The 1958 JACL convention in Salt Lake City and the evacuation claims

Vol. 47, No. 9, August 29, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

The 15th Biennial JACL convention in Salt Lake City filled this eight-page issue. Assistant U.S. Attorney General George C. Doub, honored with the JACL Scroll of Appreciation, called the wartime evacuation a tragic failure of principle, and his speech ran on the front page and continued on page 6. The National Council voted to weigh Japan policy issue by issue, Sacramento was chosen for the 1960 convention, and Shigeo Wakamatsu of Chicago was elected national president. Outgoing president Dr. Roy Nishikawa gave the keynote address, and Congressman D.S. Saund spoke to delegates.

Elsewhere, William Hosokawa received the Nisei of the Biennium Award, and 14 members received sapphire pins. Congress approved $2,935,098.61 for evacuation claims. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Larry S. Tajiri, Harry Honda and Mike Masaoka round out the issue, along with a profile of Sadao Munemori’s mother.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Evacuation Called ‘Tragic Failure of Principle’ by Ass’t U.S. Attorney General, by George C. Doub, page 1. Assistant U.S. Attorney General George C. Doub addressed the JACL convention in Salt Lake City, reviewing the wartime evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry and calling it a tragic failure of principle. He also described the Department of Justice’s efforts to liberalize citizenship restoration and conclude the evacuation claims program.
• Doub’s Convention Speech (continued), by George C. Doub, page 6. Assistant Attorney General Doub continues his speech by describing the liberalization of citizenship restoration after the Murakami decision and the progress of the Evacuation Claims Program. He reports that approximately 35.4 million dollars has been awarded and thanks Justice Department staff.
• Congress Passes $3-Million for Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Congress approved $2,935,098.61 for the payment of evacuation claims to 485 claimants, with JACL and COJAEC successfully urging the Senate to add June and July awards. Checks are expected to be sent to claimants within weeks.

JACL

• JACL to Discuss Japan Policy on Issue-to-Issue Basis, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Council voted overwhelmingly to consider international relations matters affecting Japanese Americans on an issue-to-issue basis through a study committee. The organization also amended its 1954 international relations policy statement accordingly.
• Sacramento Chosen Site of 1960 National JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sacramento was selected as the host city for the 1960 national JACL convention, with delegate Tak Tsujita presenting the bid. Delegates also discussed possible sites for 1962, including Denver, Detroit, and Seattle.
• Wakamatsu Unanimously Voted 1958-60 National JACL President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shigeo Wakamatsu of Chicago was elected national JACL president by acclamation at the 15th Biennial Convention in Salt Lake City. Other officers, including Akiji Yoshimura as first vice president, were also elected, with a confusing election for second vice president and treasurer.
• Past Is Prologue: National JACL President’s Keynote Address, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 3. Outgoing National JACL President Dr. Roy Nishikawa delivered the keynote address reviewing JACL’s past achievements and its theme for the convention. He outlined five fundamental factors for the organization’s future: heredity, apathy, youth, adaptation, and service.
• Saund Urges Nisei to Help Win Cold War in Asia, by Harry Honda, page 5. Congressman D.S. Saund, the first Asian-born congressman elected in the United States, urged JACL members at the convention to help win hearts in Asia and Africa. He received a standing ovation for his speech on public relations and American values.
• William Hosokawa Awarded Nisei of the Biennium, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Denver Post assistant managing editor William Hosokawa received the Nisei of the Biennium Award at the JACL convention banquet in Salt Lake City. The citation honors his distinguished journalism career and his service to the Nisei community.
• Sapphire Pins Given to 14 at Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fourteen JACL members received the sapphire pin for long-time loyal service at the 15th Biennial National Convention. Recognitions also went to two Utah wartime sponsors and to Harold Gordon of Chicago.

Community

• Buddhist Minister Assigned to Toronto Church, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaiian-born Rev. Newton Ishiura has been assigned to the Toronto Buddhist Church, succeeding Rev. T. Tsuji, who became director of Buddhist education in San Francisco. Ishiura was formerly a lecturer in Japanese at Yale.
• Verry Truly Yours: Delegates Should Not Be Restricted in Voting, by Harry Honda, page 5. Editor Harry Honda reflects on the JACL convention’s debate over U.S.-Japan policy, praising delegates for weighing viewpoints. He argues that chapters should allow delegates discretion in voting rather than binding them to instructions.
• Hands Across the Sea Problem, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Seattle columnist Elmer Ogawa reports on Seattle delegates’ convention activities and discusses the Nisei Veterans Committee’s policy on relations with the old country. He notes the interest of local members in convention news.
• Oratorical Contest Winners Speak on What JACL Means to Japanese American Youth, by Pauline Nagao, page 6. Pauline Nagao of Seabrook, New Jersey, won first place in the national JACL oratorical contest with a speech on what JACL means to youth. She describes the Seabrook chapter’s community service and the Issei naturalization ceremony in 1953.
• Los Angeles Newsletter, by Henry Mori, page 7. Henry Mori reports on attorney Kei Uchima’s successful land case for Issei farmer Kumeji Inai, who won title to his Chino property after a two-year suit. The column also covers the retirement of Issei nurse Ai Hanafusa after 30 years at Japanese Hospital.

Commentary

• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa recounts a Nisei woman’s dog-racing bet at Denver’s greyhound track, in which she skipped a winning combination and then hurriedly bought it, winning over $200. The column is a lighthearted story about the unpredictability of gambling.
• Letter from Japan: Tokyo Correspondent Mrs. Satoko Ogasawara on Reading the PC, by Mrs. Satoko Ogasawara, page 2. Mrs. Satoko Ogasawara writes from Yokohama describing how the Pacific Citizen circulates among Nisei employees at Pan American’s Tokyo office. The letter notes how the paper informs readers about Nisei activities and legislation affecting them.
• How Lenient?, by Curious Reader, page 2. A reader asks how lenient a Tokyo judge was in fining Cappy Harada 150,000 yen for violating foreign exchange law. The editor responds that such violations can carry a three-year jail sentence and fines up to the equivalent of $39,600.
• Headliners in News, Sports, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Larry Tajiri reports that Bill Hosokawa is going to the Orient on a special assignment for The Denver Post, and honors Bill Kajikawa, Arizona State coach, at a football game. He recalls their boyhood in Los Angeles and Kajikawa’s career as a player and coach.
• Washington Newsletter: Doub’s Speech Published in Full, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka yielded his column space so that the Pacific Citizen could publish Assistant Attorney General Doub’s convention speech in full. The column is a brief editorial note introducing the reprinted address.

Military & Veterans

• Gold Star Mother of World War II’s Nisei CMH Winner Recalls Son’s Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Nawa Munemori, mother of Sadao Munemori, the only Nisei Congressional Medal of Honor recipient of World War II, visited Los Angeles and Hawaii. She recalled her son’s enlistment, his heroic death in Italy in 1945, and his final message about duty to his country.

Arts & Entertainment

• Teenaged Ballerina Outstanding in Show, on Summer Circuit Before Resuming School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fourteen-year-old Chicago ballerina Sharon Konishi performed with the Aqua Follies in Seattle and has been touring during the summer. Choreographer Betty Gour discovered her, and dance experts predict a great future for her.

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