Canada’s payment for wartime losses, and the Walter citizenship resolution

Vol. 30, No. 24, June 17, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Canada was set to pay $1,220,829 to about 1,300 Japanese Canadians for property seized and sold during the war, following a two-year commission study by Justice H. I. Bird. At home, the Senate amended Rep. Francis E. Walter’s naturalization resolution, and JACL ADC director Mike Masaoka pressed for the original provisions to be restored. Congress also passed 30 bills admitting Japanese fiancees, brides and children. Larry Tajiri wrote about Nebraska editors who produced a special issue of the York Republican to welcome Ben Kuroki.

The commentary pages included a five-part series on Communist recruitment among Nisei, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about a Nisei cameraman and about his young son. Sports pages followed Wally Yonamine’s batting and several bowling stories, including the San Francisco association’s decision to admit non-white bowlers. Community pages carried graduations, scholarships and chapter news.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Canadian Government to Pay $1,220,829 to 1,300 Evacuees for Forced Sale Losses, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Canada will pay $1,220,829 to 1,300 Canadians of Japanese origin for losses on properties seized and sold during the war, following a two-year commission study by Justice H. I. Bird. The properties were taken when more than 20,000 Japanese Canadians were relocated from British Columbia coastal areas to interior housing projects in 1942.

National

• Senate Passes Damage Award for Nisei Death, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate approved a private bill awarding $5,000 in damages to Shiro Takemura of Los Angeles for the death of his son Paul, killed in a cave-in at an open excavation at the Poston Relocation Center. The bill has been sent to the President for signature.
• Walter to Call Joint Conference on Amended Resolution for Issei Citizenship, by I. H. Gordon, page 1. Rep. Francis E. Walter sought a House-Senate conference to restore the original provisions of his naturalization resolution, which the Senate amended to limit eligibility to Japanese who entered before July 1, 1924. JACL ADC director Mike Masaoka urged removing the date restriction and including Koreans.
• Community Property Ruling Made in Evacuee Claims Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Justice ruled that a husband may file a full evacuation loss claim under California community property law when his wife files no claim for her interest. The ruling concerned a $1,033.50 claim for forced sale losses, which was adjudicated at $506.46.
• Bills to Admit Japanese Win House Approval, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The House passed 13 private bills admitting Japanese fiancees, wives and children of citizens, along with a bill admitting a Canadian Japanese and another readmitting an elderly widow who overstayed her reentry permit. The bills now go to the Senate.
• Seven Issei Win Deportation Stays Via Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seven Japanese subject to deportation were approved for permanent residence under a Senate resolution suspending deportation proceedings under Public Law 863. The law, introduced at the JACL ADC’s request, covers roughly 2,000 Japanese treaty merchants and students caught by the war.
• Two Others Also Win Right to Reside in United States, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Issei, Nobuo Suzuki and Denkichi Tani, won stays of deportation under a Senate resolution based on Public Law 863. Most of the approximately 2,000 Issei affected by the law are expected to receive resolutions for permanent residence next year.
• Congress Passes 30 Bills to Admit Japanese Nationals, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Senate passed and sent to the President 30 House bills admitting Japanese fiancees, brides and children of American servicemen and veterans. Three additional Senate bills for Japanese brides were sent to the House.

Community

• 12 Nebraska Newsmen Help Welcome Ben Kuroki to York with Special Issue of Paper, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Forty-two Nebraska editors and printers produced a 40-page special issue of the York Republican to welcome Ben Kuroki, the former Nisei wartime airman, as its new editor. Congratulatory messages from senators and state leaders followed Kuroki’s announced intention to fight for democratic principles.
• Nisei Girl Graduates From Engineering School at Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mae Masako Nakatani will be the first woman to graduate from the University of Hawaii engineering school. She will begin work with the Territorial Department of Highway Planning after graduation.
• Nevada Nisei Wins $4,000 Scholar Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tommy Koizumi of Sparks, Nevada, was named winner of the annual $4,000 Harold Club scholarship at Sparks high school graduation. The award was based on his character, high ideals and leadership ability.
• Hirasuna Reports Loss in Fresno Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A June 11 fire at the Lee Sickle Frozen Food company plant in Fresno destroyed strawberries valued at $40,000 and caused estimated damage of $650,000. Manager Fred Hirasuna said arrangements are being made to divert the continuing strawberry harvest.
• Reno Youth Given Nevada Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fujii, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kay Fujii of Reno, was awarded the $125 Sears and Roebuck agricultural scholarship for study at the University of Nevada. The award was presented during Reno high school graduation exercises.
• Los Angeles Plans Annual Nisei Week Fete in August, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles’ Japanese American community is preparing for its tenth annual Nisei Week, August 19 to 27, with Kiyo Yamato as executive chairman. Proceeds will go toward erecting a community center, and a Nisei week queen will be selected.
• Chuman Will Speak on Changing Status, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney Frank Chuman will present a talk on the changing legal status of the Japanese in America at a Friendship Center breakfast meeting in Los Angeles on July 7. Nisei singer Safako Mitamura will perform as guest.
• Former UC Gold Medalist Earns Degree at Caltech, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harvey Akio Itano received his Ph.D. in chemistry and physics from Caltech on June 9. Despite being named his class’s Gold Medalist at UC Berkeley in 1942, he was evacuated before graduation and later earned his medical degree and research credentials.
• Nisei Girl Reigns as Evensong Queen at Oregon School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Hisako Kido of Nyssa, Oregon, was elected queen of Evensong, the traditional outdoor pageant at Eastern Oregon college. She was crowned at the coronation ball on June 2 and presided over the pageant on June 6.
• Nisei Student Wins Essay Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Annette Shirachi, a sophomore at Watsonville high school, won the $100 first prize in a statewide essay contest sponsored by the National Grange and the American Plant Food Council. Her essay will advance to the national competition.
• Shigeta Among Top Five in Radio Network Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. James M. Shigeta of Honolulu was one of twelve contestants in the grand finals of Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour in New York, where he was named among the top five. His brothers fought in the 442nd Combat Regiment, which drew loud applause from the audience.
• Three Students Win Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Nisei students, including Dorothy Shinafawa and Harry Yasumoto, are among 45 San Joaquin Valley students receiving scholarships for Fresno State College. Nobuo Sunada won the annual Fresno State College Nisei scholarship award.
• Nisei Congratulate Trygve Lie for Peace Efforts, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese Americans at a New York community forum sent a message commending UN Secretary-General Trygve Lie’s efforts to end the cold war. The forum, sponsored by Nisei Progressives, discussed the theme ‘Target: Peace; You.’
• Helen Morita Crowned Queen of Pasadena JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Helen Morita, 22, was crowned Miss Pasadena JACL at the chapter’s POQ dance held June 10 before some 200 Nisei. She will represent Pasadena at the JACL Pacific Southwest convention to compete for Miss National JACL honors.
• North Phoenix Nisei Elected Arizona Girls State Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cherry Tsutsumida of North Phoenix high school was elected governor of the 1950 Arizona Girls State, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. She won by a narrow margin over Mary Louise Gump of Tucson.
• VFW Begins Impeachment Proceedings Against Nisei Public Official in Honolulu, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1540 began impeachment proceedings against Honolulu supervisor Richard Kageyama, who admitted past membership in the Communist party. Kageyama has refused calls to resign, and the VFW department commander Frank Fasi publicly opposed the impeachment.
• Mrs. Wada Wins Chicago Fairway Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mrs. Iku Wada won the first 1950 monthly golf tournament of the Chicago Fairway Golf Club at Glen Eagles. The club’s women golfers are coached by George Koyama.
• Detroit Chapter to Honor Grads at Sports Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Detroit JACL will hold its first spring dance honoring local high school and college graduates at the Downtown YMCA. George Tanaka chairs the general committee.
• Tom Ito Named Officer of Los Angeles Club, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Los Angeles social club held an election naming Herky Kawahara president and Caroline Matsuyama vice president. A surprise shower was also held for Kay Yasuhira before her June wedding.
• Fete Visiting Nisei at Dinner in Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mrs. Yasuo Sasaki of Covington, Kentucky, was honored at a June 3 dinner at the American Club in Tokyo hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Oyama. Guests from across the United States reminisced about their homes and experiences.
• Ventura JACL Plans Graduation Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Ventura County JACL will hold a graduation dance on June 17 honoring Nisei graduates from county schools. The chapter also plans its annual Fourth of July picnic and an International Variety Show.
• Director to Report on Walter Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mike Masaoka and Saburo Kido will be the main speakers at the 1950 Pacific Southwest District Council convention at the Chase Hotel in Santa Monica on July 1 and 2. Masaoka will report on the Walter resolution, which the Senate has amended and returned to the House.
• Ventura Tops Goal in ADC Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Ventura County JACL Chapter exceeded its 1950 ADC fund goal of $1,000 by $9, submitting a check for $309 to the regional office. Chapter president Toby Otani reported the results.
• My Head Hurts, Mommy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Four-year-old Gerry Yoshimura of Denver survived a 25-foot fall from a second-story apartment window on June 5 and landed in a narrow strip beside the building. He was checked at Denver General hospital and complained only of a headache.
• Photo Hobbyists Invited to Join Camera Club, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 55 Camera Club, a neighborhood organization under the Chicago JACL, invited camera enthusiasts to join its open meeting and program. The interracial group offers a darkroom studio, field trips and instruction from experienced photographers.
• Fujino Named DAV Officer in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Frank Fujino, a 442nd Combat Team veteran who lost an eye and a leg at Bruyeres, France, was appointed a national service officer of the Disabled American Veterans. He will work with the Veterans Administration office in Sawtelle.
• JACL Sponsors Club Service Bureau in Los Angeles Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The JACL’s Club Service Bureau in Los Angeles is compiling a calendar of club activities for affiliated organizations starting in July. The bureau has added 26 new club endorsements, bringing its roster to 64 organizations.
• Nisei Pilots Enter Air Race for Ohye Trophy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei pilots nationwide are entering the first all-Nisei air race, the Henry Ohye trophy flight, which departs from Los Angeles’ Central airport on September 28 for Chicago. Trophies will be presented at the JACL convention in Chicago.

Military & Veterans

• U.S. Granted Rehearing in Ishikawa Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The government won a motion for a new hearing in the case of William S. Ishikawa, a Honolulu-born University of Hawaii graduate who served in the Japanese army during the war. The government contends he was a Japanese citizen when drafted, which would have cost him his American citizenship.

Commentary

• Reactions to Supreme Court Decisions on Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The article collects editorial and public reactions to Supreme Court decisions in the McLaurin and Sweatt cases striking down segregation in education and on interstate dining cars. Commentators from the north and south weigh in on the moral and legal implications.
• The Amended Walter Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the Senate’s restrictive amendment to the Walter resolution, while a major gain for Japanese residents, falls short of the original bill’s principle of eliminating race as a barrier to citizenship. It praises the JACL ADC for continuing to seek the original resolution’s broader provisions in conference.
• Implementing the Court Decisions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reports that the NAACP plans further legal action and local activity to extend the Supreme Court’s segregation rulings in the Sweatt, McLaurin and Henderson cases. It stresses that the decisions will only be effective if the people who benefit demand their extension.
• Preface to Trouble, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column warns that the Department of Justice is watching a small number of Nisei suspected of Communist activity and that some Nisei could be interned again. It describes Communist recruitment techniques that target minority groups through study groups and committees.
• Blueprint For Disaster, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column explains that the Nisei, as a minority group subject to evacuation and discrimination, is a susceptible target for Communist organizers. It describes indirect recruitment through committees and study groups that appeal to grievances before steering members toward Marxism.
• Political Immaturity, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column argues that the Nisei’s inexperience with politics leaves them vulnerable to manipulation, as it did a decade earlier when some were drawn toward Japanese militarist propaganda. It contrasts that history with the current Communist recruitment strategies.
• Story of a Spy, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column recounts how Russian agent Hafis Salich infiltrated a Los Angeles Japanese Chamber of Commerce study group before the war, introduced by a Nisei member, and sold his notes to Navy intelligence. Commander Zacharias uncovered the double-dealing and led to Salich’s conviction.
• No Way Out, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column explains that Communist party membership is a lifetime commitment that cannot be easily abandoned. It warns that some Nisei attracted by liberalism may get caught in its grip.
• Toge’s New Assignment, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Toge Fujihira, a Seattle-born documentary cameraman, passed through Denver on a 10-week assignment filming Navajo, Pueblo and Hopi Indians. The column describes his previous travels and notes Nisei he met in Paris, Vermont and Liberia.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa describes his young son Pete’s adventurous exploits and interest in insects, and reflects on the hot Denver summer and the garden’s rapid growth. The personal column is lighthearted in tone.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column notes that a protocol matter prevented President Truman from receiving 92-year-old Yukio Ozaki at the White House. It also recalls JACL delegates who met Mrs. Roosevelt in 1943 and reports columnist Herb Caen’s campaign to restore the Japanese Tea Garden name in San Francisco.

In-Depth

• Operation Democracy, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Forty Nebraska editors volunteered to produce a special 40-page issue of the York Republican welcoming Ben Kuroki as its new publisher. The project, which generated record advertising and community goodwill, was organized by former Air Force comrade Cal Stewart.
• Vocational Problems Noted at Fifth JACL Convention, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. This ‘Do You Know?’ feature recalls the 1938 fifth biennial JACL convention in Los Angeles, which addressed rising vocational discrimination against college-educated Nisei. The convention adopted seventeen resolutions, including one petitioning Congress to allow alien Japanese to naturalize.

Arts & Entertainment

• Elyrian Spring, by Mary Oyama, page 5. This poem depicts a decaying house whose faded interior, untouched table and sewing box preserve the memory of a lost love. It evokes grief, time and the haunted solitude of its master.

Sports

• Wally Yonamine Moved to Third Spot, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Manager Earl Bolyard has moved Wally Yonamine to third in the batting order to take advantage of his power, and Yonamine is leading the regulars with a .336 average. The Bees have begun to climb out of the cellar after adding new players.
• Kitamura Will Play for Globetrotters, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dick Kitamura, shortstop for Colorado A&M, will play for the Harlem Globetrotters again this summer. The column also reports that Robert Takeshita’s purse was withheld pending an investigation after his knockout loss in Honolulu, and that the Oahu Bowling Association seeks readmission to the ABC.
• Higa May Get Trip to Great Britain, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian bantamweight Roy Higa could earn a trip to England if he performs well on the coast. The column also notes several Nisei athletic achievements, including Ray Fukuchi’s honorable mention and George Kawasaki’s hole-in-one.
• L.A. Bowlers Await Reply on Entry Bid, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Los Angeles Nisei bowlers must wait until August 1 for the Los Angeles City Bowling Association to consider their entry application. Henry Aihara also placed second in the regional AAU meet with a 23-foot-8-inch jump.
• Misaka Plays With Utah All-Star Cagers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wat Misaka played his first basketball in two years for the Utah College All-Stars, scoring two points as they beat the BYU alumni team 64 to 59 in Ogden. The former Knickerbocker is also a skilled golfer and bowler.
• Three Nisei Make All-Star Bowling Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Nisei bowlers, Chy Kawakami, Frank Tsuboi and Gish Endo, were chosen for the Oriental All-Star team that will meet the Detroit All-Stars in San Francisco. The Oriental team’s league average is 188.2.
• San Francisco City Bowling Group Will Admit Non-Whites, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco Bowling Association will follow the American Bowling Congress decision to drop its white-only membership clause. Secretary Edgar B. Cullen said the group will welcome bowlers regardless of race, color or creed.
• Okagaki Rates Mention on NCAA All-Coast Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Jose State second baseman Okagaki received honorable mention on the 1950 Pacific District NCAA All-Coast team. He is now playing for the San Jose Zebras.
• Nakamura Fans 22 as Zebras Best All-Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nakamura, who pitched for the Modesto Reds last year, struck out 22 batters and allowed only one hit as the San Jose Zebras beat the Aversenti Seasides 4 to 1. The game was played at Municipal Park.

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