A Tokyo trial of eight Nisei and the JACL’s 1948 legislative push

Vol. 26, No. 2, January 10, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

A murder trial in Tokyo led the front page. Defense Counsel Vincent Esposito charged that Army CID agents used promises and threats to obtain a confession from Kiyoto Nakamura, one of eight Nisei defendants. The same issue followed the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee as it pressed for the President’s Committee on Civil Rights recommendations, citizenship for Issei and evacuation claims. Mike Masaoka met with White House officials, the JACL filed a Supreme Court brief in the Amer and Kim restrictive covenant cases, and Joe Grant Masaoka and Eiji Tanabe prepared a Northwest tour.

Other pages carry Larry Tajiri’s profile of the sculptor Isamu Noguchi, columns by Bill Hosokawa, and a notice from the Office of Alien Property on claims against vested Japanese banks. Chapter news, fundraising totals and ski, football and bowling reports fill the rest of this eight-page issue.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Defense Counsel in Tokyo Nisei Case Charges Use of Force by Army Investigators, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Defense counsel Vincent Esposito charged that Army CID agents used promises and threats to obtain a confession from defendant Kiyoto Nakamura in the Tokyo murder case. He also alleged the eight Nisei defendants were held in solitary confinement since September.
  • Alien Property Office Explains Regulations for Recovery of Claims on Japanese Banks, by Tosuke Yamasaki, page 2. Officials of the Office of Alien Property explained that form APC-1C can be used to claim both yen and dollar deposits in vested Japanese banks and contract obligations such as bond interest. They noted that acceptance of a claim does not confirm its validity or guarantee full payment.
  • Large-Scale Looting of Properties Told by Nisei Official, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Manitoba Japanese Canadian Citizens Association filed evacuation property loss claims totaling $385,000 for 159 persons. Its president confirmed reports of large-scale looting of Japanese Canadian property in British Columbia during the early days of evacuation.
  • ADC Aid Sought in Processing Claims for Evacuation Losses, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Nishita of the San Benito County JACL urged the West Coast ADC to help farmers process evacuation loss claims and to devise forms and cost measures. He argued the ADC responsibility continues until recipients are actually paid.
  • Urge Speedy Repatriation of Okinawa Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The repatriation committee of the Okinawa Relief and Repatriation Foundation in Honolulu is seeking the early return of about 300 stranded Nisei, most of them Hawaii residents. The committee plans an extensive campaign to assist them.

National

  • White House Support Sought for ADC Proposals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka, JACL ADC national legislative director, met with White House officials to seek support for the President’s Committee on Civil Rights recommendations affecting persons of Japanese ancestry. He also asked for help on evacuation claims, citizenship for Issei, and the Takahashi fishing case.
  • JACL Files Supreme Court Brief in Oriental American Restrictive Covenant Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to immediately consider writs of certiorari in the Amer and Kim restrictive covenant cases. The brief argued that the covenants harm minorities beyond persons of Negro birth.
  • Church Group Asks Modification of U.S. Naturalization Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Human Relations Commission of the Protestant Council of New York City urged Congress and President Truman to amend naturalization laws so all legally admitted persons may become citizens regardless of race or national origin. The appeal noted that nationals of eleven countries and colonial areas remain ineligible.
  • Maine Political, Civic Leaders Endorse Legislative Aims of Japanese American Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sam Ishikawa, eastern states director of the JACL ADC, secured endorsements of the ADC legislative program from Maine Governor Horace Hildreth and several civic leaders during his tour. The campaign will extend to every state in the coming months.
  • GOP Asked to Aid Issei Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. West Coast ADC Director Joe Grant Masaoka asked the San Francisco County Republican Central Committee to support the naturalization bill H.R. 4824. The committee referred the request to a special study committee.
  • ADC Representatives Will Make Tour of Northwest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joe Grant Masaoka and Eiji Tanabe will tour Pacific Northwest cities beginning Jan. 12 to discuss the JACL-ADC program and finances with supporters. Stops include Portland, Mid-Columbia, Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane.

Community

  • Pacific Southwest District Council Meeting Called, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first 1948 meeting of the JACL Pacific Southwest district council will be held in Los Angeles. Agenda items include district council awards, rebuilding the council treasury, and organizing the 1948 Issei ADC committee.
  • Nisei Minister Named Rector for Billings Church, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Rev. George T. Masuda, ordained in 1942 in the Minnesota diocese, was appointed rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal church in Billings, Montana, effective Feb. 1. He succeeds the Rev. Henry L. Ewan.
  • ADC Financial Drive Planned in Southwest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Tri-State JACL-ADC regional office and the Denver Kika Kisei Domei will launch a fundraising campaign in Texas and New Mexico starting Jan. 10. The itinerary covers the main Japanese American population centers in both states.
  • Long Beach JACL To Install Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Long Beach JACL will hold a dinner dance on Jan. 24 to announce and install its new cabinet. Speakers and music are scheduled for the event at the Masonic Temple.
  • San Diego JACL Installs Cabinet Members, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Min Sakamoto and his new San Diego JACL cabinet were installed at a dance held at the San Diego Buddhist temple. The article lists the officers and district chairmen for the coming year.
  • Progressive News Will Enlarge Plant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Progressive News, a San Francisco Japanese American daily, suspended publication temporarily from Jan. 5 to install additional machinery and reorganize its plant. The paper did not state a resumption date in this notice.
  • Tall Texan Returns to U.S. With Tiny Japanese Bride, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wesley Hooper, a Texan who met his wife while serving in occupied Japan, arrived in Seattle with his Japanese war bride Miyoko Urabe. The couple planned to settle in Hooper’s hometown of Eastland, Texas.
  • Move to Transfer San Juan Gakuen to JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Efforts are underway to transfer ownership of the San Juan Gakuen Corporation to the San Benito County JACL Chapter. Trustee George Nishita is working to secure unanimous endorsement from the scattered trustees.
  • Livingston Group To Consider JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. At the invitation of Dave Kirihara, West Coast ADC Director Joe Grant Masaoka will meet with Livingston Nisei on Jan. 22 to discuss forming a JACL chapter. The community has backed the Northern California Civil Rights Defense Union and the ADC legislative program.
  • Unitarian Group Ends New York Hostel Project, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The board of the Manhattan hostel for Japanese Americans voted to liquidate the project, which had housed 948 persons and served 26,500 meals since November 1945. Surplus funds of about $1200 will go to atomic bomb survivors and victims of the Nazi purge.
  • Nisei Takes Part in Wallace Move, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Shiz Yoshimura of the University of California was named an executive committeeman-at-large of the collegiate Henry Wallace for President organization. Thirty-seven delegates from nine California colleges attended the first meeting.
  • Pocatello JACL Sets Inaugural, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pocatello JACL will hold an inaugural ball on Jan. 17 to install its 1948 cabinet. All Intermountain District Council chapters have been invited.
  • Plan Study of Nisei Students at Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The University of Washington Sociology Department is planning a survey of its Nisei students. Acting associate Gordon Hirabayashi reported 228 students of Japanese ancestry enrolled last year.
  • Chicago Wedding, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nancy Ann Akita married Hiroshi Kasamoto in a simple ceremony officiated by Rev. George N. Nishimoto at the University of Chicago chapel. A reception followed and the couple will reside in Chicago.
  • Chicago Art Guild Exhibit: Gaka Art Guild, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Gaka Art Guild of Chicago, a group of about 25 mostly Nisei artists, held an exhibit of thirty oil and watercolor paintings at Roosevelt College. The article profiles members and plans for future exhibits.
  • Fresno Chapter Names Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Fresno JACL elected Fred Hirasuna as president for the coming year, along with other cabinet officers. Johnson Kebo is the retiring president.
  • Goat for Japan Relief Project Approved by St. Louis JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The St. Louis JACL approved a Goat for Japan relief project, with each $50 purchasing a milk goat shipped to Japan. Yuki Kato chairs the project alongside Betty Uchiyama and Joe Inukai.
  • Ellis Center Group To Elect Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The work camp group of Ellis community center scheduled its first election of new year officers for Jan. 9. Rev. George Nishimoto gave a New Year’s message on the group’s place in the world.
  • Cortez Nisei May Form JACL Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei in Cortez invited West Coast ADC Director Joe Grant Masaoka to a January 21 meeting to consider forming a local JACL chapter. The community has been a strong ADC supporter.
  • Students Plan Valentine Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese students club of Fresno State College will hold a Valentine dance on Feb. 14. Twenty percent of proceeds will go to the Operation Gate fund and $50 to a student scholarship.
  • Dr. Watanabe Named Prexy in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Tom Watanabe was named president pro tem of the Los Angeles JACL at its first 1948 cabinet meeting, filling the vacancy left by John Aiso’s resignation. Other cabinet members pledged support.
  • ADC Group Will Hold Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An Issei ADC meeting will be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 10 in conjunction with the Pacific Southwest district council. Kohei Koda, chairman of the Northern California Naturalization committee, will call the meeting.
  • Civil Rights Problem Discussed by AVC, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Seattle attorney Toru Sakahara and Prof. R. G. Tyler discussed civil rights problems facing racial minorities in Washington at a forum sponsored by the Seattle American Veterans Committee. The discussion focused on the President’s Committee on Civil Rights report.

Obituaries

  • Spokane Nisei Succumbs to Sudden Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joseph Okamoto, 1947 president of the Spokane JACL, died suddenly at his home on Jan. 5. He was a prominent civic, athletic, and church figure and is survived by his wife, three children, and family members.

Military & Veterans

  • Nisei Veteran Plays Role of GI Ghost in New Drama, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Howard Miyake, a former 100th Infantry Battalion lieutenant wounded at Lanuvia, Italy, played a Nisei GI ghost in John Kneubuhl’s play The City Is Haunted, staged by the Honolulu Community Theater. Miyake said the play conveys that prejudice is a mental crutch.
  • Nisei Seaman Aboard Stricken Liberty Ship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Haruo Tomita, a 44-year-old Honolulu seaman, was among the crew of the Liberty ship Simon Benson when it was stricken in heavy seas on a Pacific voyage. The vessel radioed that it was in distress after its plates cracked open.
  • Deadline Set for Enrollment in GI Language School, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Lt. Spady Koyama announced a tentative January 20 deadline for enrollment in the Army language school at the Presidio of Monterey. The nine-month to one-year course includes Japanese and several other languages.

JACL

  • Cleveland ADC Meets Pledge in Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland ADC council announced it had met its $2,000 pledge to the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee. Volunteers canvassed the city to raise the funds for the 1948 legislative program.
  • Substantial Contributions Reported for JACL, ADC Drives, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL national president Hito Okada reported large contributions from the New York chapter, which gave $3,031.74, and from Mid-Columbia and Spokane. Seabrook and Detroit chapters also collected substantial amounts.
  • Masao Satow Will Make Tour of Pacific Southwest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL national secretary Masao Satow will visit all Pacific Southwest chapters beginning Jan. 20. He plans to participate in regular chapter meetings rather than address special sessions.

Commentary

  • Unfinished Business of Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial examines the state of about 20,000 Japanese Americans resettled in Chicago, noting good economic adjustment but poor housing and social integration. It cites rising crime and delinquency and urges a wholesome social recreation program.
  • Some Notes for the New Year, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. This column covers New York Nisei news, including artists in the magazine ’48, the record snowfall, lapidarists, dental technicians, a stalled Broadway play, and weak Nisei import-export business with Japan. It closes with a New Year greeting.
  • Observing the Holidays, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa observes that well-to-do Nisei hold all-night card parties and drinking bouts during the holiday season. He records the behavior without censure and compares it to prewar Issei new year gatherings.
  • From the Frying Pan: Shoe Shines and Rickshas, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on his discomfort with paid shoe shining and rickshas as menial services and contrasts American self-reliance with caste-based expectations abroad. He admits that Americans overcome these qualms after a few rides.
  • Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A brief roundup of news items: Toru Matsumoto received a phone call from a Japanese newspaper president, magazines planned Hawaii features, Dillon Myer took a State Department post, and a Washington farm bureau invited Nisei farmers to join. Each item is one or two sentences.
  • Minority Week: This Week’s Quote and The Right to Vote, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column reprints a Los Angeles Tribune editorial on minority commissions and reports a Fourth Circuit ruling that Negroes must be allowed to vote in South Carolina Democratic primaries. It also includes a short recollection from Mrs. Delia Barber on Christmas.

In-Depth

  • Isamu Noguchi, Citizen and Artist, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. This profile traces sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s identification as a Nisei after Pearl Harbor and his voluntary entry into the Poston relocation center. It also surveys his sculpture, industrial design, and stage work.

Sports

  • Nisei Ski Star, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Amy Toda of Ogden, Utah, is considered one of the Rocky Mountain area’s top women skiers. She placed third in a 1947 meet at Jackson, Wyoming, and fourth at Alta, Utah.
  • Spartan Gridders, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Jose State’s Nisei gridders Babe Nomura and Jack Kakuuchi were featured during the Spartans’ games in Hawaii. The article also reviews other Nisei players in bowl games.
  • Pass to Nakamura Sets Up Winning Hawaii Touchdown, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A deflected pass from Sol Kaulukukui to Charles Bassette landed in the arms of end Ken Nakamura, setting up the winning touchdown. The University of Hawaii beat Redlands University 33 to 32 in the Pineapple Bowl on New Year’s Day.
  • Dawn Noodle Tops Season’s Records in Women’s Bowling, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dawn Noodle set the season’s highest team single and series marks in the JACCL women’s bowling league. Mieko Kusaka rolled the league’s first 500 series and Yasuko Oike recorded the day’s high game.
  • Hibbard Drug Holds Strong Lead in Men’s Bowl League, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hibbard Drug leads the Salt Lake City JACL men’s bowling league with 43 wins and 18 losses. New Sunrise Fish Market upset Okada Insurance in a notable match.
  • Salt Lake Seagulls Will Appear on Benefit Cage Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake Seagulls, back from the All-Oriental tournament in Seattle, will play the Taylorville Lions in a polio benefit basketball program on Jan. 19. The Coors team of Golden, Colorado, meets the Salt Lake Eckers in the feature game.
  • Hawaii Nisei Cagers Win Two Games in Northern California, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hawaii Nisei All-Stars defeated the San Francisco Vets 43 to 33 and the San Jose Zebras 56 to 47. Dick Asato scored 18 points in the first game.

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