Evacuation claims legislation and a citizenship case in the Ninth Circuit

Vol. 40, No. 7, February 18, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Evacuation claims led this 8-page issue. A Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims was preparing legislation so that internee losses from the 1942 evacuation could be considered, and Washington representative Mike Masaoka explained why new authorization was needed. George Inagaki reported that remaining West Coast claimants favored a new plan. The Bureau of the Budget asked for $200,000 to administer the claims program. Also on the front page, Judge William Denman petitioned the Ninth Circuit to reconsider a citizenship case involving two China-born children.

Columns include Harry K. Honda on civil defense, Larry Tajiri on Hawaiian and Alaskan statehood, Bill Hosokawa on a dry Denver winter, and Henry Mori on a proposed Oriental Culture Center in Los Angeles. Readers will also find chapter news from Oakland, Stockton and Redwood City, plans for the EDC-MDC convention in Washington, and a history of the National JACL Bowling Tournament.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Evacuation Claims Committee to Recommend Internee Claims Be Considered in New Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims is preparing legislation that would authorize consideration of internee losses directly resulting from the 1942 evacuation. Washington representative Mike Masaoka said special authorization is needed because the Justice Department ruled that internee claims cannot be considered under current statute.
• Fresno Area Claimants in Favor of New Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Inagaki, chairman of the new Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims, reported that remaining West Coast claimants generally favor seeking new legislation for compromise of large claims. He visited major Issei and Nisei centers across the coast before reporting at the NC-WNDC quarterly session.
• Ask $200,000 for Evacuation Claims Administration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Bureau of the Budget included $200,000 in the 1956 federal budget to administer the Japanese American Evacuation Claims section of the Justice Department. The item will be considered first by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of State, Justice and Commerce.
• Claimant Who Held Civil Service Job as Personal Property Nixed Second Time, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Justice Department issued a new precedent decision denying an evacuation claim for lost state civil service wages, rejecting the argument that the position constituted personal property. The ruling also held that the claimant could not show measurable economic loss apart from inability to earn salary.

National

• Judge Denman Steps Down from Bench to Plea for Citizenship Case for Chinese, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge William Denman, chief judge of the Ninth Circuit, petitioned the full court to reconsider its decision denying citizenship to two China-born children of a Chinese American. The case, considered a test for more than 700 similar petitions, turns on whether courts must accept oral testimony when documentary proof is unavailable.
• New Bill Seeks to Redistribute Surplus Immigration Quotas Each Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Leroy Johnson of Stockton introduced a bill allowing the President to redistribute unused immigration quotas to overpopulated countries without changing the total number admitted. The bill would repeal Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
• Rep. McDonough Urges Army to Keep Gen. Ogden as Okinawa Deputy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Gordon McDonough contacted Army Secretary Robert Stevens urging retention of Major General D. A. D. Ogden as Deputy Governor of Okinawa. The recommendation came from Gongoro Nakamura of Los Angeles after a personal visit to Okinawa.
• Okinawan Society of N.Y. Files Corporation Papers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Okinawan Society, a nonprofit group providing relief and rehabilitation in the Ryukyus, was incorporated under New York state law. Executive director William Davis noted that the islands’ unrecognized status prevents UN agencies from sending aid.
• Senate Judiciary Committee Organized, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reports on the organization of the Senate Judiciary Committee, its membership of 15 attorneys, and subcommittee assignments of interest to JACL, including Immigration and Naturalization and Trading with the Enemy. He notes the Immigration subcommittee chairmanship went to Sen. Kilgore following precedent.

Military & Veterans

• El Centro-Born Nisei Restored Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge William Byrne restored U.S. citizenship to Fusanosuke Miyata, ruling that his military service while stranded in Japan was under duress. Miyata was subject to the draft only after his grandfather was forced by police to register his name in the family register in 1944.
• Twin Jet B-57 Bombers Explode, Nisei Test Engineer Killed; Airman Injured, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Sunada, a Fresno Nisei civilian Air Force test engineer, was killed when a twin-jet B-57 bomber crashed near Apple Valley. A second B-57 crashed in Maryland the same week, and Lt. Masaru Uyehara survived by parachute.

Community

• Stockton CL to Honor New Citizens March 13, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Stockton JACL will honor San Joaquin County Issei recently naturalized at its installation banquet on March 13. Henry Kusama is the newly elected chapter president.
• Nisei in Burglary Ring Apprehended, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denver police arrested four youths, including a Nisei, in a burglary ring responsible for more than $5,000 in losses. A Nisei-owned drug store was among the victims.
• Nab Suspect Robbing Two Fresno Merchants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fresno police arrested a man who robbed a Nisei jewelry store owned by Haruo Masada and was also identified as the bandit who robbed druggist Ernest Yamaguchi the previous night.
• Issei Citizen Speaks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shigeo Aoki, a prominent Oakland community leader, spoke to the American Legion Post 605 Women’s Auxiliary on why he became naturalized. He had responded on behalf of newly naturalized citizens at Lake Merritt Park.
• Hawaii Legislature Faces Test for Bourbons, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. The 28th Hawaii Legislature convened with Democrats holding majorities in both houses for the first time in the territory’s history. Nakatsuka argues the Democrats must now deliver on campaign promises or face scrutiny, with 21 Nisei legislators in the spotlight.
• Sumitomo Bank Issues Annual Report on Second Year of Operation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sumitomo Bank of California reported satisfactory progress in its second year, with deposits reaching $7.8 million and loans of $3.5 million. All officers and directors were reelected at the annual stockholders meeting.
• New York JACL Ends Special Fund Appeal, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The New York JACL’s 1954 Fund Appeal reached $2,845, just $155 short of its $3,000 goal. Chapter president Sam Kai reported the financial results in a statement.
• Washington Convention Dress Guide, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A fashion guide for women attending the EDC-MDC Convention in Washington in March recommends winter coats, conservative suits, and formal or cocktail-length gowns for the banquet and embassy reception. It also suggests comfortable low-heeled shoes for sightseeing.
• Redwood City Mayor Attends CL Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Redwood City Mayor Sidney Herkner and Sequoia chapter president John Enomoto welcomed new JACL officers and naturalized Issei at the chapter’s fourth annual dinner. Speakers included Stanford Business School dean J. Hugh Jackson.
• Oakland JACL Installs Cabinet, Paul Nomura Elected President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Paul T. Nomura was elected president of the Oakland JACL, succeeding Ziggy Akahoshi, at an installation held February 11. National JACL Director Mas Satow installed the new cabinet.
• Chapter Clinic Draws Enthusiastic Response in Pacific Southwest, by Tats Kushida, page 8. The second annual PSWDC Chapter Clinic, hosted by East Los Angeles JACL, drew 150 participants who exchanged ideas across chapters. Kushida also previews the May convention in Santa Barbara and notes author James Edmiston’s book Home Again sold out at the clinic.

JACL

• Pre-Convention Reception at Japanese Embassy to Feature Joint Eastern-Midwest District Meets, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL members are invited to an informal reception at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on March 25 ahead of the joint EDC-MDC convention. The schedule also includes opening and closing ceremonies, a Thousand Club dinner, and optional golf and bowling tournaments.
• Nisei Bowling Tournament History: From 1951 Los Angeles Through 1955, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This installment traces the National JACL Bowling Tournament from its 1951 Los Angeles debut, when ABC lifted its restriction on non-white bowlers, through the 1954 Chicago event. It recounts champions, records, and the growth of the event and its advisory board.

Commentary

• Civilian Defense, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda argues that public apathy toward civil defense could be as deadly as radioactive fallout and urges JACL program chairmen to sponsor meetings on civil defense organization. He ties the point to Brotherhood Week, suggesting brotherhood principles are a safe bet for survival.
• PTA and Elections, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama describes how Japan’s Parent-Teacher Associations have become controlled by teachers and aligned with left-wing labor unions, turning them into political forces with six million members. He notes the Education Ministry’s caution against political use of PTAs ahead of general elections.
• Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Sakurada’s column covers James Michener’s LIFE article on Japanese war brides, a new dental drill invented in Tokyo, and assorted Chicago community news. It also includes a note on a Chicago Nisei mother’s roadside childbirth.
• Library Center, by Henry Mori, page 7. Mori discusses the proposed Oriental Culture Center in Los Angeles and contrasts Issei and Nisei approaches to community giving. He expresses skepticism about fundraising for a community center given past failures.
• Editorials: The Queen Challenges, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial urges a more vigorous program to help the pre-voting age group, citing remarks by National JACL queen Janet Fukuda at a chapter clinic. It argues that with Issei problems largely settled, the community should focus on younger generations.
• Hosmer’s Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial discusses Rep. Craig Hosmer’s bill to join Hawaii to California and Alaska to Washington as an alternative to statehood. The paper notes opposition from those who would object to adding territory that would enlarge states beyond Texas.
• Deadlier Than War, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial compares the 91,000 accidental deaths in the United States in one year to the 33,000 American deaths in three years of Korean fighting. It urges readers to exercise caution to protect themselves from accidents.
• Another Dry Summer, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa reflects on Denver’s drought and possible summer water restrictions, contrasting it with his rainy Pacific Northwest upbringing. He hopes for snow and spring rains to avert drastic watering limits.
• Hawaii-Alaska Issue, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Tajiri argues that Congress is delaying Hawaiian and Alaskan statehood for partisan and racist reasons, despite both parties favoring Hawaiian statehood. He notes Hawaii’s largely non-white population and Japanese American legislative leadership as a strong case for admission.
• Minority Report, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This column reports on Sen. Malone’s proposal to abolish the Bureau of Indian Affairs within three years and a House committee report on Communist anti-Semitism. It is a brief news roundup on minority issues in Washington.

Obituaries

• Deaths and Vital Statistics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This vital statistics listing reports births, engagements, weddings, and deaths of Japanese Americans in various communities in the week. It includes survivors and locations for each notice.

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