Flood relief, Tokyo Rose and plans for the 1956 JACL convention

Vol. 42, No. 5, February 3, 1956. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories shared the front page of this 8-page issue: the release of Iva Toguri D’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, from the federal reformatory in Alderson, W.Va., and the countdown to the 14th national JACL convention in San Francisco. A P.C. Staff editorial argued she should be allowed to resume normal life. Convention chairman Jerry Enomoto previewed the ‘Changing Perspectives’ program, and registration was set at $20 under a package deal. Mike Masaoka’s column looked at Virginia’s talk of ‘interposition’ against the Supreme Court’s school desegregation ruling.

Flood news ran through the community pages. Marysville contributions neared $20,000, Dan Nishita thanked donors, and a Visalia church took in three feet of water. Elmer Ogawa wrote on Albert Bonus of Seattle, and Tamotsu Murayama profiled successful Nisei in postwar Japan. Rep. Francis E. Walter’s remarks on Asian immigration and a petition for the Lane-Hillings Amendment also appeared.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Ideological War of West & East, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial warns that the struggle of ideologies between the West and East poses a greater peril than the personal security concerns of Nisei. It cites a West German government bulletin arguing that material prosperity alone cannot defeat communism without a timeless faith.
• Mrs. D’Aquino Released from Federal Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Iva Toguri D’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, was released from the federal reformatory in Alderson, W.Va., after serving a 10-year treason sentence, and was served a deportation warrant. The editorial argues she should be allowed to resume normal life and warns that the deportation theory threatens Nisei who renounced citizenship.
• Nisei Success Tales, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. This Tokyo Topics column profiles successful Nisei in postwar Japan, including business executives, government officials, and entertainers. It also reflects on the difficult conditions Nisei faced in Japan during and before the war.
• Ready for ’56 Convention, by Jerry Enomoto, page 4. Convention chairman Jerry Enomoto previews the 14th National JACL Convention in San Francisco under the theme ‘Changing Perspectives.’ He poses questions about JACL’s future role beyond social activities and describes plans for the mixer and a shortened four-day program.
• Labor of Love, by Elmer Ogawa, page 5. This column profiles Albert Bonus of Seattle, who received a recognition award from the Seattle JACL for his decades of support to Japanese Americans. It recounts his wartime advocacy for Japanese American loyalty and his role opposing the Remember Pearl Harbor League.
• Out of Gas, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Tats Kushida recounts how JACL National President Callahan ran out of gas while driving to a COJAEC meeting near Visalia. The column also describes his Livingston-Merced installation speech and the Fresno district council meeting.
• Very Truly Yours: Circulation Dep’t, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Business manager Harry Honda reports that 72 percent of Pacific Citizen subscribers are JACL members and outlines the circulation department’s annual subscription campaign. He also apologizes for delivery delays caused by part-time staffing and burglaries.
• Labor of Love – Chicago Corner: Southside Success, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 6. This Chicago Corner column profiles Tom and Sam Seno, Nisei realtors in Chicago’s southside who have handled over $450 million in properties. It also notes community activities and a Chicago wedding.

National

• Rep. Walter Urges Australians to Repeal 1952 I&N Act Bar on Asian Immigration, page 1. Rep. Francis E. Walter told Australia’s citizenship convention that eliminating Oriental exclusion provisions was one of the most important changes of the 1952 act. He added that Gen. Douglas MacArthur considered anti-Oriental provisions the greatest obstacle to effective cooperation between Asian governments and America.
• Early Senate Move Sought to End Mongolian Labor Ban in Reclamation Projects, by Helen Mineta, page 1. Mike Masaoka urged Sen. Clinton P. Anderson to consider HR 1603, which would repeal a 1902 prohibition on employing Mongolian labor in federal reclamation projects. The House had unanimously passed the bill and the Interior Department endorsed deleting the provision.
• Book Continued: Home Again Commended by Congressman Dawson, page 4. Rep. William Dawson of Utah urged Hollywood to consider making a film from James Edmiston’s Home Again. He cited favorable reviews from major newspapers across the country.
• Suggestion of ‘Interposition’ Advanced to Circumvent Supreme Court School Desegregation Ruling, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Virginia legislators are considering a resurrected doctrine of interposition to nullify the Supreme Court’s 1954 school desegregation ruling. The column traces the doctrine’s history and North Carolina’s petition asking the Court to reverse its decision.

Community

• New City Appoints Nisei Fire Official, page 1. Henry Kato of Warm Springs was named one of five fire commissioners for the newly incorporated city of Fremont. He is the second son of pioneer residents Mr. and Mrs. Tajyu Kato, and a younger brother died with the 442nd RCT in Europe.
• San Jose JACL Flood Benefit Nets $1,200, page 1. A movie benefit sponsored by the San Jose JACL on Jan. 20 raised $1,200 for flood relief. The funds were split between the Marysville JACL flood relief project and the Yuba City American Red Cross.
• Kei Uchima to Head Downtown Los Angeles JACL, page 1. Attorney Kei Uchima was named 1956 president of the Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter. He has served as chapter vice-president and co-chaired a program honoring Issei naturalized citizens.
• Noboru Honda Elected Church President, page 1. Noboru Honda, an active JACL leader and insurance man, was elected 1956 president of the Chicago Buddhist church. He is also noted for his JACL chapter involvement.
• Marysville Flood Contributions Mount Near $20,000, page 2. Marysville JACL reported sufficient clothing supplies for local flood victims and continuing cash donations from across the state and country. The total received approached $20,000.
• Donors to Flood Relief Thanked, page 2. Dan Nishita, chairman of the Marysville joint community flood relief committee, thanked contributors for their generosity. He credited the nine other members of the joint committee for coordinating relief efforts.
• Visalia Buddhist Church Inundated by Flood Water, page 2. Three feet of water flooded the Visalia Buddhist Church after the Kaweah River levee broke Jan. 25. A flood emergency was declared following more than three inches of rain that day.
• Eden Township Chapter Installation Dinner at Oakland Hotel, page 2. The Eden Township JACL will hold its 1956 installation dinner Feb. 18 at the Lake Merritt Hotel in Oakland. Invited guests include local officials and national JACL director Masao Satow.
• Danar Abe Elected Hollywood President, page 3. Danar Abe, a longtime JACL member, was elected president of the Hollywood chapter, succeeding Miwako Yanamoto. The chapter installation was announced by the retiring president.
• Salt Lake Honors New Issei Citizens, page 3. Salt Lake JACL hosted a dinner honoring recently naturalized Issei citizens at the Pagoda restaurant. Judge Martin M. Larson, who swore in many of the new citizens, was the main speaker.
• IDC Chairman Sugai Swears In New Officers, page 3. George Sugai, Intermountain District Council chairman, installed the 1956 officers of the Boise Valley JACL in Caldwell, Idaho. Past president Tom Arima was presented a JACL pin.
• Detroit JACL Announces 1956 Social Calendar, page 3. The Detroit JACL announced its 1956 social calendar, starting with an installation of officers Feb. 18. Events include a spring social, a derby, a 10th anniversary dinner, and a Christmas party.
• Parlier Chapter Winds Up 1956 Membership Drive, by Kazuo Komoto, page 4. The Parlier JACL reported 177 members signed up for 1956 as of the January 15 deadline. A membership party honoring new citizens and new JACLers was planned for Feb. 5.
• Dr. K. Yaguchi Head of Snake River JACL, page 4. Dr. Kenji Yaguchi, a chiropractor, was elected 1956 president of the Snake River JACL in Ontario, Oregon. The chapter planned an installation banquet for February.
• So. Alameda County Outlines 1956 Events, by Dorothy Kato, page 4. The Southern Alameda County JACL outlined its 1956 calendar, including Mothers’ Day tea, harvest barbecue, and movie benefit. A membership potluck was planned to support the membership drive.
• NC-WNDC Quarterly Meeting Summary Report of Marysville Flood to Be Presented, page 4. Dan Nishita will present a summary of the Yuba City flood emergency at the NC-WNDC quarterly meeting in Richmond. Business will include the Chapter of the Year award and the state alien land law repeal project.
• Nisei Complacency Scored in Speech, page 4. At the Livingston-Merced JACL installation, Tats Kushida warned of Nisei complacency toward problems still facing Japanese Americans. He cautioned against lowering vigilance despite the community’s present acceptance.
• Shoyu Contest, page 4. Mrs. L. Nishizaka of Brooklyn was announced as winner of the $50 Higeta Shoyu contest. The brief item reports the prize award.
• Ft. Lupton Produces; Labor and Quarterly Meeting Notes, page 5. The column reports on a Fresno meeting of California and Nevada district councils and on Fair Employment Practice ordinance efforts in San Francisco. It also highlights Ft. Lupton’s membership gains and Livingston-Merced’s 1000 Club progress.
• Judo Club Dedicated in Caldwell, by Chickie Hayashida, page 6. The Boise Valley Judo Club held dedicatory ceremonies at the Van Buren school auditorium in Caldwell, Idaho. A tournament between the local club and the Oregon-Idaho Judo Club followed.

JACL

• $20 Package Registration Set for 1956 National Convention Delegates, page 1. Registration for the 14th national JACL biennial convention in San Francisco was fixed at $20 under a package deal covering multiple events. The Sheraton-Palace Hotel also offered a 25% weekend room rate reduction for registered delegates.
• Over Three-Fourths of JACL Chapters Report 1956 Cabinet Officers, page 5. National Headquarters reported that most chapters have submitted new cabinet officers, with a complete listing expected by month’s end. The column also notes national representatives attending chapter installations.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Home Again’ Lauded by Utah Congressman as Clear Testimony of U.S. Way of Life, page 1. Rep. William A. Dawson of Utah praised James Edmiston’s novel Home Again as one of the clearest testimonials to democracy he had read. The fictionalized story follows a Japanese American family’s struggles through prejudice and evacuation.
• A Favorite Actor, by Lorry S. Tajiri, page 8. Teru Shimada receives recognition for leading roles in television dramas Call Home the Heart and The Pearl, and a role in the film Mother, Sir. The column traces his career, including wartime work at Poston and his return to Hollywood.

Incarceration & Redress

• White River Valley Civic and Business Leaders Sign Petition to Aid Evacuees, by Elmer Ogawa, page 1. Leading citizens of the Auburn-Kent area signed a petition supporting the Lane-Hillings Amendment to expedite larger evacuation claims. The effort was initiated by Auburn JACLer Maki Yamada after a broadcast by Chet Huntley.
• Smoky Sakurada’s Father Shot in Jaw, Recuperating, page 1. Heitaro Sakurada, 76, formerly of Monterey, was recovering at home in Chicago after being shot through the mouth by an unidentified gunman. He had been hospitalized for a broken jaw.
• Savings Clause of McCarran-Walter Act Saves Nisei, page 3. Hajime Murakami, an Anaheim-born Nisei drafted into the Japanese Army in WWII, was permitted to take his oath of allegiance in federal court. The Immigration Service reversed its position after the savings clause of the McCarran-Walter Act was found to preserve previously acquired rights.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Nominations by Ike in Senate, page 1. President Eisenhower submitted several Nisei names to the Senate for confirmation, including commissions in the Army Medical Corps and Air Force and appointments in the U.S. Public Health Service and diplomatic service.

Sports

• Nisei Athletic Union Board Allows Non-Nisei Players in B League, page 6. The Nisei Athletic Union board decided non-Nisei players could participate in the B basketball league under limited conditions. The decision followed a managers’ vote to close the league that had prompted one team to threaten withdrawal.
• Hawaiian Nisei Ballplayers Return to Tokyo Giants, page 6. Four Hawaiian Nisei players from the Tokyo Giants roster returned to Japan for spring training. Wally Yonamine, Jyun Hiroto, and Dick Kashiwaeda signed new contracts with the club.

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