The ‘Tokyo Rose’ bail order and the push for Issei naturalization

Vol. 30, No. 6, February 11, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted of treason as “Tokyo Rose,” was the lead story. Justice William O. Douglas granted her $50,000 bail and said it was debatable whether she received a proper trial. Federal Judge Michael J. Roche answered that she had a fair trial, and her attorney Wayne M. Collins sought her early release. Naturalization rights for Issei ran through the issue too. Mike Masaoka laid out two paths for the Walter Resolution, and I. H. Gordon traced the history of U.S. naturalization law.

Elsewhere, MGM’s film about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Go for Broke, drew Masaoka’s advice and a casting column by Larry Tajiri. Other items covered the first 50 deportation suspensions for Japanese aliens, a new Central California JACL council, and Los Angeles and Chicago JACL news. Sports pages followed Wally Yonamine and Nisei basketball and bowling.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Justice Douglas Expresses Doubt Whether Mrs. d’Aquino Received Proper Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas granted Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted as ‘Tokyo Rose,’ $50,000 bail pending appeal, stating it was debatable whether she received a proper trial. Douglas emphasized he was not judging the merits of her appeal, only that the issues were fairly debatable and not frivolous.
• Mrs. d’Aquino Given Fair Trial, Says Judge Michael Roche, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Michael J. Roche, who presided over the trial, conceded Douglas had the power to grant bail but declared Mrs. d’Aquino had a fair trial. His statement responded to Douglas’s decision to release her pending appeal.
• Attorney Seeks Early Release for ‘Tokyo Rose’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Defense attorney Wayne M. Collins predicted Mrs. d’Aquino would be released on bond within days from the Alderson, W. Va. women’s reformatory. Collins said he would post the bond himself if necessary after Justice Douglas overruled the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Claims Office Head Speaks to Los Angeles JACL Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. William H. Jacobs and William W. Palmer, heads of the Los Angeles evacuation claims office, spoke at a February 8 luncheon sponsored by the local JACL. Jacobs announced he would open a similar claims office in San Francisco.

Community

• Nisei Veteran Leads Illinois Group to Support Sen. Lucas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Michael Hagiwara, a Purple Heart veteran, announced formation of the Illinois Nisei Committee for the Reelection of Senator Scott Lucas. The committee also aims to register all qualified Japanese Americans in Illinois as voters for the 1950 elections.
• Driver Faces $1,500 Fine in Tacoma Death, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gahachi Yoshida pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in Tacoma for a fatal 1949 car accident involving Edith Pettinger. He received a suspended 20-year sentence conditioned on paying $1,500 to the guardians of her three children.
• Central California Council Organized by JACL Chapters, by John M. Kubota, page 2. Johnson Kebo was elected first chairman of the newly formed Central California JACL district council at its February 5 convention in Fresno. The gathering passed resolutions including a petition for an evacuation claims hearing office in central California.
• Three Nisei Serve on First Jury in Seventeen Years, by Tak Kadani, page 2. Three Nisei were among eleven jurors in the first jury trial in San Juan Bautista since 1933. The defendant, Melville Brown, was found guilty on a traffic charge.
• Nisei Student Wins Pie Baking Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Margaret Yanagawa, a Kent high school student, won the King County Bake-a-Cherry-Pie contest and advanced to the state finals. Her entry was judged best among the county’s entries.
• Hawaii Buddhists Celebrate 50th Anniversary of YBA, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Young Buddhist Association of Honolulu marked its 50th anniversary with a February 3 banquet installing 1950 officers, including returning president Shiro Kashiwa. Senate President Wilfred Tsukiyama spoke, and the group now has 712 members and has begun admitting women.
• Pacific Southwest Chapters Will Pick Queen Contestant, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Southwest District will select a queen candidate to represent it at the national JACL convention in Chicago this fall. The selection will take place at the district convention planned for midsummer in Los Angeles.
• Evacuees Lose Oregon Suit on Farm Profits, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A $30,000 suit by Japanese American evacuees against Lake Labish Celery Growers Cooperative president Ronald Jones was dismissed by Circuit Judge Rex Kimball. The judge ruled Jones was entitled to the money for supervising the 1942 harvest and for land rental.
• Los Angeles Accepts Chicago Challenge to Membership Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The four Los Angeles JACL chapters accepted Chicago’s membership challenge and proposed a $200 prize for the winner. Their terms include a midnight April 30 deadline and bi-weekly membership reporting to national headquarters.
• Interracial Bowling League Holds Tournament in Reno, by Ida Nishiguchi, page 6. The Reno Independent League, which includes both Nisei and Caucasian members on each team, held a two-day championship tournament. Artist Cleaners won the team event and Art Nishiguchi took the all-events title.
• San Jose Wins Western Bussei Basketball Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Jose Zebras defeated the defending champion Sacramento YBA Maroons 66 to 51 to win the Western Young Buddhists basketball tournament. Chi Akizuki was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
• Denver YBA Wins Western Nebraska Cage Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver YBA team won the second annual Western Nebraska YMA invitational basketball tournament by defeating the Western Nebraska YMA 53 to 26. Twelve Nisei teams from several states took part.
• GEORGE OSHIMA Installed as President of Reno Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Oshima was installed as president of the Reno JACL at a January 28 meeting where Clarence Marshall spoke. Other officers were also installed, and Ida Fukui was appointed recording secretary.
• Install Officers of Four Los Angeles Chapters at Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Saburo Kido installed the 1950 cabinets of the four Los Angeles JACL chapters at a joint ceremony and dance on February 4 attended by 250 people. Retiring presidents were honored with pearl-studded JACL pins.
• Ellis Center Slates Japan Display for Second Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ellis community center in Chicago will feature a Japan exhibit at its second anniversary open house and choir concert on February 12. Students from Japan will demonstrate flower arrangement, calligraphy, Japanese dress and music.
• Chicago ADC Sets Goal in Fund Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago ADC cabinet under Tahei Matsunaga set a $7,200 quota for its forthcoming fund drive. A general board meeting on February 24 will publicly announce campaign objectives.

Military & Veterans

• Masaoka Urges Studio to Portray All 442nd GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka urged MGM to portray both Hawaiian and mainland Nisei in the film ‘Go for Broke’ about the 442nd Combat Team. Masaoka said his role is limited to technical advice on the regiment’s Italy and France campaigns.
• Company L Veterans Will Aid Families of Combat Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles-area veterans of Company L of the 442nd Combat Team pledged at a January 28 reunion to assist families of members killed in battle. A committee was formed to carry out the assistance.
• Arlington Rites Held for Nisei Killed in Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Funeral services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for T/4 George T. Yamaguchi, a Portland native killed in a plane crash off Okinawa two days before the war ended. A JACL committee organized a graveside service following the army ritual.
• Commodore Perry Post Reactivated, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Commodore Perry post of the American Legion, one of two pre-war all-Japanese American posts, was reactivated in Los Angeles in December. Hitoshi Fukui, a World War I veteran, was elected commander.
• Combat Team Veterans Greet ‘One-Man USO’ in Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twenty former 442nd members in occupation service greeted Ear! Finch, a Mississippi farmer who had befriended the regiment, at Haneda airport. Finch later attended a reception in Tokyo and hoped to explore business opportunities for 442nd veterans.

National

• Japanese Plan Consulates in United States, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan plans to open unofficial consulate offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu as a first step toward restoring diplomatic relations. The offices would handle citizenship affairs, promote exports, and provide trade information.
• Two Courses of Action Open to Proponents of Resolution for Issei Naturalization Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka outlined two paths to pass the Walter Resolution eliminating race as a naturalization requirement: getting Sen. Russell to withdraw his objection, or placing the bill on the Senate Legislative Calendar. He noted the measure would affect about 90,000 Asiatic immigrants, mostly Japanese.
• Hawaii Governor Plans Action to Support Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Governor Ingram Stainback promised Mike Masaoka he would urge Sen. Richard Russell to withdraw objections to the Walter Resolution. Masaoka also discussed JACL efforts for Hawaiian statehood and the upcoming House Un-American Activities Committee probe in Hawaii.
• Attorney General Recommends Suspension of Deportation in Cases of 50 Japanese Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Attorney General recommended 50 alien Japanese for suspension of deportation under Public Law 863, the first of more than 2,000 expected cases. Mike Masaoka said JACL ADC would push for speedy congressional approval.

Arts & Entertainment

• Kinuyo Tanaka Plans to Make Film About Nisei Combat Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese actress Kinuyo Tanaka announced a new film company will produce a movie based on the Hawaiian members of the 442nd Combat Team, drawn from Cpl. Larry Sakamoto’s book ‘Hawaii’s Own.’ The project is backed in part by Shochiku.

Commentary

• Stays of Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the first results of the JACL ADC-sponsored stay of deportation bill, which may eventually protect 2,000 Japanese resident aliens. It explains the law corrects discriminatory immigration rules that had allowed only non-Asian aliens to receive suspension of deportation.
• The ‘Tokyo Rose’ Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial comments on Justice Douglas’s bail order for Iva Toguri d’Aquino and notes that newsmen covering the trial had voted 9-1 for acquittal. It concludes that Nisei have a stake in clarifying whether she is guilty or innocent.
• FEPC — Voluntary or Compulsory?, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial contrasts Cleveland’s switch to compulsory fair employment practices law with San Francisco’s rejection of FEPC in favor of a voluntary plan. It argues Cleveland’s voluntary program failed to reach employers unwilling to change their hiring policies.
• A Cast for ‘Go for Broke’, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri examines casting decisions for MGM’s 442nd film, weighing star power against authentic Nisei representation. He surveys Hollywood’s history of casting Asian roles and notes growing willingness to tackle interracial themes.
• Vagaries, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. This column gathers Hollywood and cultural notes, including Fox’s revival of an American guerrilla film, Reiko Sato’s role in a 20th Century Fox film, and the growing use of ‘Nisei’ in dictionaries. It also notes Hawaii candidate Jean Sadako King’s run for the constitutional convention.
• Meet Vaudeville’s Nee Wong, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles Nee Wong, a 65-year-old vaudeville singer who performs in Chinese and English across the country. The column quotes Wong on pride in identity and self-expression.
• Ex-Apologists for Tojo, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial criticizes former Japanese wartime apologists now touring the United States to study democracy. It argues they seek publicity rather than understanding and suggests Japan send younger representatives instead.
• Federal Naturalization Laws Little Understood by Public, by I. H. Gordon, page 5. Gordon traces the history of U.S. naturalization law from the 1790 ‘free white persons’ requirement to the 1946 extension to Asian immigrants. He notes roughly 86,000 immigrants, mostly Japanese, remain ineligible pending the Walter Resolution.
• Bouquet for Godfrey, by Chiyo Horiuchi, page 5. A letter to the editor praises radio host Arthur Godfrey for using an interracial quartet and for urging listeners to support Hawaiian and Alaskan statehood. The writer commends his public support.
• Honolulu Dailies Denounce Action of Boston’s Council, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 5. Honolulu newspapers and the Chamber of Commerce condemned Boston’s council for refusing to receive visiting Japanese Diet members. Editorials called the action provincial and contrary to American democratic values.

Obituaries

• An Issei Woman Passes Away, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A narrative sketch recounts an elderly Issei domestic who sought help applying for old age assistance in New York, describing her lost husband, estranged children, and isolation. The writer later learns she died of a heart attack before the appointment.

Sports

• Yonamine Prepares for Seals’ Tryout, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Former pro football star Wally Yonamine prepares for a spring tryout with the San Francisco Seals after leading Hawaii’s AJA baseball league in batting. The item also previews Julia Wong’s defense of her JACL bowling titles.
• Placer Teams Continue Cage Triumphs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Placer College and Placer Union High School, both in Auburn, Calif., continued strong seasons led by Nisei players Goto, Nakamoto, Yokota and Miyamoto. Goto’s late field goal gave Placer a close win over St. Mary’s frosh.
• Herb Isono Wins Basketball Laurels, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Herb Isono of University High in Los Angeles was named to the all-Western league team after scoring 131 points in ten games. The item also lists other Nisei players making high school sports pages across the West.

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