Vol. 41, No. 17, October 21, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue
The Motodani family of the San Fernando Valley led the front page. They faced threats, vandalism and tampered mail from neighbors trying to force them out, and Amy Motodani still planned to build four new homes on her lot. Also on page 1, memorial services were set for Sunday, Oct. 30, at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Nisei veterans who died in World War II and Korea. Mori Omori, a 442nd RCT veteran, was named deputy attorney general in Hawaii.
Columns fill the commentary pages. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Nisei work on Boeing’s 707 jet, Larry Tajiri followed up on a boy’s appearance on Art Linkletter’s show, and Mike Masaoka answered objections to the Lane-Hillings claims bill. Chapter news covers Fowler’s prize-winning fair booth, Chicago’s Inaugural Party and East Los Angeles plans to honor 400 new Issei citizens. Page 6 reports that Mari Sabusawa will marry author James A. Michener.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Soldier Memorial Rites at Arlington Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Memorial services will be held Sunday, Oct. 30, at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Nisei veterans who died in World War II and Korea. The date was set aside by the 1948 National JACL convention as Nisei Soldier Memorial Day.
- Mori Omori Named Deputy Attorney General in Hawaii, page 1. Mori Omori, a 442nd RCT veteran and law clerk for the Territorial Supreme Court, was appointed deputy attorney general by Attorney General Edward N. Sylva. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1954.
- Ex-Okinawan Chokichi Ihara Presents Portrait to President’s Aide, by Min Yasui, page 3. Chokichi Ihara, an Okinawan who lost both hands as a teenager and later recovered from tuberculosis in U.S. hospitals, painted a portrait of President Eisenhower as thanks. Because the President suffered a heart attack, the portrait was accepted by Sherman Adams instead.
- Robert Kumagai Recovers Lost Anchor for Navy LST, page 6. Navy veteran Robert Kumagai, a former swimmer under Coach Soichi Sakamoto, dove to free a lost anchor from an LST off Hapuna Beach. Rear Adm. Edward A. Solomons commended the crew for their devotion to duty.
Community
- Newcomers Seek Home in San Fernando Valley, page 1. The Motodani family in San Fernando Valley has endured threats, vandalism, and tampered mail as neighbors attempt to force them out. Amy Motodani plans to build four new homes on her lot despite the harassment.
- Big Lift Project Transforms Seattle’s Jackson St. Hillside, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Volunteers including Seattle JACLers are landscaping a steep, eroded hillside on Jackson St. into a beauty spot as part of the Big Lift project. Some 800 trees and shrubs donated by the city parks department will be planted.
- Fowler JACL Booth Wins Perpetual Trophy at Fresno Fair, page 2. The Fowler JACL agricultural booth at the Fresno District Fair won the L.A. Crow perpetual trophy for the second time. The display, themed Food-Steps to Peace, also earned second prize in the feature division.
- Fowler City Council Thanks JACL for Fair Participation, page 2. The Fowler City Council voted thanks to the local JACL for co-sponsoring the fair booth that won the special award and second prize. Mayor H. H. Kaspatian commended the chapter.
- Refugee Relief Act Brings Problems and Delays for Japanese Applicants, page 3. Applications under the 1953 Refugee Relief Act have faced bureaucratic delays, including the case of Saburo Kido’s sister and her family in Tokyo. Questions remain about whether displaced Japanese from airbase expansion may qualify.
- Chicago JACL Plans 11th Annual Inaugural Party, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. The Chicago JACL will hold its 11th annual Inaugural Party on Nov. 18 at the Tam O’Shanter Country Club, replacing the traditional formal ball with an informal evening. The event includes a buffet supper, entertainment, and installation of 1956 officers.
- East Los Angeles JACL to Honor 400 New Issei Citizens, page 4. The East Los Angeles JACL will publicly honor some 400 newly naturalized Issei on Nov. 6 at the International Institute. Rep. Chet Holifield will present certificates to the two oldest Issei citizens.
- Sacramento JACL Talent Show for Youngsters Set for Nov. 26, page 4. The Sacramento JACL will hold its annual Your Stars of Tomorrow revue on Nov. 26 featuring young performers. George Minami Jr., a youthful tap dancer, will head the show.
- Gardena Shopping Center Opening Slated for Dec. 1, page 6. The Town & Country shopping center at 168th and Western Ave. in Gardena is expected to open by Dec. 1. Developer Paul Watanabe reported that 24 tenancies have been filled.
- Hollywood JACL Hallowe’en Dance Planned, page 7. The Hollywood JACL will hold a Hallowe’en dance on Oct. 29 with music by Tets Bessho’s combo at the Japanese Community Center. The event will feature a harvest-barn theme.
- Dr. George Baba Moves Palo Alto Practice, page 7. Dr. George R. Baba, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, has opened a practice in Palo Alto with his wife Dr. Masako Akimoto Baba. He maintains a Los Angeles office and plans to relocate fully to Menlo Park in 1956.
Incarceration & Redress
- Provoo Dropped Through Supreme Court Technicality, page 1. The Supreme Court barred prosecution of John David Provoo on treason charges by upholding dismissal of a new indictment on a legal technicality. Provoo had been accused of collaborating with the Japanese while a prisoner during World War II.
National
- Japan Duty Exemption on Relief Goods Removed, page 1. The Japanese government removed the customs duty exemption for organizations receiving large relief shipments after donated goods were diverted to the blackmarket. The order targeted schools, churches, and orphanages.
- Fresno-Born Doctor Seeks $10,000 From U.S. for Sequestered Property, page 3. Dr. Akira Morimoto, a Fresno-born former Japanese Army medical officer, is suing to recover money from the sale of his Fresno property seized by the Alien Property Custodian. He claims he remained a legal resident when the property was sold.
Commentary
- From the Flying Pan: Nisei Manpower at Boeing, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Columnist Bill Hosokawa notes that Nisei contributed to Boeing’s 707 jet development and recalls prewar exclusion of Nisei from the plant. He also describes his own enjoyable flight across Wyoming by light plane.
- Follow-Up on Vagaries: Peter Mukogawa on Art Linkletter’s Show, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Columnist Larry Tajiri follows up on a Japanese American boy, Peter Mukogawa, who appeared on Art Linkletter’s House Party. The boy’s wish for President Eisenhower’s recovery prompted a call from the Summer White House.
- Not Impressed, by Budd Fukei, page 4. Budd Fukei dismisses an anti-Semitic circular by Eustace Mullins that a Nisei friend found in Seattle. He recalls the kindness of a Jewish newspaper editor who helped him financially during 1943.
- Washington Newsletter: Lane-Hillings Bill Expediting Claims Program, by Mike Masaoka, page 5. Mike Masaoka reviews objections raised at House hearings against the Lane-Hillings Bill liberalizing evacuation claims and rebuts each one. He argues the bill’s liberalizations correct inequities identified by a congressional subcommittee.
JACL
- Mari Sabusawa to Wed Author James Michener, by Smoky Sakurada, page 6. Mari Sabusawa, former Chicago JACL president and national board member, will marry author James A. Michener on Sunday at the University of Chicago Hilton Chapel. The couple plans to be guests of the Australian government before residing in Hawaii.
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