Evacuation claims money, and a California land law refund fight

Vol. 34, No. 13, March 29, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

Money owed to Japanese Americans for wartime losses ran through this eight-page issue. A California assembly subcommittee held back a $486,170 appropriation to refund Nisei who settled Alien Land Law suits, and the front page reported that the Justice Department would keep accepting evacuation claim compromise offers past its March 22 deadline. A Senate subcommittee also stalled a $14,800,000 appropriation, and an editorial urged its approval. Mike Masaoka, the JACL ADC director, appeared in several of these stories. Elsewhere on the front page, the Walter omnibus immigration bill was postponed in the House.

Other pages cover Mary Oyama’s column on one world in Hollywood, Bill Hosokawa on furniture designer George Nakashima, and Elmer R. Smith on prejudice. The sports pages follow Ford Konno’s world record in the 1500-meter freestyle and Tommy Maeda, a Nisei jockey who won in Florida. Chapter news and the coming JACL convention in San Francisco fill the back pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Legislative Groups Withhold Action on Refund Payments in California Land Law Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California assembly subcommittee delayed action on a $486,170 appropriation to refund Nisei who settled Alien Land Law suits after a claimant company was accused of selling machinery to Manchuria. The subcommittee took the claims under advisement and planned to investigate the charges.
• State Assembly Asks Officials to Act Against Race Violence, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California State Assembly asked the President and attorneys general of the United States, California and Florida to curb mob violence and destruction of property. A second resolution asked for an investigation of police brutality.
• California Nisei Named to County Grand Jury Panel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roy Kobayashi of Santa Ana was impaneled on the 1952 Orange County Grand Jury, believed to be the first Nisei to serve on the body. The jurors were to meet April 2 for committee assignments.
• U.S. Official Asks Removal of Entry Bars, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State Department visa chief Herve J. L’Heureux urged passage of the Walter-McCarran omnibus immigration bill to end racial bars to entry and citizenship. He warned that continued Asian exclusion would undermine the Japanese peace treaty.
• Justice Department Agrees to Receive Compromise Offers on Claims for Time Being, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Justice Department will continue accepting evacuation claim compromise offers past the March 22 deadline because of a backlog of nearly 2,000 unassigned claims. JACL ADC director Mike Masaoka urged claimants to submit offers quickly before Senate action on funding.
• U.S. Citizenship Relinquished, Attorneys for Kawakita Will Argue Before Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorneys for Tomoya Kawakita, sentenced to death for treason, will argue before the Supreme Court on April 2 that he relinquished his U.S. citizenship in 1943. They also argue that his acts did not constitute treason under the Constitution.
• Oregon Solon Pays Tribute to Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Homer D. Angell of Oregon praised Japanese Americans from Multnomah County in the Congressional Record, citing the 442nd veterans and the posthumous Distinguished Service Cross for Sgt. Frank Hachiya. Hachiya was mortally wounded while trying to return to American lines after gathering intelligence on Leyte.
• Court Decision May Affect Proscribed Japanese Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Three alleged Communist-front organizations asked a federal judge to remove their names from the Attorney General’s subversive list. The JACL ADC noted the outcome could also affect 21 prewar Japanese organizations listed as totalitarian, whose membership has been grounds for deportation.
• Rep. McDonough Backs Bill to Aid Nisei Postal Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rep. Gordon L. McDonough testified in support of a bill restoring advancement and pay rights for Nisei postal workers evacuated during the war. Masaoka argued the legislation should be expanded to cover civil service employees and Hawaii Nisei.

Obituaries

• Utah Doctor Passes After Brief Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Hideo Henle Kato, a Nisei psychiatrist and former officer with the 82nd Airborne who served in Europe, died suddenly in Ogden, Utah, on March 27. He had practiced medicine in Ogden since 1946 and is survived by his parents and siblings.

Community

• Nisei Student Wins High Post at Radcliffe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gracia Taketa of Washington, D.C., was elected vice-president of the student body at Radcliffe College. She had won the National JACL’s Ben Masaoka memorial scholarship in 1950.
• Nisei Teacher Seeks Election to Party Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joseph Wakamatsu, a Los Angeles junior high teacher, filed as a candidate for the Democratic Central Committee of Los Angeles County. He is the first Nisei to file for a political post in the county since the war.
• Churchmen Join in Decrying Protests Against Home Sale, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Churchmen in Des Moines and West Des Moines condemned anonymous phone calls protesting the sale of a home to a Japanese American couple. Several pastors called the discrimination un-Christian.
• Japanese American Couple Assured of Welcome by Neighbors in Iowa Community, by P.C. Staff, page 2. James and Pearl Nishimura signed to buy a house in West Des Moines after neighbors and the seller expressed support following protest calls. The couple said they wanted assurance that the community truly wanted them.
• Address Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chester Oliver of Provo, Utah, seeks the present address of Roy Nakagawa, a former restaurant worker in Salt Lake City and Provo, on an insurance matter. Anyone with information is asked to contact him.
• Speaker Recalls ACLU’s Defense of Rights of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. At a Pasadena ACLU meeting, speakers including Mrs. Abe recalled the organization’s defense of Japanese American civil rights since Pearl Harbor. Patrick Murphy Malin, the ACLU’s national director, discussed threats to civil liberties from defense preparations.
• Issei Inmate Kills Self at San Quentin, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Touji Takani, 51, serving a manslaughter sentence, died by strangulation in the San Quentin hospital on March 20. He had made earlier suicide attempts and had been transferred there for psychiatric treatment.
• Plans Fourth Annual Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Placer County JACL will hold its fourth annual community picnic on April 6 at its recreation park in Penryn, Calif. The event will feature games, prizes, a queen contest, and a dance.
• Four Candidates Will Compete for Placer Queen Title, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four candidates will compete for the 1952 Placer County JACL picnic queen title on April 6, running independently rather than under club sponsorship. The contestants are Martha Iwasaki, Amy Maeda, Grace Sunada and Miwako Yoshikawa.
• Arizona Chapter Starts Campaign for Building Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Arizona JACL launched a drive to raise $6,000 for remodeling the Japanese Community Hall in Glendale, including new heating, ceilings, lavatories and lighting. Construction is to begin after the campaign ends April 15.
• Chicago Group Gauges Progress of Nisei Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The community relations committee of the Chicago Resettlers met to assess Japanese American participation in community affairs and use of recreational facilities. Speakers included William Gremley and Abe Hagiwara.
• Select California School Girl for Freedom Award Junket, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lucille Kaneko, a 14-year-old Nisei student at Menlo-Atherton High School, will travel to Valley Forge with her former teacher on an all-expenses-paid trip. The trip honors her former elementary class’s Freedom Foundation award.
• Outing at JACL Convention Planned for Peninsula Ranch, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 12th Biennial National JACL Convention outing will be held June 29 at the Pink Horse Ranch near Los Altos. Planned activities include games, swimming, dinner, a talent show and a dance.
• Cincinnati Chapter Holds Meeting, Potluck Supper, by P.C. Staff, page 8. About 80 persons attended the Cincinnati JACL potluck supper and general meeting on March 16. Speaker Horst Danielis described education and life in Germany under Hitler, and the chapter announced its tentative schedule and committee appointments.
• Ishimaru Presents Masaoka’s Creed to Issei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Haruo Ishimaru presented a framed copy of the Japanese American Creed to the Japanese American Society of Palo Alto at its Pioneer Recognition Banquet. He credited Issei women with much of the JACL’s success.
• Urge Designers to Enter JACL Fashion Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The JACL invited dress designers to enter a design contest at the June 1952 national convention in San Francisco, with prizes in five clothing categories. Entries are judged on originality, fabric, style, workmanship, fit and color.
• Nisei Named President of School District, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Lee Murata of Fort Lupton, Colo., was appointed president of the Vollmar School District, believed to be the first Nisei to hold such a post in the continental United States. He was named to fill a vacancy.
• West LA Chapter Plans Square Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The West Los Angeles JACL will hold a meeting featuring square dancing and a film, Tokyo 1945-51, at the Japanese School on March 29. The film depicts changes in Japan under the American occupation.
• Corp. Ewing Family Gains Entry to U.S. Under Private Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ewing family, of Corporal Gerald E. Ewing, was admitted to the United States after a private bill introduced by Rep. Cecil R. King became law. The family thanked the JACL-ADC for its help.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Officer Is ‘Most Decorated’ Korea Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Capt. Kanemitsu Ito, a 442nd veteran from Walnut Grove, Calif., has been awarded three Silver Stars for action in Korea, believed to make him the most decorated American soldier of the war. He is an instructor at Camp Roberts.
• Army Reports Nisei Soldier Hurt in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported Pfc. George Yoshida of Los Angeles as the only Nisei casualty in Korea in the past two weeks. He was listed as wounded in action.
• Valor Award Given Soldier Killed in War, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Army Corporal Jack S. Tsuboi of Oakland was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for heroism after he was killed by an anti-tank mine in Korea on December 1. He exposed himself to mortar fire to recover a damaged tank.

Commentary

• House Indefinitely Postpones Action on Walter Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. House consideration of the Walter omnibus immigration bill was postponed after opponents threatened numerous amendments that could delay debate past the Easter recess. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka called the tactics filibuster-like.
• Opposition in Subcommittee Temporarily Stalls Funds for Compromise Claims Payment, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Justice Department officials testified in support of a $14,800,000 supplemental appropriation for evacuation claims compromise payments, but Sen. Homer Ferguson led opposition in the Senate subcommittee. JACL ADC director Mike Masaoka said he remained optimistic the funds would be approved.
• Money for Claims Payments, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges Senate subcommittee members to approve the $14.8 million supplemental appropriation for evacuation claims once they understand the program’s history. It also praises the Justice Department’s efforts to process claims quickly.
• A Number of Firsts, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes several recent firsts for Japanese Americans, including a Nisei heading a school district and Nisei candidates for office in California. It argues such firsts will become unremarkable once Nisei achieve full equality.
• Race Bigots in Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns racial restrictions in housing, citing the Sing Sheng, Gary and Nishimura incidents. It argues that a Laurenti study found race did not depress property values in San Francisco neighborhoods.
• Good Will, Ltd., by P.C. Staff, page 5. Marine Sgt. Jesse Teverbaugh, a Nisei decorated in Korea, was denied admission to a Washington theater despite a good will pass. After the theater apologized, the NAACP urged the Defense Department to end such discrimination against servicemen.
• Tokyo Rose Column: One World in Hollywood, by Mary Oyama, page 5. Mary Oyama describes a Los Angeles community where children of different races attend the same Japanese American church and a Mexican American girl learns Japanese. She also reflects on the fate of a former soldier named Mory who had struggled after the war.
• Magazine Features Nakashima, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes a lavish House & Home magazine feature on Nisei furniture designer George Nakashima and his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The article traces Nakashima’s path from Seattle through the war and his evolution as a craftsman.
• Box-Score on Race Relations: A ‘Thing’ Called Prejudice, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Elmer R. Smith defines prejudice as a prejudgment and summarizes studies showing that prejudice is widespread among children and typically acquired from parents before age 18. He notes that religious training and contact between races do not reliably reduce prejudice.
• Coast Lawyer Group Will Ask for Release of Tokyo Rose, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Francisco National Lawyers Guild asked the Supreme Court to review Iva Toguri d’Aquino’s treason conviction, arguing the long delay in prosecution denied her a speedy trial. Mrs. d’Aquino is serving a ten-year sentence.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Woman Scientist Risks Life Below Ocean’s Surface, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Eugenie Clark, a young Japanese American ichthyologist, has made numerous underwater dives studying fish, including poisonous species. She discovered a method of artificial insemination of fishes and holds a Saxton fellowship to write a book about her work.
• A Merry Carrousel, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A poem reflecting on sunlight, architecture, and the spirit of people moving through a city street. It contrasts the dry harsh curb with the generous human spirit.

Sports

• Nisei Entries Lose in Boxing Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei boxers Harry Fujimoto, Gil Inaba and Ed Sato all lost their first-round matches at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate tournament. Victor Kobe, a previously reported Nisei, was in fact not Nisei.
• Coach Lists Oyakawa as Olympic Prospect, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Michigan coach Matt Mann counts on Ford Konno of Ohio State to lead U.S. middle-distance swimmers at the Olympics and rates Nisei Yoshi Oyakawa as a top backstroker. Japan is expected to be a strong competitor.
• Four Hawaii Nisei Girls Will Try for Olympic Games Team, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Four Nisei girl swimmers from Hawaii, members of the 1950 national AAU champion team, are seeking spots on the U.S. Olympic team. Evelyn Kawamoto, a three-time national champion, is the strongest candidate.
• Konno Breaks World Record in 1500 Win, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Hiroshi Konno of Ohio State, a freshman from Honolulu, won the 1500-meter freestyle at the NCAA swimming championships in a world-record time of 18:15.5. He overtook the field from 40 yards back.
• James Watanabe Honored by Legion for Baseball Work, by P.C. Staff, page 7. James Watanabe and Stan Millken received citations from the American Legion Ontario post for their contributions to junior baseball. The awards were presented at a banquet on March 15.
• Nisei Jockey Brings Long Shot Home in Florida, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tommy Maeda, a 17-year-old Nisei jockey from Hawaii, became the first Japanese American jockey to win a race in Florida when he rode Air Pine to victory at Gulfstream Park. The horse paid $72.40 to win.
• 4-Man Team Wins Tourney Overtime Tilt, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago All-Stars defeated the Idaho Falls JACL 64-63 in overtime with only four players on the floor, in the closest game of the Intermountain JACL basketball tournament. The San Francisco Chinese Saints also won easily.
• Seabrook Bowlers Win Intercity Handicap Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Seabrook, N.J. C team won the team championship at the East Coast Nisei intercity bowling meet in New York on March 16. Frank Kawakami of the New York Merchants had the high series in scratch play.
• Hirota Homers But Tokyo Giants Lose in Twelfth, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Nisei catcher Jyun Hirota hit a ninth-inning home run to tie a Tokyo Giants game with the Mainichi Orions, but the Orions won in the 12th inning. Hirota, who arrived in Japan with Wally Yonamine, was the hitting star.

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