Evacuation claims payment and the 1954 JACL convention

Vol. 39, No. 7, August 13, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Payment of evacuation claims led this issue. The Senate included $113,154.51 in a supplemental appropriation bill to pay 23 claimants under the JACL-sponsored 1948 Japanese Evacuation Claims Act, and Mike Masaoka warned that without action before adjournment, claimants would wait until 1955. Related stories followed the Dirksen Return Bill for vested property, Sen. Hendrickson’s objections, and public claims hearings set for San Francisco and Los Angeles beginning Aug. 30. The paper also urged readers to register for the Sept. 2-6 JACL national convention in Los Angeles.

Page 4 lists chapter delegates to the convention and eighteen nominees for the Pvt. Ben Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. Elsewhere are reports on Issei naturalization in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hollister, Nisei Week news, a page of sports, and columns by Bill Hosokawa, Larry Tajiri, Harry Honda and Tamotsu Murayama.

What’s in this issue

National

• Senate Passes $113,000 for Claims Payment, page 1. The Senate included $113,154.51 in a supplemental deficiency appropriation bill to pay 23 claimants under the JACL-sponsored 1948 Japanese Evacuation Claims Act. Masaoka warned that unless Congress approved the bill before its Aug. 14 adjournment, claimants would not be paid until 1955.
• Substitute Measure Offered for Return of Vested Property, page 1. Sen. Earle C. Clements introduced a substitute bill to the Dirksen Return Bill that would return vested Japanese and German property to former owners with a maximum of $10,000, affecting about 92% of individual accounts in full. Masaoka had sought full-value return of all vested property and proposed a smaller-scale program if full return could not be enacted.
• Sen. Hendrickson Objects to Dirksen Return Bill, page 1. Sen. Robert C. Hendrickson submitted a minority report opposing the Dirksen Return Bill, citing lack of specific endorsement from the Bureau of the Budget, State Department and Justice Department. He noted nearly half a billion dollars in vested German and Japanese property remains in custody, with $210 million already paid into the war claims fund.
• West Coast Claims Hearings Start Aug. 30, page 1. Public hearings on the Hillings Amendment to expedite evacuation claims will be held in San Francisco Aug. 30-31 and Los Angeles Sept. 1-3, chaired by Rep. Edgar A. Jonas. The JACL will cooperate in the hearings, with witnesses expected from across the country including the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and both Northern and Southern California.
• Senate Passes Over Bill to Return Vested Property, page 1. The Senate passed over the Dirksen Return Bill after Sen. George Smathers raised a lone objection on the unanimous consent calendar. The bill, introduced by Sen. Everett Dirksen, would have returned all vested Japanese and German property to former owners.
• Peru-Japanese Refugee Status Near Approval, page 2. A lone objection by Sen. Albert Gore delayed Senate passage of a measure to amend the Refugee Relief Act to include Peruvian Japanese in the ‘adjustment of status’ section, but the Senate Judiciary Committee had approved the bill, clearing the way for full Senate consideration. The legislation would allow several hundred Peruvian Japanese, interned during WWII, to remain in the U.S. as permanent residents and cancel deportation orders.
• 25,000 Japanese to Lose Job with U.S. Garrison, page 3. As many as 25,000 Japanese workers will lose jobs with U.S. garrison forces due to troop withdrawal from Hokkaido and Army budget cuts, according to the Nippon Times. Gen. John E. Hull announced the First Cavalry Division would be moved to Kyushu.
• 7 Hollister Area Issei Naturalized, page 3. Seven more Issei from San Benito County were naturalized in Hollister as part of a group of 20, reportedly the largest naturalization class in county history. The ceremony was conducted before Superior Court Judge Thomas P. O’Donnell with an interpreter assisting.
• Adjournment May Doom Younger Bill in Senate; Passed Unanimously by House, page 3. The House unanimously approved the Younger Bill to ensure non-discrimination in air shipment of California flowers in interstate commerce, supported by JACL on behalf of flower shippers. However, Senate Commerce Committee rules requiring hearings may prevent the measure from passing before adjournment.

Community

• West Fresno Area May Be Re-Zoned, page 1. City officials designated the West Fresno area between the new freeway and the Southern Pacific railroad yards as an industrial zone, affecting many Issei and Nisei residents. A mass meeting was called to discuss the proposal, as railroads are also eyeing the area for a new union depot.
• Miss Japan May Study Modelling in S.F. School, page 1. Mieko Kondo, Japan’s candidate in the recent Miss Universe contest, plans to attend a charm school in San Francisco for a month or two to prepare for modelling work in Japan. She is staying with her aunt after completing a tour of Central California with appearances in Fresno and Bakersfield.
• 90-Year-Old Pioneer Gets Naturalized, page 1. Gentaro Kotashiro, 89, one of the few Issei pioneers who arrived in America over 60 years ago, was recently naturalized as a citizen. Born in 1865 in Iwate prefecture, he spent most of his life farming in Winters, Calif., before later becoming sexton at a Methodist church in San Francisco.
• Five U.S. Delegates Named for World Buddhist Confab, page 1. Five delegates from the Buddhist Churches of America will attend the third World Buddhist Conference in Rangoon Nov. 10-13, led by Rev. Kenryo Kumata of Los Angeles Nishi Hongwanji. The delegation includes priests from Salt Lake City, Stockton, and Los Angeles, plus a student currently studying Buddhism in Tokyo.
• Mistake Costs House, page 1. A farmhand mistakenly poured gasoline instead of kerosene into an oil-burning stove, causing an uncontrollable fire that completely destroyed the Livingston home of Atsushi Hamaguchi. The fire department was called but could not save the house.
• Murayama Talks to Group in Denver, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama, city editor of the Nippon Times, was honored at a dinner attended by 30 Issei and Nisei at the Cathay Post in Denver. He later spoke to about 100 people at the Buddhist Church about his wartime experiences and the influence of women in youth movements in Japan.
• Pick-up Truck Overturned, Two Riders Hurt as Colliders Flee Afoot, page 3. A pickup truck driven by Tadao Masuda overturned in Fresno after being struck by another vehicle, injuring Mrs. Masuda and their son Takuo. The driver of the sedan that caused the crash fled on foot with two companions, and police are seeking them.
• WYBL Representative, page 4. The Western Young Buddhist League will be represented by Hitoshi Tsufura, National YBA director, at the 21st convention of the Hawaii Federation of YBA, Aug. 19-22 in San Francisco.
• Scene from the Golden Gate: Another Record, by Jerry Enomoto, page 5. A new record for Issei citizenship examinations was set in San Francisco as 189 of 200 called petitioners were interviewed in a single day, with credit given to Harold J. Hart and his Naturalization Service staff. The column also highlights San Francisco JACL’s new Women’s Auxiliary and a luncheon meeting with Miss Nippon, Mieko Kondo.
• DC Hears Satow at Pre-Confab Rally, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Representatives of seven Pacific Northwest District Council chapters heard National Director Masao Satow at a pre-convention rally in Gresham, Ore., discussing matters for the upcoming National JACL Convention. Henry Kato of Gresham was named official district council delegate to the national convention.
• Three Utah Chapters Hold Lagoon Family Night, page 5. Salt Lake City, Ogden and Mt. Olympus JACL chapters will jointly hold a Lagoon Family Night Aug. 23, featuring a swimming party followed by a hot-dog party. Tomoko Yano is general chairman with several committee members assisting.
• On to L.A.!: Garden Full of Beauties, by Roy Nishikawa, page 5. Nishikawa describes a garden party hosted by the Town Hubs introducing beauty queens and hostesses for the National JACL Convention’s Mixer and Hospitality committees. He details convention preparations including special badges for Queen Janet Fukuda and her court, and notes the countless details being managed by various convention committees.
• Newsletter: Nisei Week Queen Contest Concludes, by Henry Mori, page 7. The Nisei Week Festival queen contest concluded with a record 773,792 votes cast among 10 candidates, narrowing the field to five finalists: Florence Ochi, June Aochi, Michi Masukawa, Tomiko Baba, and Takako Yamada. The column also covers the Henry Ohye trophy air race results and local barbershop price increases affecting Little Tokyo.
• Two Days Devoted to Processing of Issei Citizens-to-Be, page 7. Nearly 300 Issei petitioners for naturalization were summoned for oral examinations over two days at the Los Angeles Immigration and Naturalization Service office, assisted by 18 examiners and volunteer JACL interpreters. Those not completed in this period will be called the following week, and newly naturalized citizens can register to vote at the JACL Regional Office.
• Hawthorne Reunion Picnic, page 7. Former students of the now-defunct Hawthorne Gakuen and their parents will hold their first reunion picnic Aug. 29 at Compton Gakuen in Gardena. Further information is available by calling the Henry Ishidas.

Commentary

• Washington Newsletter: Adjournment Delay, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reviews the congressional docket as Congress struggles toward adjournment, covering the farm bill, social security, debt limit, foreign aid, river and harbor projects, government salaries, the atomic energy bill, and subversive control measures. He notes the looming McCarthy censure resolution hangs over Senate proceedings.
• Vagaries: Burgundy Beef and Convention Dishes, by Harry Honda, page 2. Honda writes about meals shared with friends including prime ribs at the Suzukis’ home and a burgundy beef dinner prepared by chef Katada, describing the preparation and the guests’ enthusiastic reception. He also previews convention banquet menu items including breast of chicken supreme and prime ribs for the upcoming JACL convention outing.
• Honolulu Newsletter, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Nakatsuka examines Hawaii statehood strategy after another congressional setback, reporting that Hawaii Statehood Commission leaders, including Gov. Samuel Wilder King, favor continuing the standard legislative approach rather than alternatives like seeking Commonwealth status. He details the debate over a tax-exemption proposal championed by a minority advocating Commonwealth status, which was criticized by Commission leaders as a ‘negative approach’ that could backfire politically.
• Sou’wester Soliloquy, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Kushida reflects on an American Weekly article about a serviceman’s effort to bring his Japanese war bride to the U.S. before the JACL-sponsored soldier bride amendment, recalling his own experience fielding similar inquiries from GIs. He also muses on the complexities of Japanese honorific language compared to English, illustrating with humorous examples of puns and multiple meanings.
• Continued: Press in Li’l Tokio, by Larry Tajiri, page 7. Continuing from the back page, Tajiri discusses Gene Burd’s study of the Japanese American press in Los Angeles, noting that the community’s newspapers no longer exert the social control they once did as the Issei population declines. He suggests the Japanese weekly may replace the daily, while the English-language tabloid will likely survive the physical transformation of Little Tokyo.
• Editorials: Japan Tie-Up, page 8. The editorial discusses reports that Japan’s Liberal Party is considering closer ties with Red China, reflecting dissatisfaction with American Far East policy, and argues Nisei in America should take deep interest in these developments. It notes the upcoming National JACL Convention will discuss JACL’s attitude toward the Japanese government, urging Nisei with firsthand knowledge of Japan to share their experiences.
• Editorials: New Citizens, page 8. The editorial comments on the Los Angeles Immigration and Naturalization Service calling 300 Issei petitioners for citizenship this week, representing a backlog in the area. It expresses hope that the joy of these new citizens will inspire others who have delayed naturalization to complete the process.
• From the Frying Pan: For Youth in Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa recounts a visit from Tamotsu Murayama, who discussed his role in reviving the Boy Scout movement in postwar Japan as a means to combat youth delinquency and restore discipline after wartime disintegration. He also discusses Murayama’s views on Nisei in Japan who voted in postwar elections and inadvertently lost their U.S. citizenship, who may now reclaim it.
• Vagaries: Press in Li’l Tokio, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Tajiri reviews Gene Burd’s UCLA journalism article on the history of Japanese American bilingual newspapers in Los Angeles, recalling the era of four competing dailies in the 1930s and the pioneering English-language sections that trained many Nisei journalists. He reflects on how these bilingual papers shaped Nisei identity and behavior through World War II, noting their editorial independence was never commercially self-sustaining.
• Opinions: Stockton Exchange Club Stand, page 8. A reprinted Stockton Record editorial applauds the Stockton Exchange Club’s decision to continue opposing the national Exchange Club’s policy of racial exclusion rather than withdrawing quietly. The piece argues that devotion to principle is a powerful weapon and that members have a legitimate right to oppose organizational policy.
• Minority, page 8. A roundup of minority-related news items including estimates of 30,000 Mexican wetbacks in Chicago and immigration officials’ offer of safe passage letters for voluntary return to Mexico. Also reported are Lt. Genevieve de Galard-Terraube’s reaction to discriminatory nursing school practices in Chicago, ICC hearings on segregated railroad facilities, and Mississippi’s rejection of a modified Jim Crow school system following the Supreme Court’s desegregation decision.

In-Depth

• Tokyo Topics: A Day at Seabrook Farms, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama describes Seabrook Farms in New Jersey, a massive 50,000-acre farming-freezing operation employing workers of many nationalities including Japanese, where a multilingual employee journal is published in five languages. He recounts the history of Japanese American workers there since 1946, including the naturalization of 126 Issei pioneers and praise from local newspapers for their good citizenship.

JACL

• Official Convention Delegates, page 4. National JACL Headquarters published a comprehensive list of chapters and their named delegates and alternates to the 13th biennial National Convention set for Sept. 2-6 in Los Angeles. Delegates are listed by district council including Pacific Northwest, Northern California-Western Nevada, Central California, Pacific Southwest, Mountain Plains, Midwest, and Eastern District Councils.
• Chapter Memo, page 4. Brief updates from various JACL chapters including Arizona’s membership growth, D.C. chapter’s record membership and banquet photos, Murayama’s upcoming Salt Lake City speech, San Francisco’s Fun Night, and New York’s $3,000 fund appeal launch with a steering committee of past chapter presidents.
• 34 Chapters Name Officials for Convention, page 4. Thirty-four JACL chapters have informed National Headquarters of their official delegates to the 13th biennial National Convention at the Los Angeles Statler, Sept. 2-6. National Director Masao Satow urged remaining chapters to submit names so delegates can receive informational materials for National Council sessions.
• 18 Candidates Nominated for Pvt. Ben Masaoka Scholarship, page 4. Eighteen high school graduates, the largest number in the scholarship’s nine-year history, have been nominated by JACL chapters for the 1954 Pvt. Ben Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. A panel of judges will select one recipient, with the winner to be announced within the week.
• Tri-Villes Try Split Group, page 4. The Tri-Villes Jr. JACL group, affiliated with Sequoia JACL, is testing a new program dividing into senior and junior groups for the coming year. New officers were installed for both groups at a dinner in Redwood City, with membership drawn from Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City.

Sports

• Sportscope, page 6. A roundup of Nisei sports news covers the Southern California Japanese tennis championships nearing finals, a Toronto-Cleveland Nisei tennis tournament, golf tournament results from Seattle and Los Angeles, a no-hit softball game in Sacramento, and Nancy Ito playing shortstop in an exhibition softball game in Denver. Various players and scores are detailed across multiple sports.
• Maj. Samuel Lee on Goodwill Tour of Southeast Asia, page 6. Maj. Samuel Lee, twice Olympic diving champion and Sullivan Award recipient, is on a three-month goodwill tour of Southeast Asia sponsored by the AAU and the State Department. The Fresno-born doctor, now stationed in Seoul, will visit several countries and consult with medical colleagues while demonstrating his athletic skills.
• Miss Triple Swim, page 6. Nisei Olympic swimming champion Ford Konno narrowly missed a triple win at the National AAU outdoor championships, losing the 400 meter freestyle to Bill Woolsey by a fingernail margin. Konno did win the 200 and 1,500 meter events, setting a new AAU record in the latter.
• Nisei Week Golf Draws Record Field of 217, page 6. A record 217 golfers are competing on five Los Angeles-area golf courses for Nisei Week honors, sponsored by the So. Calif. Nisei Golf Association. Flight schedules were announced across championship, Aye, Bee, Cee, and Dee divisions at various courses.
• Miss Salt Lake II, page 6. Hutch Aoki’s boat “Miss Salt Lake City II” finished third in the 135 cubic-inch hydro Seafair Outboard regatta held in Seattle.
• 72-Hole Meet Winner, page 6. Sueo Ito won the annual 72-hole Mile-Hi golf club tournament in Denver with a 278 total, leading the tournament from early on. He finished eight strokes ahead of runner-up Jim Okida.

Obituaries

• Twin Infants Die, page 7. Day-old twin daughters Diane Akemi and Jo Ann Midori, born to Mr. and Mrs. Masuwo Okuhara, died last week. Funeral services were held the following Thursday.

Incarceration & Redress

• Decade Ago, page 8. A historical roundup from Aug. 12, 1944 recounts wartime news including six Nisei soldiers cited for valor at Saipan, a non-Japanese youth who lived at Manzanar camp for two years, and a federal jury convicting three sisters of conspiracy to commit treason. Other items include a Methodist preacher protesting prejudice in Wyoming, actor Lee Tracy recruiting Nisei volunteers, and the War Department’s citation of the 100th Infantry Battalion’s combat record in Italy.

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