The campaign to repeal Title II, the Emergency Detention Act

Vol. 71, No. 9, August 28, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

The fight to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the Emergency Detention Act, ran through much of this six-page issue. A status report by Raymond Okamura and Edison Uno traced the committee’s formation, its coalition building and the work still ahead. Rep. Spark Matsunaga explained why he co-authored the repeal bill with 131 other members of Congress, and Mike Masaoka warned that October adjournment could doom this session’s chances. The Fresno Bee criticized Rep. Richard Ichord for holding the bill in committee, and a boxscore listed the groups and officials who backed repeal. A column by National President Raymond Uno looked at the role of the President-Elect.

Other items include Hawaii’s primary filing, where Rep. Patsy Mink was automatically reelected, and Sen. Daniel Inouye’s reply to Vice President Agnew on the Vietnam War. An editorial called for electing JACL national officers by direct ballot. The paper also told the story of San Francisco JACL’s near purchase of Bufano’s ‘Peace’ statue in 1941.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Unopposed Patsy reelected, Hawaii primary filing closed, by ALLAN BEEKMAN, page 1. The filing deadline for Hawaii’s October 3 primary has passed with 310 candidates entered. Republicans failed to field candidates in many contests, and Rep. Patsy Mink was automatically reelected without a GOP opponent.
• Capitol returns $72,000 to PSW, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Capitol Life Insurance returned $72,359 in experience rating refunds to the Pacific Southwest JACL District Council on its group major medical policy. A separate $15,880 refund went to the Central California District Council.
• Sansei policeman slain by bystander in Berkeley street, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Berkeley police officer Ronald T. Tsukamoto was shot and killed while speaking with a motorcyclist who had made an illegal U-turn. The gunman fled, and the incident is the third police shooting of its kind in the Bay Area in recent months.
• Ranko Yamada resting at home, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ranko Carol Yamada returned home to Stockton after being slashed in Chicago’s Palmer House, an attack that killed her roommate. She is under orders for complete rest.
• Praise care, sincerity of Henrotin Hospital staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ranko Carol Yamada wrote a thank-you letter to the staff of Henrotin Hospital after her recovery from an attack. She said their kindness restored her faith in people.

Commentary

• The First Step, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. National President Raymond Uno discusses the role of the President-Elect and the importance of appointed officers and staff to JACL’s effectiveness. He calls for willing, productive chairmen and emphasizes that ultimate authority rests with the National Council.
• Common Cause, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Washington representative Mike Masaoka highlights John Gardner’s launch of Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizens’ lobby, which JACL welcomes as aligned with its own advocacy approach. He quotes Gardner on revitalizing government and national priorities.
• Power to the People, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial argues that JACL national officers should be elected by direct ballot of all members rather than by chapter delegates. It proposes a double-envelope mail ballot system to make voting more democratic.
• Endowment Fund, by Fred Y. Hirasuna, page 6. A letter writer criticizes delegates signing a power of attorney over National Endowment Fund withdrawals and questions JACL presuming to speak on international affairs. The writer argues the organization should focus on domestic Japanese American concerns.
• Revolt in the Desert, by Kay Kushino, page 6. A Twin Cities JACL member recommends Stuart Chase’s sociology book, whose chapter describes the Poston camp revolt during evacuation. The reader praises the study’s compassion and insight into human nature.
• Detention Act: a Threat to Civil Rights, by Rep. Spark Matsunaga, page 6. Rep. Spark Matsunaga argues Title II of the Internal Security Act violates constitutional guarantees by allowing detention based on suspicion. He explains why he co-authored the repeal bill with 131 other members of Congress.
• Raw Abuse of Congressional Power, by Fresno Bee, page 6. This editorial criticizes Rep. Richard Ichord for keeping the Title II repeal bill bottled up in committee despite strong support. It recalls the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans as a warning against the Emergency Detention Act.

National

• Inouye-Udall bill liberalizes voting for U.S. president, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Daniel Inouye and Rep. Morris Udall introduced legislation implementing Universal Voter Enrollment, abolishing residency requirements for voting in presidential elections. The Census Bureau would enroll eligible voters door-to-door every four years.
• Inouye replies to Agnew on S.E. Asian war, by Harry Honda, page 1. At the Nisei Week banquet in Los Angeles, Sen. Daniel Inouye defended his amendment to end the Vietnam War against Vice President Agnew’s criticism. He argued the war erodes national values and called for a negotiated end.
• 4,000 Japanese admitted last year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Slightly fewer than 4,000 Japanese became permanent residents of the United States last year, 1,924 of them women. The figure was even lower in 1941.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘Title II’ Campaign: A Status Report, by Raymond Okamura and Edison Uno, page 1. This report reviews JACL’s campaign to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the Emergency Detention Act. It traces the committee’s formation, coalition building, legislative progress, and the challenges ahead.
• Title II Repeal Committee and Acknowledgment, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This listing names the national, regional, and area chairmen of the Title II repeal committee and acknowledges non-JACL Asian American groups that supported the campaign. It credits the many members whose work made the effort possible.
• Ichord defends Title II before national VFW confab, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Richard Ichord, chairman of the House Internal Security Committee, defended the Emergency Detention Act at the VFW convention in Miami. He suggested Congress consider amendments rather than outright repeal, though he remained wary of repeal.
• Title II repeal boxscore, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This boxscore lists national organizations, state and local groups, governmental bodies, public officials, churches, and media outlets that passed resolutions or editorials supporting repeal of Title II. The list is credited largely to JACL members’ efforts.

In-Depth

• San Francisco JACL nearly purchased Bufano’s ‘Peace’ statue in mid-1941, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sculptor Beniamino Bufano’s 30-foot ‘Peace’ statue was nearly bought by San Francisco JACL in 1941 to be placed before City Hall. The statue remained in storage after Pearl Harbor and is now installed at San Francisco International Airport.
• Northern Pacific migrations link Aleuts with Okhotsks of north Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Archaeological Research, Inc. reported artifacts from Amchitka suggesting migrations from the Aleutians to northern Japan around the first millennium AD. The findings, if confirmed, would complete a migration loop beginning with Siberian crossings.

Military & Veterans

• Masaoka: Title II repeal awaits House action, by Mike Masaoka, page 6. Mike Masaoka reports that the House Internal Security Committee has not acted on repeal and warns that adjournment in October could doom this session’s chances. He urges prompt committee action.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.