Food poisoning in Concord, the Alien Land law ruling and a bowling ban

Vol. 30, No. 14, April 8, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Thirty-two Issei and Nisei fell ill with food poisoning after a housewarming party in Concord, California, and one Nisei was in a coma for two days. Elsewhere, California’s Alien Land law was ruled unconstitutional by Superior Judge Thurmond Clarke, and the state was expected to appeal. The paper also followed the Walter naturalization resolution in the Senate, a 20th Century-Fox film planned about the 442nd Combat Team, and Mun Iseri’s run for city council in Ontario, Oregon. Mike Masaoka and I. H. Gordon filed reports from Washington.

Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Elmer R. Smith appear on page 5, and Mitsu Yasuda describes tea with Japanese women leaders visiting New York. Lawrence Nakatsuka looked at a 1942 pamphlet urging the removal of Hawaii’s Japanese. Page 7 has bowling, with a New York court case over the American Bowling Congress’s white-males-only rule. Chapter news fills pages 7 and 8.

What’s in this issue

Community

• 32 Taken Ill After Party in California City, page 1. Thirty-two Issei and Nisei fell seriously ill with food poisoning after attending a housewarming party in Concord, California. One Nisei remained in a coma for two days, and the remnants of the menu are being tested by state health laboratories.
• Utah City Posts Reward as Cemetery Vandals Sought, page 1. The city of Price, Utah offered a reward for information leading to vandals who mutilated more than 30 headstones in the Japanese section of its cemetery. Police are investigating the incident.
• Despondent Nisei Farmer Leaps to Death, page 1. Thomas Takizawa, a 24-year-old war veteran and truck farmer, climbed a power pole and jumped to his death in Irvington, California. He was reportedly despondent over ill health.
• Ogden JACL Will Sponsor Momotaro, page 2. The Brigham Young University language department will present the Japanese children’s classic Momotaro in Japanese on April 14 in Ogden. The performance is sponsored by the Ogden JACL and is open to Issei and Nisei.
• Tokyo Teacher Enters University of Georgia, page 2. Tsuyako Sakamoto, a leading Tokyo teacher of domestic science, began a year of graduate study at the University of Georgia. She has appeared on radio programs and been interviewed by the press since arriving.
• Necessity of Mass Evacuation Debated at College Symposium, page 2. A symposium at San Diego State College debated whether the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans was necessary. Speakers for the Nisei argued that the evacuation was based on race rather than military necessity, while military speakers defended it as wartime security.
• Topaz Co-op Donates $1,035 to JACL as Final Business, page 2. Trustees of the Topaz Consumer Cooperative presented a check for $1,035.12 to the JACL, representing the remaining funds of the closed cooperative. The trustees asked that the money be used for the general welfare of persons of Japanese ancestry and JACL projects.
• YPCC Installs New Cabinet, page 2. Mac Hase and his cabinet were installed at a candlelight service in Fresno. A post-conference meeting of old and new cabinets, committee chairmen and fellowship presidents followed.
• Segregation Issue Discussed by Akagi, Tanaka in Chicago, page 3. Togo Tanaka and Richard Akagi debated voluntary segregation and the Nisei future at the Armitage Methodist Young People’s group in Chicago. William Hohri moderated the discussion.
• Register Voters, page 3. The Eastbay chapter of the JACL aims for high voter registration among Nisei in Alameda County. Six members were deputized as registrars to help reach that goal.
• Ennis Confers on Evacuation Claims Problems, page 3. Edward J. Ennis, legal counsel for the JACL-ADC, arrived in Los Angeles to confer with officials and the Justice Department about delays in adjudicating evacuation claims. He planned to remain in the area for two weeks.
• Sixty Nisei Girls Will Dance Under Capital’s Cherry Blooms, page 3. Sixty kimono-clad Nisei from New York and Seabrook will perform a bon-odori at Washington’s cherry blossom festival on April 16. It is the first time a Japanese American group has sponsored the festival.
• Daughter of Japan Legislator Will Enter Army as WAC, page 3. Takako Saka, daughter of a Japanese prefectural assemblyman, will join the WAC after having been raised partly in California. She said she enlisted because she had no eligible brothers for U.S. Army service.
• New Chapter Seen in Rocky Ford Area, page 3. Thirty-five Nisei in the Arkansas Valley petitioned for a JACL charter to form a new chapter in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Officers and cabinet members were named at an April 4 organizational meeting.
• Montanans Hold Membership Dance, page 3. The Montana JACL celebrated its membership campaign with a dance in Laurel featuring a box lunch auction. New members were welcomed and plans were made for a Memorial Day dance and Fourth of July picnic.
• Stand Built for Placer’s New Ball Park, page 7. Members of the Placer County JACL built a grandstand, backstop and benches for the chapter’s new baseball park in Penryn. The park was constructed to provide a playing field for Nisei teams in the area.
• Sports Award, page 7. Yushi Kikumoto of the Lincoln Christian Center won an award for outstanding sportsmanship in the basketball league. Tosh Matsuura and Kikumoto were also named to all-star teams.
• Placer Chapter Signs Up 230 in Membership Drive, page 7. The Placer County JACL concluded its membership drive with 230 members signed up for the coming year. Loomis-Rocklin led the districts with 70 members, followed by Penryn and Newcastle.
• Pasadena Chapter Reported Near Goal in ADC Fund Drive, page 7. Pasadena JACL reported much of its $1,000 ADC fund drive goal already pledged at the campaign kickoff. The chapter also outlined its activities for the next four months.
• Tokyo Student Given Scholarship by New Foundation, page 7. Joseph Wataru Ohmi, a student at Keio University, received a scholarship from Upsala College through the newly established Japanese Scholarship Foundation. The foundation aims to help young Japanese study in the United States.
• Senate Group Plans Hearings on Hawaii Statehood Bill, by I. H. Gordon, page 7. Senate hearings on Alaskan statehood are set for April 24, with Hawaiian statehood hearings to follow a week later. Mike Masaoka called the hearings a signal step forward for statehood.
• Masaoka Cites Need for Nisei Organization in Coast Speech, page 8. Mike Masaoka spoke at the Santa Barbara JACL chapter meeting, stressing the need for an organization to present Japanese American problems. The chapter’s ADC drive had reached over 80 percent of its goal.
• Dance Climaxes Membership Drive, page 8. The Cleveland JACL annual dance on March 18 celebrated the conclusion of its membership drive. Gifts were presented to team captains of the winning unit.
• Plan Graduation Rites in Issei Citizenship Class, page 8. Graduation exercises for the second Issei naturalization and citizenship class will be held in Los Angeles on April 18. Judge James M. Carter is the guest speaker.
• Alice Morihiro Talks on Cleveland Panel, page 8. Alice Morihiro, president of the Cleveland JACL, spoke on a Women’s Forum panel about working toward one world of peace and brotherhood. She also addressed the Indian situation, American foreign policy and communism in the Far East.
• ALL Women Name Cabinet Officers, page 8. The women’s division of the Fresno American Loyalty League named Mrs. Johnny Yanase as president at its organizational meeting. The group plans a scholarship fundraising event.
• Denver Police Anti-Gambling Crusade Nets Twelve Issei, page 8. Denver police arrested twelve elderly Issei men playing the Japanese card game Flowers for small stakes. The Denver papers commented wryly that the raid targeted harmless old men rather than real gamblers.
• Box Lunch Social, page 8. New members of the Chicago JACL were honored at the chapter’s first social event of 1950, a box lunch social held at the Monroe YWCA. The event welcomed new members to the chapter.

JACL

• Group Cites Patrick Okura for Leadership, page 1. The JACL National Recognitions Committee released its first weekly Leadership Award nomination, honoring Pat Okura. Okura, a past president of the Omaha chapter, helped organize the unit and build its civic and social programs.
• Expect Two Hundred to Attend Council Parley in Philadelphia, page 2. About 200 JACLers are expected in Philadelphia for the Eastern District council rally, with Dr. Thomas Yatabe and Col. Virgil Miller as special guests. The program includes business sessions on the JACL’s future and committee plans.

Military & Veterans

• 20th Century-Fox Assigns Writer to Story About Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Writer Anthony Coldewey of 20th Century-Fox arrived in Honolulu to gather material for a film about the 442nd Combat Team. The studio plans an approach entirely different from MGM’s film, and 442nd veterans hope to shift emphasis to Hawaii’s role.

National

• Expect State to Appeal Ruling Outlawing Alien Land Statute, page 1. Superior Judge Thurmond Clarke ruled California’s Alien Land law unconstitutional in the Masaoka case, and the state is expected to appeal to the State Supreme Court. Judge Clarke also denied the state’s motion for a new trial.
• Tsurutani Will Take Japan Depositions in Citizen Cases, page 1. Attorney Henry Tsurutani will travel to Tokyo to take depositions concerning Japanese conscription and occupation-era elections for citizenship cases. The testimony will support efforts to restore American citizenship to Nisei who lost it.
• Possibility for Early Senate Action on Walter Measure Looms Through Calendar Call, by I. H. Gordon, page 1. Speculation grew that the Senate might call the calendar and pass the House-approved Walter resolution on naturalization by unanimous consent. A JACL-ADC spokesman said every effort was being made to secure unanimous approval.
• Iseri Enters Council Race in Oregon City, page 1. Mun Iseri became the first Nisei to file for political office in Oregon history by running for city council in Ontario. He is active in the Snake River Valley JACL chapter and civic affairs.
• Amendment to Enemy Trading Act Urged by JACL ADC, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka urged Sen. McCarran to schedule hearings on S. 1017, which would let interned or paroled resident aliens file debt claims with the Office of Alien Property. He argued that many Japanese American families were unfairly barred from recovering their savings.
• Idaho Supreme Court Upholds Nisei Plaintiff in Fine Print Case Against Insurance Firm, page 3. The Idaho Supreme Court upheld Henry Wakimoto’s claim against an auto insurer that tried to deny payment over fine print. The justices ruled the policy language was not hard to understand and that the agent knew the statements in question.
• Attorney General McGrath Asks Supreme Court to Ban Racial Segregation Practices, page 7. Attorney General McGrath asked the Supreme Court to outlaw segregated dining car tables in the Elmer Henderson case. The JACL filed a brief as friend of the court, and Rep. Hobbs argued that God is the author of discrimination.

Arts & Entertainment

• Teru Shimada Signed for Role With Columbia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Teru Shimada was signed for a feature role as an old butler in Columbia’s That Bedside Manner. He will not take a role in 20th Century Fox’s American Guerrilla in the Philippines due to the Columbia commitment.
• Nisei Will Appear in Annual National Folk Dance Festival, page 2. Haruko and Tomeko Uyeda and their students will perform Japanese dance at the National Folk Festival in St. Louis. The Uyedas were the first Oriental group to appear in the festival, and their performance is sponsored by the Chicago and St. Louis JACL chapters.

Incarceration & Redress

• Council to Hold District Meet, page 2. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL district council will meet in Stockton on April 16 to discuss affiliation with Northern California Council for Civic Unity. Delegates will also consider evacuation claims and a challenge to the American Bowling Congress’s discriminatory policy.

In-Depth

• Eye-Opener for Mainland Nisei: Pamphlet Reveals Tremendous Pressure Exerted During War to Relocate Hawaii Japanese, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. A 1942 Honolulu pamphlet by a business executive proposed moving 100,000 Hawaii Japanese to the mainland. The article examines how these pressures failed in Hawaii while succeeding on the west coast.

Commentary

• Separate But Equal, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the use of religion to defend racial segregation, citing Rep. Sam Hobbs’s argument before the Supreme Court. It calls on the court to strike down the separate-but-equal doctrine in the Henderson, Sweatt and McLaurin cases.
• The Japanese American Population, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial anticipates the 1950 census showing growth in the Japanese American population on the East Coast, Midwest and Mountain states. It notes the eastward shift is expected to be lasting, with Hawaii’s population also growing.
• City Council Candidate, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial congratulates Mun Iseri on becoming the first Nisei to file for elective office in Oregon. It presents his candidacy as an example of fuller Japanese American participation in civic affairs.
• Tea at the Astor: Japanese Women Leaders Marvel at U.S. Wonders, by Mitsu Yasuda, page 4. The author describes meeting a delegation of eleven Japanese women leaders visiting New York under MacArthur’s democratization program. Their reactions to American sights, a United Nations visit, and comparisons of consumer life are recounted.
• My Cousin Willie Gets the Eye, page 5. A humorous column recounts cousin Willie’s flattered attempts to impress a teenage neighbor after she compliments his red convertible. His elaborate efforts to look distinguished lead to ridicule and a strained marriage.
• A Need for Briefing, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa criticizes a Japanese visitor who casually suggested the U.S. absorb a million Japanese immigrants without understanding American immigration history. He argues visiting Japanese nationals would benefit from some briefing on American life.
• On Local JACL Morale: Failure of Members to Attend Meetings Worries Chapters, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Smith observes that low meeting attendance has been a recurring problem in JACL chapters for twenty years. He urges members to participate actively so decisions reflect the membership and to reduce criticism of leaders.

Sports

• Watanabe Scores Another Double, page 6. Bob Watanabe of UCLA won both sprints in a triangular meet against Cal Poly and Santa Barbara State. Several other Nisei athletes including Henry Aihara and Heat Heyamoto are also noted for their performances and prospects.
• Goto Wins First Game on Mound, page 6. George Goto earned his first win pitching for Placer College, striking the key hit in a 13-6 victory over Vallejo Junior College. Several other Nisei players in junior college and high school baseball are also noted.
• Yuba’s Nakamura Is an Exception, page 6. Larry Nakamura of Yuba College placed in both the mile and two-mile events as one of few Nisei distance runners on a college track team. Other Nisei athletes also made notable performances in track and basketball.
• Dr. Kurumada Second in Bowling Meet, page 6. Dr. Jun Kurumada finished second in the Mock Ritz classic in Salt Lake City, the first Nisei to bowl in the tournament since the war. He was edged out by Herb Wissman, and the article notes ABC rules may bar him from the next tournament.
• Eight Thousand Watch Hawaii Nisei Game, page 6. A crowd of 8,000 watched Waipahu defeat Waialae for the Rural Oahu AJA league championship. The article also reports on prospects for Hawaiian players Wally Yonamine and Herman Wedemeyer in professional baseball.
• Maruyama Extends Sprint Victory String, page 6. Jody Maruyama of Occidental College freshmen extended his winning streak in the 100-yard dash. Other Nisei athletes including Jim Yokota and Tommy Fukushima were also noted for performances.
• Star Coffee, with Three 180 Bowlers, Wins Salt Lake Title, page 7. Star Coffee won the Salt Lake JACL bowling league championship with 83 wins and 21 losses. Mike Nakamura was the individual champion with a 186 average and the season’s highest game and series.
• Reno Prepares for Bowl Matches, page 7. Reno JACL’s male bowlers prepare for a match on April 16 against teams from Penryn, Loomis and Auburn, California. A dinner honoring the visiting teams will follow at the Veterans hall.
• New York Judge Holds Up Verdict in ABC Case, page 7. New York State Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Schreiber reserved decision in the attorney general’s suit to oust the American Bowling Congress over its white-males-only membership rule. He will announce his ruling after the ABC convention in May.
• Berkeley Wins Both Games on Southland Trip, page 7. The Berkeley Nisseis won the annual North-South basketball series, defeating the SCAps and West Los Angeles Lucky Dogs. The article also reports Hawaii AJA All-Stars losing two games to Los Angeles teams.
• Kunimura Sets Cage Mark with 43 Points, page 7. Moose Kunimura set a new league scoring record with 48 points, but Gilroy Nisei Cagers lost to the San Jose Zebra A team. The Zebras won 78 to 73.
• Nisei Girls Aid Utah Victory in Ski Meet, page 7. Miss Toda took first place in the women’s class at a college ski tournament at Berthoud Pass, helping the University of Utah win top honors. The article also covers the team’s overall results against Denver University and Colorado schools.
• Iseri Wins Race, page 7. Tak Iseri won the 200-yard breaststroke as Sacramento YMCA swimmers defeated Occidental College. He also swam on Sacramento’s winning medley relay team.
• Nisei Vues Win First Place in Chicago League, page 7. Nisei Vues regained first place in the Chicago JACL bowling league with a four-point victory over Quality Cleaners. Several other teams’ results and series totals are reported.

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