Immigration bill and evacuation claims, April 1952

Vol. 34, No. 15, April 12, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

Two legislative efforts shaped the news in this eight-page issue. House Majority Floor Leader John McCormack promised that the Walter omnibus immigration and naturalization bill would be taken up after the Easter recess, and the State Department reportedly urged quick action. On evacuation claims, the House passed $745,000 for the 1953 budget, while the Senate Appropriations Committee dropped a $14,800,000 allotment, and Mike Masaoka vowed to restore it. Masaoka then left on a West Coast trip to confer with JACL officials. An editorial argued for federal civil rights legislation, and Larry Tajiri, Elmer R. Smith and Bill Hosokawa wrote the columns.

Other pages report Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star awards to Nisei soldiers, and Sagie Nishioka’s job offer from the Oregon State Tax Commission. Denver led JACL chapters in membership. Sports coverage follows Hiroshi Konno’s AAU titles, boxing results and Tommy Kono’s weightlifting win.

What’s in this issue

National

• House Floor Leader Says Walter Omnibus Bill to Be Acted on After Recess, by P.C. Staff, page 1. House Majority Floor Leader John McCormack promised Congressman Francis Walter that the omnibus immigration and naturalization bill would be considered after the Easter recess. The State Department reportedly urged prompt action because the legislation is vital to American foreign policy in the Far East.
• Senate Committee Drops Fund for Compromise Payments From Supplemental Budget, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Appropriations Committee removed the $14,800,000 allotment for evacuation claims payments from the supplemental budget bill. JACL’s Mike Masaoka vowed to restore the funding during Senate floor debate and conference.
• Attorneys Ask Court Review for Kawakita, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorneys for Tomoya Kawakita appealed his treason conviction, which carries the death penalty, before the U.S. Supreme Court on April 2. They argued he lost U.S. citizenship through residence in Japan.
• Masaoka Plans Conferences on West Coast Trip, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka left Washington on a flying trip to the West Coast to confer with JACL officials on evacuation claims and the Walter-McCarran omnibus bill. His itinerary included Chicago, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Community

• Denver JACL Tops All Chapters in Current Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Denver JACL has signed 499 members to date, the largest membership among JACL chapters, surpassing its 1951 record. San Francisco and Sacramento follow with 354 and 238 members respectively.
• Martha Iwasaki Crowned Queen at Placer Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Martha Iwasaki of Roseville was crowned queen at the 4th annual Placer JACL picnic attended by roughly 5,000 people. She will represent Placer County at the Miss Homecoming elimination ball for the national convention.
• Samoans Fly Pacific to Work on Nisei Grower’s Farms, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Frank Namimatsu, a Nisei celery grower, brought 29 Samoan workers by plane to San Francisco to address a labor shortage in the Santa Clara Valley. The 46 workers were contracted for 29 months.
• Eastbay JACL Hears Credit Union Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eastbay JACL chapter heard a representative explain the Cal-Neva JACL Credit Union, which offers insured low-interest loans to JACL members for medical bills, home expenses, education and other needs. A social hour followed.
• Baby Named Gary as Tribute to Indiana’s Steel City, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Kitahara family named their son Gary Reuben in honor of Gary, Indiana, where they found friendship after relocating from wartime camps. The Gary Post-Tribune praised the gesture in an editorial.

Incarceration & Redress

• Promise Settlement Claimants May Have Corporation Interests to Notify Government, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Evacuee claimants who settled personal evacuation losses may still have pending corporate loss claims. JACL advises them to notify the Department of Justice before accepting or cashing any government check.
• House Passes 1953 Budget of $745,000 to Carry Out Evacuation Claims Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved $745,000 for the 1953 fiscal year budget of the evacuation claims program, of which $500,000 is earmarked for claims and $245,000 for administration. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Military & Veterans

• DSC Accepted By Mother for Son Lost in War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Koto Nakamura of Chicago accepted the posthumous Distinguished Service Cross for her son Pfc. Wataru Nakamura, who died heroically in Korea. The medal was presented at Navy Pier by Col. Thomas F. Joyce.
• Nisei War Hero Receives DSC in Hawaii Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. 1st Cl. Henry Hideo Yoda of Honolulu received the Distinguished Service Cross at Tripler Hospital for extraordinary heroism near Chorwon, where he was seriously wounded. He had previously been awarded a Silver Star.
• California Nisei Wins Second Combat Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Frank Matsushima of Los Angeles received the Silver Star for saving a fellow soldier in Korea by absorbing a grenade blast. He was also awarded the Bronze Star for his wounds and continued action.
• Silver Star Given GI Who Received Frontline Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 3. 2nd Lt. Toshio Aoyagi received the Silver Star at Schofield Barracks for singlehandedly assaulting an enemy bunker in Korea. He was cited for killing three enemy soldiers and capturing two others.
• Disabled Nisei Veteran Takes Oregon State Agency Offer, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sagie Nishioka, a disabled 442nd veteran, accepted a junior accountant position with the Oregon State Tax Commission after it had initially passed him over because of his Japanese ancestry. The reversal followed public protests and pressure from Governor Douglas McKay.
• Nisei Soldier Dies in Nevada Hunting Mishap, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pvt. Tohoru Nishikawa, 23, of Los Angeles was accidentally shot and killed while rabbit hunting near Ely, Nevada, when a revolver discharged during a hunting trip. The district attorney is investigating the shooting.
• Legion Urges Congressman to Back Omnibus Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The American Legion national executive committee urged key congressional leaders to bring the Walter-McCarran immigration and naturalization bills up for early debate and favorable action. Commander Donald R. Wilson sent telegrams to legislative leaders.

Arts & Entertainment

• “Rashomon” Profits Will Aid Finch’s Scholarship Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Daiei Motion Picture Company president Masaichi Nagata offered Earl Finch a share of the profits from the film Rashomon to fund a scholarship program for Japanese students to study in Hawaii. Profits from American showings were projected at $500,000 to $700,000 over two years.

JACL

• JACL Brochure Now Ready for National Distribution, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 20-page JACL public relations brochure, Por Better Americans in a Greater America, is now available for distribution. It tells the story of Japanese Americans and the JACL’s role in the fight for equal citizenship.

Obituaries

• Radio Engineer Dies in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George M. Ohi, 42, a radio engineer and former resident of Seattle and Los Angeles, died suddenly of a heart attack on March 25 at Lutheran Hospital in New York. He is survived by his wife Ayako Yuasa Ohi of Seattle.

Commentary

• Need for Civil Rights Legislation, page 4. The editorial cites recent bombings and racial attacks in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago and elsewhere, noting that local authorities rarely apprehend or convict perpetrators. It argues that federal civil rights legislation defining citizens’ rights and granting enforcement power is urgently needed.
• Nisei in Manhattan, by Roku Sugahara, page 4. A brief note announcing that Roku Sugahara’s column will resume in the April 19 issue. This entry is not substantive and should be disregarded.
• Politics Is Hard Work, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri argues that politics is a daily profession requiring citizen participation, not just election-year enthusiasm. He surveys the 1952 presidential field and notes Nisei interest in candidates’ positions on civil rights.
• The High Cost of Prejudice, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Smith examines the social, political, economic and psychological costs of prejudice and discrimination. He argues that prejudice harms both majorities and minorities and undermines America’s standing with other nations.
• A Letter for Mike, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts how his young son Mike received a gift of foreign stamps from an anonymous Chicago sender after the column mentioned his hobby. The piece reflects on the value of stamp collecting for a child.

Sports

• Konno Scores AAU Triple, Wins National Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hiroshi Konno of Ohio State and Honolulu won three National AAU indoor titles and completed a grand slam in the 1500-meter freestyle. His performances placed him among the all-time greats of U.S. swimming.
• Marshall Not Washed Up, Says Coach, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yale coach Bob Kiphuth insists that John Marshall remains capable of beating Ford Konno and Hironoshin Furuhashi. He attributes Marshall’s recent losses to worrying about opponents and starting too fast.
• Maekawa Loses by KO in AAU Tourney Finals, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Choken Maekawa of Hawaii was stopped by David Moore in the 119-pound final of the National AAU boxing tournament in Boston. He had reached the finals with a decision win over Edgar Perkins.
• Kuboyama Wins Flyweight Title at NCAA Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Roy Kuboyama became the first University of Hawaii athlete to win an NCAA boxing championship by beating Vic Kobe of Idaho State. He earned a spot in the U.S. Olympic team trials.
• Kono, Izumi Win California State Lifting Crowns, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tommy Kono of Sacramento won the California AAU weightlifting title in the 148-pound division with a 780-pound total. Fellow Sacramento Nisei Kaz Izumi took the 182-pound championship.
• Baseball Fanatic: Yosh Kawano Hiked 30 Miles Through Jungle to Ball Game, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yosh Kawano, the Chicago Cubs clubhouse boy, is a devoted baseball fan who once walked 30 miles through jungle to see a game during his wartime service. He remains a popular figure with major league players.
• Umeda Will Fight Teran on April 22, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tommy Umeda, a 442nd veteran, will meet Keeny Teran in a featured bout at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Umeda had earlier been refused entry to Australia until his veteran status was publicized.
• Placer JACL Opens League Season Soon, by Homer Takahashi, page 6. The Placer JACL semi-pro baseball team begins its second season in the Placer-Nevada league against Nevada City. The Nisei squad was recently admitted to full league membership based on last year’s showing.

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