Go for Broke! premieres and a West Point first for Hawaii

Vol. 32, No. 18, May 12, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Pvt. Kenneth Kiyoshi Ikeda of Honolulu, the first Nisei from Hawaii appointed to the U.S. Military Academy, led the front page. Alongside it, MGM’s Go for Broke!, a film about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, drew attention in two places: Lawrence Nakatsuka reported on its world premiere in Honolulu on May 4, and the front page described plans for the Washington premiere on May 17. Evacuation claims ran through the issue too, with a California Assembly committee approving a bill to return compromise escheat payments and Mike Masaoka urging Congress to adopt a compromise amendment to the claims act.

Opinion pages include editorials on the California Legislature’s defeat of the FEPC bill, columns by Bill Hosokawa and Mary Oyama, and Elmer R. Smith on group identification among minorities. Sports fill most of pages 6 and 7, from a no-hit game by Henry Tominaga to Placer JACL’s 28-0 win. Page 8 carries chapter news from Fresno, San Mateo, Salt Lake City and Tacoma.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• First Japanese American from Hawaii Appointed to U.S. Military Academy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Kenneth Kiyoshi Ikeda of Honolulu was appointed by Delegate Joseph Farrington to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, becoming the first Nisei from Hawaii to receive the appointment. The selection followed the failure of the originally designated candidates, and Ikeda’s record at the West Point preparatory school made his admission automatic.
• Nisei Corporal Is Honor Soldier at Fort Lawton, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Corp. Michiyoshi H. Nakamura, a World War II veteran and enlisted reservist, was named Soldier of the Month at Fort Lawton. He served five years in the European Theater and holds the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart with Cluster.
• Three Nisei GIs Killed in Action in Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported Nisei casualties in Korea, including three soldiers killed in action, one who died of wounds, and several wounded or returned to duty. The notices were relayed to the JACL-ADC by the Department of Defense.
• Nisei Nurse Will Be Hostess on Canada Air Line, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Masako Hikida, a Winnipeg graduate nurse, became Canada’s first airline stewardess of Japanese ancestry with Trans-Canada Airlines. She expects assignment on a Montreal route after receiving her uniform.
• 442nd Veterans Plan Hollywood Bowl Skit With Van Johnson, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifteen decorated 442nd veterans will join Van Johnson in a skit from Go for Broke! at the Hollywood Bowl’s I Am an American Day program on May 20. The announcement highlights the film’s continued promotion.
• Nisei Interpreters Teach Japanese to GIs in Nippon, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei GI interpreters from the California National Guard are conducting an informal Japanese language school for soldiers of the 40th Infantry Division in northern Japan. The division recently arrived from Camp Cooke, California.

Incarceration & Redress

• Assembly Committee Approves Bill to Return Escheat Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California Assembly judiciary committee unanimously approved Assembly Bill 2611, which would return roughly $419,000 in compromise escheat settlement payments to Japanese Americans. The JACL-ADC argued the Alien Land Law enforcement was racially discriminatory and that the payments imposed undue hardship on citizens after the wartime evacuation.
• Court Refuses Citizenship for Two Strandees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge William M. Byrne denied restoration of citizenship to two Los Angeles Nisei who served in the Japanese army during World War II. He ruled that unless they showed resistance to induction, their American citizenship must be forfeited.
• Central California Chapters Support Compromise on Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California JACL district council endorsed compromise settlements to speed evacuation claims payments, noting claimants’ difficulty documenting losses. The council also heard legislative updates, approved constitutional amendments, and set plans for Go for Broke showings.
• Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Review Citizen Status Of Tule Lake Renunciants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Both the government and renunciants have appealed a Ninth Circuit decision that partially reversed Judge Louis Goodman’s 1948 ruling restoring citizenship to 4,315 Tule Lake renunciants. The appeals court limited automatic restoration to minors, incompetents, and certain adults, requiring others to prove loyalty individually.
• Three Private Bills To Admit Fiancees Passed by Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The House Judiciary Committee approved private bills to admit three Japanese fiancees of American citizens: Tetsuko Hidaka, Shizu Terauchi Parks, and Kimi Hatano. The JACL-ADC noted that fiancees can only enter through special legislation because the Soldier Brides Act covers only brides and minor children of servicemen.

Community

• Little Reiko Sunami Named Child Health Queen of New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reiko Sunami, four and a half years old and daughter of photographer Soichi Sunami, was crowned child health queen of New York City. She was rated top by doctors who examined 700 pre-school finalists in a contest sponsored by the Children’s Aid Society.
• Janet Sunada Elected President of 50-50 Club, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Janet Sunada was elected president of the 50-50 Club of the Federated Church in Reno, succeeding Harold Biegler. The church social group held the election at a recent meeting.
• Robert Mukai Wins Treasurer Post at Utah U. Election, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Robert Mukai of Ogden, Utah, was elected student body treasurer at the University of Utah. He is also a member of the debating team and the varsity wrestling team.
• Mrs. Teresa Matsudaira Named Catholic Mother of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Teresa Matsudaira, 49, of Seattle was named Catholic Mother of the Year by the Catholic Conference on Family Life. She is the mother of 13 children and was relocated with her family to the Minidoka center during the evacuation.
• Reno JACL Joins in International Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Reno JACL took part in the YWCA’s third annual international festival at the University of Nevada gymnasium, staffing a booth with flower arrangements, cookies, and clerking duties. The chapter’s booth and a hula performance were among the highlights.
• Buddhists Schedule Eastern Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Buddhist League will hold its eastern convention in Chicago June 29 through July 1, according to general chairman George Katahira. Planned activities include an oratorical contest, business sessions, a banquet, and a sightseeing tour.
• Head-on Auto Collision Kills Nisei Nurse, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Suzie Misuzu Hasegawa, a 22-year-old Hayward Nisei student nurse, was killed with two other nurses in a head-on collision near Avenal, California. A fourth nurse was critically injured in the May 3 accident.
• 29 Cleveland Nisei Reported in Service, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland JACL chapter compiled information showing 29 Cleveland Nisei serving in the U.S. armed forces. Lt. Gene Takahashi, wounded in Korea, has returned to the United States for recovery at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
• Fresno JACL Will Sponsor Annual Issei Night, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Fresno American Loyalty League will host its third annual Issei Night on May 26 at Lincoln Auditorium, with performances, films, and honors for Issei leaders in ADC fund drives. Tom Kamikawa is general chairman of the event.
• French Camp JACL Plans Mother’s Day Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The French Camp JACL women’s auxiliary will honor mothers of the community with a Mother’s Day party on May 12 at the French Camp Hall. Entertainment, games, and refreshments are planned.
• Salt Lake Church Slates Annual Oriental Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake Japanese Church of Christ will present its third annual Oriental Festival on June 1 and 2, with a Japanese garden, Oriental food, dances, judo and kendo demonstrations, and art displays. Nobu Miyoshi is general chairman.
• San Mateo JACL Plans Blood Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Mateo County JACL decided at a cabinet meeting to hold a blood donor drive for the armed forces, a Memorial Day service at Golden Gate National Cemetery, and a benefit movie on June 2. Chapter leaders assigned chairmen for each project.
• Set Wedding Date, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Setsuko Takeshita, a San Mateo County JACL leader, will marry Shigeo Hioki of San Jose on May 20 at the San Jose Buddhist Church. Takeshita is a past president of the Avalons and chairman of the San Mateo United Fellowship.
• Northwest Council Delegates Hold Meeting in Tacoma, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Delegates to the Pacific Northwest JACL District Council met in Tacoma and urged compromise settlements for evacuation claims, with Sam Ishikawa speaking on the issue. The council passed resolutions on appropriations, compromise settlements, and congressional pressure, and selected committee members.
• Mrs. Yamasaki Leaves Washington Office, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Lorraine Yamasaki, a four-year secretary in the Washington JACL-ADC office, is leaving to take other employment. She has long been active in the Washington chapter as an officer.
• Yasui Plans Field Trip to Southern Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Min Yasui, JACL regional director for the Mountain Plains area, will tour the South and Southwest from May 18 for a month to seek support for the JACL-ADC program. His itinerary covers numerous Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Southern cities.
• San Diego Nisei Reorganizing Of JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Diego JACL held its first general meeting to reorganize the local chapter, with emphasis on social and community matters. Moto Asakawa presided over the meeting at the local Buddhist church.
• Salt Lake JACL Picked As Convention City, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Salt Lake City was selected as host for the Intermountain JACL district council convention on November 23 under chairman Mae Kuroda. Committee chairmen were named for registration, bowling, food, and other events.
• Omaha Officials Thank Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Omaha officials, including Governor Val Peterson and City Commissioner H.B. Berquist, sent thank-you letters to the Omaha JACL for its invitation to a recent dinner-dance. The letters acknowledged the chapter’s hospitality.

National

• Vice-President Barkley Heads Guest List for Washington Premiere of Go For Broke!, by P.C. Staff, page 1. MGM’s Go For Broke, a film about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, will have its east coast premiere in Washington on May 17 with congressional leaders, cabinet members, and Pentagon officials invited. Stars and writer-director Robert Pirosh will attend, and Mike Masaoka will present scrolls from 442nd veterans.
• House Judiciary Committee Approves Bill to Restore Citizen Rights of Two Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved private bills to restore citizenship to Dorothy Fumie Maeda and Mrs. Shizue Sakurada, two Hawaii-born Nisei women who voted in Japanese elections while stranded in Japan. The JACL-ADC noted that about 50 similar cases have been restored through courts and that broader legislation is pending for roughly 2,000 Nisei expatriates.
• Senate Approves Compensation for Victim of Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Senate passed a bill paying $7,500 to the heirs of Yoshio Fukunaga of Honolulu, a civilian Army employee killed in a 1948 Army bus accident in Tokyo. The bill now goes to the President.
• California Seeks Repeal of Mixed Marriage Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill sponsored by Assemblyman George Collins to repeal the state’s mixed marriage prohibition. The measure would bring the Civil Code into line with a State Supreme Court ruling that the ban was unconstitutional.
• Yamato Faces Gambling Quiz By Grand Jury, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Denver employment agency operator Eddie K. Yamato was subpoenaed to appear before a Federal Grand Jury in Kansas City about bookmaking activities with St. Louis betting commissioners. Yamato denied the scale of betting reported by police in 1949.
• Name of Nisei Poultryman Cited in California Spy Case, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The name of former Los Angeles poultryman Ichiro Ted Miwa surfaced in the arrest of college instructor Clarence Vetterli on perjury charges tied to a 1949 Communist espionage investigation. Federal authorities allege Vetterli funded Miwa’s 1941 trip to Japan, which Vetterli denies.
• California Assembly Committee Defeats Fair Employment Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California Assembly committee on governmental efficiency and economy voted 15-2 against a Fair Employment Practices bill, and also rejected Governor Warren’s study-commission proposal. JACL-ADC West Coast director Sam Ishikawa testified in favor of strong FEP legislation.
• JACL Urges Early Action on Compromise Amendment to Evacuation Claims Act, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mike Masaoka urged Congress to adopt a compromise amendment letting claimants accept up to $2,500 or three-quarters of compensable claims without lengthy adjudication. He argued the current pace would leave claims unpaid for decades and cost the government more.

Arts & Entertainment

• Postpone Action on Proposal To Reinstate Liquor License, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Assembly committee on boards and commissions postponed for two weeks action on A.B. 1582, which would reinstate liquor licenses revoked from persons of Japanese ancestry in 1941. JACL-ADC witnesses called the revocations racial discrimination, while some committee members raised loyalty concerns.
• ‘Go for Broke!’ Acclaim Given at Glittering World Premiere in Honolulu, by LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 3. The Hawaii world premiere of MGM’s Go for Broke! on May 4 drew about 5,000 people, with star Van Johnson greeted enthusiastically and four Hawaii Nisei cast members honored. The reviewer praised the film for portraying Nisei soldiers as individuals rather than stereotypes and for distinguishing Hawaii and mainland Nisei experiences.
• Philadelphia JACL Holds Forum on Military Training Program, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Philadelphia JACL held a forum debating whether the U.S. should adopt a permanent universal military training program. Panelists and audience members engaged in a spirited question and answer session.

Commentary

• Subversives List, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines a Supreme Court ruling that the Attorney General cannot list organizations as subversive without a hearing, noting the ramifications for Issei with past membership in Japanese organizations. It argues that the arbitrary classification of defunct community groups warrants correction.
• The California Legislature, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes the California Assembly committee for defeating the Rumford FEPC bill 15-2 and the Warren-Maloney study proposal, calling the state’s reluctance to address racial discrimination a failure. It notes the state’s discriminatory legacy including the Alien Land Law and miscegenation statute.
• Box-Score on Race Relations: Group Identification Tendency Strengthened by Reaction of Minorities to Race Prejudice, by ELMER R. SMITH, page 4. Elmer Smith analyzes how Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Filipinos, and American Indians develop group identification in response to prejudice and exclusion. He argues that such group organizations compensate for exclusion from majority community life, a pattern also seen among Japanese Americans.
• From Here to Eternity, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A reviewer assesses James Jones’s bestselling novel From Here to Eternity, praising its authentic army life portrayal while noting its length and philosophizing. The review also comments on the Nisei girlfriend character Violet Ogure and on the difficulties Nisei writers face in producing novels.
• The Frying Pan: Odds and Ends, by BILL HOSOKAWA, page 6. Bill Hosokawa offers a miscellany of observations on Japanese composers, Japanese industry’s reputation, his backyard garden, and a remark about marriage. The column ranges across personal anecdotes and commentary on Japanese products.
• Small Fry’s Paradise, by MARY OYAMA, page 6. Mary Oyama describes a family visit to Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, detailing the Ghost Town attractions and restaurant fare. She concludes by noting a sailor she observed, reflecting on wartime anxieties.

Sports

• Wrestler Nominated for Illinois Award, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yukio Matsumoto, a University of Illinois Chicago campus athlete, was nominated for the school’s athlete of the year award by wrestling coach Dean Ryan. The brief also covers other Nisei sports results including golf, track, and bowling.
• Two Nisei Act as Villains on Mat, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Professional wrestlers Masaru Iwamoto as Mr. Moto and George Okumura as The Great Togo play villains on television at promoters’ insistence, prompting concern that their roles encourage anti-Asian sentiment. The article notes both are popular and well regarded outside the ring.
• Promoter May Import Three Sumo Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. An American promoter plans to bring three Japanese sumo wrestlers on tour, including the 320-pound Maedayama. The item also notes Nisei wrestlers Hal Sakata and Tor Yamato are touring together.
• Isono Loses Well-Pitched Game, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Herb Isono pitched well but University High lost 1-0 in extra innings to Los Angeles High. The brief also reports results for other Nisei high school and college players across the West.
• Bill Nishita May Pitch for Honolulu Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bill Nishita is expected to pitch for the Honolulu Braves in the Hawaii Baseball League this summer after the territory dropped its racial rule. Nishita also recently pitched California to a 5-4 win over Stanford in an earlier outing.
• Kitamura Saves Game With Four Pitches, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Colorado A&M shortstop Dick Kitamura came in to pitch in the ninth inning against Colorado and struck out the only batter needed to preserve an 11-10 win. The article notes his previous pro contract offer and Skyline title contribution.
• Tominaga Hurls No-Run, No-Hit Win for Springfield, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Henry Tominaga, a Honolulu sophomore pitcher, threw a no-run, no-hit game in his first varsity start for Springfield College, defeating American International College 3-0. Tominaga had previously been a high school pitching star in Hawaii.
• Tab Yoshioka As Next World Lifting Titlist, by P.C. Staff, page 7. George Yoshioka of the Nuuanu YMCA equaled a national record in the clean and jerk at the Territorial AAU championships and is tipped as a future world champion. Emerick Ishikawa also returned to competition and won the 148-pound title.
• Sam Takeda Wins Marbles Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sam Takeda won the marbles championship of the Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985 tournament, which selected a local entrant for the VFW district tournament. Howard Nishio and Hide Noguchi placed second and third.
• Placer JACL Triumphs 28 to 0 in Opening Home Game, by HOMER TAKAHASHI, page 7. Placer JACL routed Grass Valley 28-0 in a Placer-Nevada League home opener at Auburn, setting a league scoring record. George Goto pitched six no-hit innings and the Nisei team committed only two errors.
• Nisei Captain Leads Team to Relays Victory, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Captain Goto led Nampa High School to the championship of the fourth annual Rupert relays in Idaho, winning the low hurdles. The victory came in the Big Six conference event, with Nampa taking five first-place finishes.
• Three Nisei Help Elk Grove Win, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Three Nisei athletes, Roy Matsuzaki, Sam Yamamura, and J. Inouye, contributed to Elk Grove High School’s Sacramento County League track championship. Inouye won both hurdle events and Matsuzaki and Yamamura placed in multiple events.
• Beat Tulare Aztecs, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Fresno Nisei All-Stars, claimants to the national Nisei baseball title, won their third straight game with a 9-8 victory over the Tulare Aztecs. Fresno is scheduled to play the Parlier Nisei All-Stars next.
• Tuxedo Cafe Wins Temple Section of Champion of Champions Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Tuxedo Cafe bowling team, champions of the Wasatch League, won the Temple alleys section of the Salt Lake Champion of Champions tournament by defeating Schubach’s in the finals. The team will meet the winner of the Ritz alleys for the city championship.

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