Vol. 45, No. 21, November 25, 1957. 8 pages. View this issue
A federal ruling on prewar yen deposits led the news. Asst. Attorney General Dallas Townsend reversed a hearing examiner and held that claims should be paid at the postwar exchange rate. Attorneys A.L. Wirin, Fred Okrand and Marshall Ross said the way was cleared for a court test. The president’s corner by Harry K. Honda looked at the 1000 Club as the heart and core of JACL, and national director Masao Satow planned a week of visits to Colorado chapters after the Mountain-Plains convention in Omaha.
Other pages carry Bill Hosokawa’s Thanksgiving list of blessings, Larry S. Tojiri’s conversation with Marlon Brando about the film Sayonara, and Mike Masaoka’s look at the new Civil Rights Commission. Wilson Makabe wrote from Europe, and Elmer Ogawa reported on a poor matsutake season in the Northwest. A Chicago building owned by an Issei woman went into receivership.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- ‘Heart and Core’ of JACL — the 1000ers, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. The president’s corner recalls that 1000 Club members contribute roughly half of JACL’s membership income and form the heart and core of the organization. The column praises long-time members and names several leaders of the 1000 Club movement.
Community
- Satow to visit Colorado JACL chapters, page 1. National JACL director Masao Satow will visit several Colorado chapters during the week of Dec. 1-6 following the Mountain-Plains convention in Omaha. Stops include Alamosa, Rocky Ford or La Junta, and Denver, where a ceremony will honor Dr. Robert Stearns and James Patton.
- Protective greenbelt zone ruling in favor of San Jose Nisei farmer, page 1. The Santa Clara County board of supervisors granted greenbelt zoning to four property owners, including Nisei farmer Ralph Horio, to protect their land from San Jose annexation. The state law allows farm owners to seek such protection against annexation to cities.
- Nisei to appear at garlic tariff hearing, page 1. Tom Okita, Tom Obata and Shig Yamane were elected to represent the California Garlic Growers Association at a tariff hearing in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 3. Okita directs the Garlic Research Organization, which combats plant diseases affecting garlic.
- Special session asked to consider civil rights issues, page 1. Assemblyman Augustus Hawkins asked Governor Knight to call a special legislative session to address civil rights and human relations problems. He called for a new state agency and a fair employment practices act comparable to those in northern states.
- No trace found on Nisei clam diggers washed out to sea, page 1. Sheriff officers searched Moss Landing beaches for two Nisei clam diggers, Hideo and Nobuyuki Masahara, swept out to sea by a large breaker. The men were prominent farmers and community members from the San Martin area.
- Wilson Makabe: letter from Europe, by Wilson Makabe, page 6. Makabe describes returning to Munich after a trip through Italy, including visits to Leghorn, Pisa, Venice and Cortina. He compares Italian and German roads and scenery and notes his son’s bilingual development.
National
- Yen deposit repay ruling reversed by gov’t director, by JACL News Service, page 1. Asst. Attorney General Dallas Townsend reversed a hearing examiner’s decision on prewar Japanese yen certificates, ruling that claims should be paid at the postwar exchange rate rather than the prewar rate. The decision leaves the matter likely to be settled by the courts.
- San Francisco TV station omits anti-Nisei film, page 1. KRON TV in San Francisco scheduled ‘Across the Pacific,’ one of six wartime films labeled objectionable, for a late movie, but it was not shown. JACL chapter president Jack Kusaba had requested a substitution or explanatory announcements.
- Way cleared for yen deposit ruling test, page 1. Attorneys A.L. Wirin, Fred Okrand and Marshall Ross received the decision and said the way is cleared for a court suit testing the ruling. They also objected that Townsend had earlier stated his view on the postwar rate and should have disqualified himself.
- Statehood opposition ‘coming’ from Hawaii, page 1. Dan Aoki, administrative assistant to Hawaii’s Delegate to Congress, told University of Hawaii alumni that opposition to statehood originates in Hawaii and that supporters there are apathetic. He urged alumni to support the statehood commission’s drive among mainland friends.
Incarceration & Redress
- Issei-owned building in custody of court, page 1. A four-story Chicago building owned by Mrs. Yasue Tanaka, with 85 apartments, was placed in the custody of a court-appointed receiver after the owners ignored orders to correct building and fire code violations. Her attorneys argued the building was slated for condemnation, making repairs economically unsound.
Commentary
- From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa reflects on how young people take modern conveniences for granted and lists blessings for which he is thankful at Thanksgiving. He also recounts a humorous story about accidentally hitting a turkey while driving near Toppenish years earlier.
- ‘Yank’ forbidden on Canadian radio, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation banned the word ‘Yank’ along with other ethnic slurs, which the column finds far-fetched compared to ‘Jap.’ The writer notes Americans have popularized ‘Yank’ and that persons of Japanese ancestry are working to eliminate ‘Jap.’
- Nisei View from Seattle: No matsutake this year, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Ogawa reports that dry weather has produced almost no matsutake mushrooms in Northwest forests this fall, leaving hunters unable to send their usual gifts to friends. He explains the rain came too little and too late for the mushroom season.
- Civil Rights Commission, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka examines the newly appointed six-member Civil Rights Commission and its broad mandate under the 1957 Civil Rights Act. He critiques Justice Stanley Reed’s record on civil liberties affecting Japanese Americans and urges the commission to make meaningful recommendations.
Military & Veterans
- Illustrator for Army wins award, page 3. Kiyoshi Takano, supervisory illustrator in the visual aids unit at Camp Zama, received a $200 award for sustained superior performance. A Franklin High graduate, he designs posters, booklet covers and displays for U.S. Army Japan.
- Bruyeres liberation anniversary commemorated, page 5. Flag-raising ceremonies marked the 13th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyeres at the 442nd RCT Monument. The memorial plaque, presented by JACL in 1947, is part of commemorations for Japanese American soldiers who died in WWII and Korea.
Arts & Entertainment
- Brando on ‘Sayonara’, by Larry S. Tojiri, page 3. Marlon Brando told the columnist he hopes Japanese Americans will appreciate the film’s point of view, noting the story’s happy ending changes Michener’s novel. He argued that interracial romance and marriage reflect changed times and criticized prejudice toward Asians.
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