while playing for Stanley Kudo’s Hawaii AJA All-Stars.
• Abo Named Coach of Baseball at Fresno School, page 7. George Takeshi Abo, a star outfielder-pitcher for Fresno State College and the Fresno Nisei All-Stars, joined Memorial High School’s faculty as baseball coach after turning down pro offers. He is believed to be the first Nisei to coach in a California high school.
• Honor Yokota as Top Prep Court Star, page 7. Jim Yokota, captain and star guard of Placer Union High School in Auburn, Calif., was named Northern California’s ‘prep of the week’ by the San Francisco Examiner. Yokota averages 13 points per game and 90 percent from the free throw line for the unbeaten Sierra Foothill league team.
• College Gym Will Be Used for Nisei Basketball Meet, page 7. The Westminster College gym will host the 15th annual Intermountain Nisei invitational basketball tournament in Salt Lake City March 23-25, sponsored by the Salt Lake JACL Basketball Association. Defending champion Hawaii has already accepted its bid, along with Denver and Ogden teams.
• Nisei Vues Gain Ground in Chicago, page 7. The Nisei Vues gained ground on league-leading Plaisance Cleaners in the Chicago JACL bowling league, defeating O.T. Men’s Wear 4-0. Sakada Optometrists and Hyde Park Restaurant also posted strong results in the 24th week of league play.
• Yonamine Impresses O’Doul at Seals Camp in El Centro, page 7. Wally Yonamine, a pro football star making a bid in professional baseball, impressed San Francisco Seals Manager Lefty O’Doul with his strong arm and batting eye at spring training. Yonamine batted .435 to win the Hawaiian league championship last season and is competing alongside fellow Hawaiian star Herman Wedemeyer for a roster spot.
• Congress Team Wins Championship in Women’s Bowl League, page 7. The Congress Florist team won the Salt Lake JACL women’s bowling league championship with a 56-28 record and will represent the league at the National JACL bowling tournament in San Francisco. Mits Iwasaki and Grayce Imai of Congress took first and second places in individual averages.
• Nishimoto Sets Swim Records, page 8. Hawaii-born Nisei swimmer Joe Nishimoto set two new Oregon varsity records in the 220 and 440 freestyle events as the Webfoots defeated Oregon State 55-29. His times beat marks previously set by Jack Robinson in 1942.

Obituaries

• Pioneer Dies in Los Angeles, page 3. Zempachi Onoye, a pioneer farmer in the Salinas valley for more than 45 years, passed away Feb. 14 in Los Angeles after a short illness. He is survived by two sons, four daughters and four grandchildren; one son, Lloyd, was killed in action in Italy serving with the 442nd combat team.

Commentary

• Non-Segregation in Housing, page 4. An editorial criticizes the San Francisco housing agreement as more victory for housing commissioners than a true win for nonsegregation, noting the commission retained discriminatory ‘neighborhood pattern’ policy in 8,000 existing and planned units. The piece questions who will judge the success of the nonsegregation policy in the new development given the housing authority chairman’s skeptical public statements.
• A Counterfeit FEPC Bill, page 4. An editorial condemns a watered-down FEPC bill passed by the House of Representatives that strips the commission of enforcement powers, leaving only investigatory authority. The piece argues the bill does more harm than good by giving false cover to those who support discrimination while claiming to support fair employment principles.
• Vagaries: The Loaded Weapon, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Columnist Larry Tajiri reflects on the eighth anniversary of Gen. DeWitt’s Proclamation No. 1 that began the mass evacuation of Japanese Americans, warning that the legal precedent remains a ‘loaded weapon’ threatening all Americans’ civil rights. He cites Justice Jackson’s dissent in the Korematsu case and scholars like Eugene Rostow and Morton Grodzins who warned the evacuation’s precedent endangers constitutional protections for all citizens, not just Nisei.
• At the Mardi Gras, page 5. A detailed travel feature describes the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, its parades, costumes, krewe traditions, and the significant costs involved for participants. The writer offers a critical assessment, finding the event wasteful and lacking in spectacle compared to other American parades.
• From the Frying Pan: Little People with Big Ears, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa humorously discusses the flying saucer craze sweeping the nation, recounting secondhand tall tales about alien encounters in New Mexico. He notes the skepticism of Navy and Air Force officials who attribute sightings to hoaxes or hysteria, while admitting his own curiosity about the phenomenon.

Arts & Entertainment

• Vagaries: TV Toast, Cho-Cho-San, East Is East and Other Notes, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. This entertainment column covers the Kanazawa acrobatic act’s CBS-TV appearance, MGM’s upcoming ‘Madame Butterfly’ film casting call for Nisei and Issei players, and Film Classics’ interracial love story ‘East Is East’ about a GI and Japanese girl. It also notes Karie Shindo’s Hawaii trip and ex-POW Bob Williams who will receive compensation for his wartime imprisonment.

In-Depth

• I Remember Papa: Land Where My Father Died, by Sue Kunitomi, page 5. Sue Kunitomi writes a moving tribute to her immigrant father who came from Okayama Prefecture, worked his way up from plantation laborer to business owner in Los Angeles, and raised eight children while valuing education, generosity and honesty. The piece recounts his wish to die in America rather than Japan, his death in a 1937 car accident, and his lasting influence through the family’s wartime incarceration experience.

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