A Saturday Evening Post editorial and JACL’s reply, December 1956

Vol. 43, No. 23, December 7, 1956. 8 pages. View this issue

A Saturday Evening Post editorial about Edward J. Ennis’s JACL convention keynote drew replies across this eight-page issue. The Post feared a strong Nisei tie with Japan, and the Pacific Citizen answered in several places. Bill Hosokawa, Larry S. Tajiri and Harry Honda each wrote columns, national JACL director Mas Satow said the magazine quoted only a small part of the talk, and an editorial called the comments unfair. Elsewhere, JACL president Dr. Roy Nishikawa answered S. I. Hayakawa on group action and integration.

On page one, a book review reported that J. Edgar Hoover disagreed with the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans. Page two explains how evacuation claims awardees should request final payment. Chapter news covers new officers for 1957 in Dayton and Mt. Olympus, a regional bowling tournament in Denver, and Rep. Patrick J. Hillings favoring a bigger quota for Japanese refugees.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• As Another Season of Christmas Comes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial urges JACL chapters newly electing officers for 1957 of the Pacific Citizen’s full support, encourages publicity submissions, and notes improved circulation service after vandalism and a switch to professional mailers. It concludes by pledging cooperation with incoming JACL leaders and thanking readers for past patience and support.
• Post Editorial Fears Strong Nisei Tie with Japan, page 1. The Saturday Evening Post editorial criticized Edward J. Ennis’s JACL convention keynote for suggesting Japanese Americans speak for Japan’s interests, arguing the United States must remain a single nation. The editorial warned that ethnic minorities should not carry their foreign loyalties too far.
• Salevepost and JACL, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa argues that the Saturday Evening Post editorial, though not intended as an endorsement of JACL, reveals a continuing need for the Nisei to educate Americans about themselves. He contends the Nisei’s loyalty is beyond question and that JACL is the organization best able to take on that task.
• Tokyo Topics: Mike Back on His Feet, by Tam, page 2. Columnist Tam reports that Mike Masaoka has recovered from gout and is back at work in Tokyo alongside Sam Ishikawa. The column also describes Issei pioneers visiting Japan and critiques the state of Japanese hotels and tourist accommodations.
• Satevepost vs. Ennis, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri argues the Saturday Evening Post misemphasized Edward Ennis’s JACL convention speech, which posed questions about Japanese American foreign-policy participation rather than urging advocacy for Japan. He concludes the magazine’s basic thesis about national unity is sound but its reading of Ennis was unfair.
• Very Truly Yours: Annual Chapter Reports, by Harry Honda, page 5. Editor Harry Honda urges chapters to submit annual reports for the Holiday Issue, noting that only 16 have done so and that these reports serve as valuable reference material. He also calls for chapters to send minutes and project reports to national headquarters.
• Saturday Evening Post Editorial, by Harry Honda, page 5. Honda compares the Saturday Evening Post’s treatment of Ennis to an earlier fictitious Newsweek letter, and argues the United States is one nation enriched by diverse cultures. He invites reader comments on the editorial for publication in the Pacific Citizen.
• The Photo Picture: Shutterbug Business, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Elmer Ogawa surveys the Seattle photography business, noting that Japanese-owned studios have declined from five to a few while amateur photography has grown. He also reviews new Japanese camera products introduced for the Christmas trade.
• Gilroy Hot Springs Case Draws Comments from Minnesota Editor, page 7. The J.A. Journal of Minneapolis-St. Paul comments on a discrimination case involving Nisei managers of a Gilroy hot springs resort and a Negro complainant. The editorial argues that minority groups should not adopt discriminatory attitudes toward one another and calls for universal human rights.
• Satevepost Comments Unfair, page 7. The Pacific Citizen argues that the Saturday Evening Post twisted excerpts from Edward Ennis’s JACL convention speech to make it appear he urged advocacy for Japan. Judge John F. Aiso is quoted saying Nisei should first mature at the local level before pursuing wider political roles.
• President’s Corner: Many Roads Toward Integration, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 8. JACL president Dr. Roy Nishikawa rebuts semanticist S. I. Hayakawa, who had declined to speak to a Nisei collegiate group and called Nisei organizations social crutches. Nishikawa argues that group action has achieved major gains and that integration can proceed through organized Nisei effort.

National

• FBI Chief Tells Personal Stand on Evacuation, page 1. Broadway columnist Ed Sullivan reviewed Don Whitehead’s ‘The FBI Story’ and noted that J. Edgar Hoover disagreed with the government’s decision to evacuate Japanese Americans from the West Coast. The review praises the book as an absorbing history of FBI work and its wartime activities.
• New U.S. Envoy to Japan Appointed, page 1. President Eisenhower named Douglas MacArthur II, a State Department counselor and nephew of General Douglas MacArthur, as the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, subject to Senate confirmation. He is expected to take his post in Tokyo around February.
• Ike Nominates MacArthur II as Envoy to Japan, page 2. President Eisenhower nominated Douglas MacArthur II as ambassador to Japan, noting the MacArthur name’s longstanding fame in Japan. The article recalls the general’s wartime and occupation roles before his 1951 removal.
• Southland Canned Tuna Industry to Protest Low Tariff Decision, page 2. Southern California’s canned tuna industry plans to appeal a customs court ruling that dismissed its protest against tariff cuts on imported Japanese tuna. The court held that only manufacturers of identical or similar products may protest such tariff laws.
• Interracial Vegas Hotel Put on Auction Block, page 2. The Moulin Rouge hotel in Las Vegas, which had Issei-Nisei investment, closed after four months of operation and was put up for auction. Bids must reach at least 75 percent of the appraised value of $1,850,000.
• Evacuation claims, page 3. Continuation of the FBI book review reporting that J. Edgar Hoover disagreed with the government’s wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans. The piece notes Hoover was often blamed for the evacuation but refuted that charge in the book.
• Hillings Favors Boost in Japanese Refugee Quota, page 8. Rep. Patrick J. Hillings of California said Congress may raise the Japanese immigration quota next year and personally favors extending the Refugee Relief Act. He noted about 1,000 Japanese had already been admitted above quota under that act.
• JACL to Attend White House Confab on ‘Partnerships’, page 8. The JACL accepted an invitation to President Eisenhower’s White House Conference on People-to-People Partnerships, to be held December 10 in Washington. Dr. Roy Nishikawa said the JACL would help the government promote American principles abroad.

Community

• Nominations Open for Sonoma County Awards, page 1. Sonoma County JACL chapter president Ed Ohki opened nominations for outstanding JACLer and community service awards for 1956, due December 30. Awards will be presented at the annual January installation dinner.
• Deleqate-elect Burns Names Nisei Asst. in D.C., page 1. Hawaii Delegate-elect John A. Burns selected Dan Aoki, a World War II 442nd veteran and longtime political supporter, as his administrative assistant in Washington. Aoki will resign his territorial posts and leave for Washington after Christmas.
• Three California Nisei Pass State Bar Exams, page 1. Tetsujiro Nakamura, Paul Kazuo Ida, and Robert K. Katayama were among 432 candidates who passed the fall California bar examinations. The successful candidates will be admitted in ceremonies in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
• Issei Couple Celebrate Golden Wedding Jubilee, page 2. Mr. and Mrs. Mat Iseri were honored at their golden wedding anniversary in Ontario, Oregon, on Thanksgiving Day. The couple, married in Seattle in 1906, moved to Ontario in 1943.
• Special Rice Flour Discovered for Use by Quick-Freeze Processors, page 3. USDA researchers, including former employee Kazuko D. Nishita, received a Superior Service award for discovering waxy rice flour suited to frozen and canned foods. The discovery has increased California acreage in waxy rice.
• Two Interpreters Needed in Back-Wages Case, page 3. Yoshitaro Antoku won a back-wages suit against the operators of the Yico Ho Cafe in Denver. Attorney Kenzo Shinsato, the first Nisei appointed attorney for the City and County of Denver, represented him.
• Telling Nisei Story Before Civic, Church Groups Best Public Relations Act, page 3. Cleveland JACL president William Sadataki praised Joe Kadowaki for speaking to civic and church groups about the Nisei, calling it public relations at its best. Sadataki argued that Nisei participation in suburban organizations gradually breaks down prejudice.
• Minister Pushes Research on ‘Lost Tribes of Israel’, page 3. Dr. Eiji J. Kawamorita, senior pastor of the San Francisco Church of Christ, Presbyterian, returned from three months of research in Japan on his theory that some Lost Tribes of Israel settled there centuries ago. He has pursued this research for over 20 years.
• Restaurant Gutted by Fire in New York May Reopen, page 3. Gotham’s oldest Japanese restaurant, the Miyako, was destroyed by fire in November, but owner Kazuhei Tsukada may reopen at the same address. Whether he does depends on the property owner, who is currently in Europe.
• Dance Class for High School Age Group, page 4. The San Mateo JACL will sponsor a 10-week dance class for teenagers beginning January 11, taught by Saiki Yamaguchi. The class is open to young people from age 13 through high school seniors.
• Mile-Hi Prepares for Recognitions Dinner Dec. 31, page 4. The Mile-Hi JACL is preparing its annual Recognitions Dinner and Inaugural Ball for December 31 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver. The event will also introduce the new Harry Sakata Memorial award for the outstanding Nisei high school student.
• 3rd-Termer to Head Dayton CL Chapter, page 4. Mas Yamasaki was elected president of the Dayton JACL for 1957, succeeding Dr. Mark M. Nakauchi, who will serve as chapter delegate. Yamasaki had founded the Dayton chapter in 1949 and served as its first president.
• Gift Wrapping Shown at Auxiliary Meeting, page 4. The San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary held a holiday meeting where Mrs. Nao Sugiyama demonstrated gift wrapping and bow-making techniques. Tessie Hideshima chaired the demonstration.
• San Francisco Auxiliary Nominees Announced; Election Slated Dec. 12, page 4. The San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary announced its slate of nominees for 2957 cabinet posts, to be elected at the final general meeting on December 12. Candidates were named for president, vice-president, secretaries, treasurer, and other offices.
• Twin Cities UCL Sets ’57 Installation Date, page 4. The Twin Cities United Citizens League will hold its 1957 officer installation on January 26 along with a dinner honoring Issei who were naturalized during the past year. Henry Makino was elected new president.
• Tamura to Head 1957 Mt. Olympus Cabinet, page 4. George Tamura was elected president of the Mt. Olympus JACL for 1957 at a meeting in Murray, Utah, with Tomi Tamura as first vice-president and Lou Nakagawa as second. The chapter newsletter reported 65 percent of membership voted.
• Mile-Hi JACL Hosts Mountain-Plains Regional Bowling, page 4. The Mile-Hi chapter hosted the Mountain-Plains JACL regional bowling tournament during Thanksgiving with 41 teams. Bill Chikuma took the AA singles title and Kaz Hayashi won all-events honors.
• Etsu Ouchida of Gilroy Named to All-Star Eleven, page 4. Etsu Ouchida, a 160-pound halfback at Gilroy High, was selected to the Coast Counties Athletic League all-star squad. The selections were made by seven coaches in the B division.
• CCDC Chairman Tom Nagamatsu Elected; Mass Installation Held, by Thomas Toyama, page 5. Tom Nagamatsu of Sanger was elected chairman of the Central California District Council at its seventh annual convention in Fresno, where officers from nine chapters were installed. National JACL President Dr. Roy Nishikawa urged youth to develop leadership through community service.
• Narcotics Enforcement Officer Recalls Only One Case of Japanese Addict in State, page 5. Clyde Carpenter of the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement warned San Francisco JACL members about the dangers of marijuana, which often leads users to heroin. He said he recalled only one case of a Japanese addict in his twenty years with the bureau.
• Sonoma County CL Plans Christmas Party for Kiddies, page 5. The Sonoma County JACL Women’s Auxiliary will host a community Christmas party on December 23 at Memorial Hall in Petaluma. The event will feature carols, games, a visit from Santa Claus, and door prizes for children and adults.
• Parlier Auxiliary to Be New Sponsors of Pre-Teen Girls, page 5. The Parlier JACL Auxiliary voted to sponsor a girls club for 6th through 8th graders previously started by Sachi and Ricky Kozuki. The auxiliary also planned a Christmas party for children at the Parlier Social Hall.
• San Diego CL Inaugural Hop Scheduled for Dec. 30, page 5. The San Diego JACL will hold its annual installation dance on December 30 at the Lafayette Hotel. The nominations committee has also prepared its slate for the chapter election.
• Citizenship Means Much, page 7. Two naturalized citizens, Harry Hideyuki Mita and Komei Kayano, won prizes for English and Japanese essays at the second annual Tribute to Citizens Night at Union Church in Los Angeles. Mita described his struggle to find work without citizenship papers.
• L.A. Nisei Republicans Urge U.S. Admit Separated Family Kin from Japan, page 8. The Los Angeles Japanese American Republican Assembly is seeking support from U.S. senators to admit more than 2,000 Japanese parents of American citizens on a non-quota basis. The board passed a resolution asking the senators to help reunite families.
• Chicago Community Center Directed by Nisei Receives $63,600 Grant, page 8. The Kenwood-Ellis Community Center in Chicago, directed by Rev. George Nishimoto, received a $63,300 three-year grant from the Emil Schwarzhaupt Foundation. The center serves a changing mixed community area in North Kenwood-Oakenwald.
• Testimonial Postponed for Assemblyman Maloney, page 8. The San Francisco JACL testimonial for Assemblyman Thomas Maloney was postponed to December 7 because he had been ill with pneumonia. Maloney co-authored the bill placing Proposition 13 on the ballot.
• ‘Japan Village’ for San Francisco Seen, page 8. Business and professional men in San Francisco authorized formation of Japan Village, Inc., to plan a Japanese tourist shopping center in the Western Addition redevelopment project. The project has sponsorship from the Northern California Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

JACL

• Safevepos! Quotes Only Small Part of Confab Keynote Talk, page 2. National JACL director Mas Satow said the Saturday Evening Post quoted Edward Ennis’s convention keynote out of context. Ennis had argued that Japanese Americans had earned the right to express sympathies for ancestral lands without fear of charges of disloyalty.

Incarceration & Redress

• Evacuation Claims Award Procedure Explained by Gov’t, page 2. The Washington JACL office clarified that evacuation claims awardees must write to the General Accounting Office, not the Department of Justice, to request final payment. Many requests were mistakenly sent to Justice, risking delays.

Military & Veterans

• 100th Infantry Veterans Urge Immediate Statehood for Hawaii, page 2. Club 100 elected Michael M. Miyake president at its convention and passed a resolution urging immediate Hawaii statehood. The resolution reminded President Eisenhower of the club’s service under his command and argued statehood would strengthen U.S. democratic credibility abroad.

In-Depth

• Memorial for American Who Helped Mold Future of Hokkaido Planned, page 3. Hokkaido University plans a student center named for William Smith Clark, the American educator who founded its predecessor school 80 years ago. A fund drive in Japan and the United States seeks to raise about $210,000 from American sources.

Sports

• Kajikawa’s Sun Devils Rated Loop Contender, page 7. Arizona State basketball coach Bill Kajikawa said his 1956-57 squad may be his best since 1947, though he named Arizona and West Texas as the likeliest Border Conference champions. Arizona coach Fred Enke listed Kajikawa’s team as a conference potential.

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