JACL’s 25th anniversary, praised in Congress and marked with a flag

Vol. 41, No. 10, September 2, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL’s 25th anniversary ran through this issue. Rep. Walter H. Judd praised the Japanese American Citizens League in the Congressional Record and presented a flag that had flown over the Capitol to National JACL Headquarters. An editorial and a Washington newsletter by Mike Masaoka looked back at the 1930 Seattle founding convention, and a column by Harry Honda reflected on the flag gift. Masaoka also wrote to President Eisenhower urging amnesty for Japanese war criminals and to Secretary of State Dulles about returning wartime vested property.

Larry Tajiri’s column took up the housing denial faced by Olympic diver Sammy Lee in Garden Grove, California. Elsewhere are a column by Bill Hosokawa on Nisei in professional baseball, Larry Nakatsuea’s pieces on his State Department tour of Asia, news of the Nisei Week Festival, and the California Nisei baseball tournament in Lodi.

What’s in this issue

National

• 25th Anniversary of JACL Praised in Congress, page 1. Rep. Walter H. Judd praised the Japanese American Citizens League on its 25th anniversary in the Congressional Record. He traced JACL’s development from its founding through its legislative successes.
• Major Sammy Lee’s Housing Dilemma Shows Yellow Peril Ghost Lingers, by Larry Tajiri, page 1. Olympic diver Sammy Lee was denied the right to buy a home in Garden Grove, California, but offers of help poured in. The column argues housing discrimination against Asian Americans persists on the Pacific coast and beyond.
• Amnesty for Japanese War Criminals Urged in Letter to Eisenhower, by Mike Masaoka, page 3. Mike Masaoka urged President Eisenhower to grant amnesty to Japanese war criminals held by the United States as Foreign Minister Shigemitsu visits Washington. He argued that releasing the 217 prisoners would strengthen U.S.-Japan relations.
• Return of Wartime Vested Property Urged as Boost to Japan’s Postwar Industrial Revival in JACL Letter to Dulles, by Mike Masaoka, page 3. Mike Masaoka asked Secretary of State Dulles to return confiscated Japanese private and corporate property seized during World War II. He argued the move would strengthen friendly Japanese business interests and honor the sanctity of private property.
• Rep. Burdick’s Wife Thrown From Horse, Dies, page 4. Mrs. Usher L. Burdick, wife of North Dakota congressman Usher Burdick, was killed when thrown from a horse on the family ranch. The congressman had been watching nearby.

Commentary

• Asia New to Me, by Larry Nakatsuea, page 1. Honolulu newsletter writer Larry Nakatsuea prepares for a State Department goodwill tour of Asia as a press relations specialist. He reflects on the anticipation of travel and his assignment to explain American views.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa recalls Nisei who played professional baseball, including Kenso Nushida and Jimmy Horio. He draws on Lee Allen’s book to discuss Asian players in the sport.
• When in Rome…, by Larry Nakatsuea, page 3. Nakatsuea reflects on travel etiquette, recounting how American tourists in Rome forgot they were the foreigners. He shares advice from travelers about dress, valuables, and keeping an open mind.
• Editorial: JACL’s 25 Years Hard to Match From Community Service Aspect, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial praises JACL’s 25 years of community service since its founding at the 1930 Seattle convention. It argues few national organizations have accomplished as much for persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Flag Presentation Inspiring, by Harry Honda, page 8. The editorial reflects on the gift of a Capitol-flown flag to JACL and the deep feeling Nisei hold for the American flag. It notes the discrimination, evacuation, and exploitation Nisei endured.
• Spelling Your Way to College, by Harry Honda, page 8. The column discusses the national spelling bee craze and the quirks of English spelling. It notes the Chicago Tribune’s abandoned campaign for simplified spelling.

JACL

• Rep. Judd Presents Flag Flown Over Capitol to JACL on Silver Jubilee, page 1. Rep. Walter Judd presented an American flag that flew over the Capitol to National JACL Headquarters on the 25th anniversary of the organization. JACL leaders Inagaki and Masaoka responded with gratitude.
• Quarter Century of JACL Theme of NC-WN District Council Convention, page 4. The NC-WN District Council convention in Sebastopol will mark JACL’s 25 years with a booklet, dance, and banquet. Organizers aim for 300 delegates at the November event.
• Southlanders Go North to Vacation and Fish, page 4. National JACL President George Inagaki returned from a three-week fishing vacation in Oregon with family and friends. The group fished the Bend area lakes, the Columbia River, and near Astoria.
• Tom Hayashi Named to Head National JACL Nominating Committee, page 4. National President George Inagaki appointed New York attorney Tom Hayashi to chair the nominating committee for the 1955-56 biennium. The committee will present candidates for the 1956 national convention.
• Direct Mail Approach to Soliciting Issei JACL Membership Told, page 4. Southwest Los Angeles JACL reports strong early response from a direct-mail campaign targeting recently naturalized Issei. Over 600 letters yielded more than 100 responses within two weeks.
• Washington Newsletter: 25 Years Ago, JACL Had Its First Convention in Seattle, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka recounts the 1930 Seattle founding convention of the JACL, with 92 delegates from several states. He summarizes the round tables, resolutions, and early goals of the organization.

Community

• Tokyo Topics: Japanese Dailies Boast English-Language Papers, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Four Tokyo dailies now publish English-language editions amid fierce competition. The writer suggests the newspaper war may strain a struggling Japanese economy.
• Summer Camp for Buddhist School Children Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles Buddhist Coordinating Council launches a summer camp for 70 children at Camp Yallani. Organizers hope to expand the program to all Bussei youngsters.
• Nisei Pharmacists Pass California State Exams, page 2. Nine Nisei were among 166 applicants granted pharmacist registration by the California state board. The registrants came from San Mateo, San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Reedley, and Ogden.
• Yale Professor to Study in Japan as Fulbright Scholar, page 2. Dr. Chitoshi Yanaga, a Yale associate professor, will research Japanese government under a Fulbright scholarship. He departs Hawaii with his family for Tokyo.
• New Fall Season Social Opens, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Chicago JACL kicks off its fall social season with a Lake Geneva weekend, a hayride-barn dance, and its annual carnival. The column also covers a TB X-ray campaign and the City-Widers installation dinner.
• Long Beach Carnival All Set for Sept. 3-4, page 4. The annual Harbor Community carnival opens at the Harbor Japanese Community Center with about 20 booths and dancing. JACL sponsors the two-day event.
• Li’l Tokio Doffs Festival Mood, by Henry Mori, page 7. The 15th annual Nisei Week Festival closed in Los Angeles with its traditional ceremony. The column notes the Weller Street festivities and the queen announcement that Stella Nakadate won.
• Judge Drops Liquor License Case, page 7. Judge Franklin G. West dismissed a liquor license conspiracy case against Los Angeles Japanese accountant Takeo Takekoshi after prosecutors said no new evidence could be produced. The case had ended in a mistrial earlier that week.
• Vital Statistics, page 7. Birth announcements for July 1955 in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Fresno, Arizona, Oregon, and Seattle communities. Listings include parents’ names and places.

Sports

• Lodi Hosts for Annual California Nisei Baseball Championship Tourney Sept. 3-5, page 6. Seven teams compete in the California Nisei baseball championship tournament in Lodi, with defending champion Placer JACL receiving a first-round bye. The schedule runs through Monday’s final.
• Kamo and Miyagi Win National Doubles Tennis Title, page 6. Japanese players Kosei Kamo and Atsushi Miyagi captured the 75th National Doubles tennis championship at Brookline, Massachusetts. Their win over two West Coast players was called their biggest tennis thrill.

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