Equal naturalization for Issei and the Tokyo Rose bail ruling

Vol. 29, No. 16, October 15, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

The push to open naturalization to Issei ran through this eight-page issue. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported out the Walter resolution on Oct. 13, and its report called the evidence of Japanese aliens’ fitness for citizenship overwhelming. Mike Masaoka of the JACL ADC wrote every senator, and an editorial praised the committee’s action. The front page also reported that Judge Michael J. Roche denied bail to Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted of treason as “Tokyo Rose,” pending her appeal. Marion Tajiri’s column asked questions the trial left unanswered.

Other columns came from Bill Hosokawa, Togo Tanaka and Roku Suychore. Local news covered the Cleveland JACL topping its fund goal, plans for the first Mountain Plains convention in Denver, and Paul Rusch’s talks on youth projects in Japan. Teru Shimada’s role in the film Tokyo Joe, sports pages and bowling league standings fill out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Judge Roche Refuses Bail Request for Mrs. d’Aquino, Pending Appeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Michael J. Roche denied bail to Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted of treason as ‘Tokyo Rose,’ pending her appeal. Her attorneys argued her wartime conduct and the State Department’s role in stranding her in Japan.
• Stranded Nisei Denied Citizenship Rights, page 3. A Nisei who served with the Japanese army was refused passport service at the U.S. consulate in Yokohama. The case was taken up by the ACLU with the aim of restoring his citizenship rights.

JACL

• Cleveland JACL Tops Goal in Fund Campaign, page 1. The Cleveland JACL raised $1,549.82 for the JACL-ADC, surpassing its $1,000 goal. Frank Shiba, who led the drive, presented the check at the Midwest district council convention.
• Northern California District Convention Dates Changed, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL district council moved its convention to Nov. 5-6 to avoid conflicting with the Mountain Plains meeting in Denver. San Francisco JACL will host the event.

Community

• Gas Fumes Kill Nisei Technician in Chicago Laboratory, page 1. Hiitoshi Yasuda, 24, a research technician, died from mysterious gas fumes in a Chicago medical chemical laboratory on Oct. 12. His employer, Dr. Bernardo B. Speiser, was found unconscious but is expected to recover.
• Nisei Named King, Queen at Homecoming, page 2. Junior Yagi and Fay Tazoi were crowned king and queen at Bear River High School homecoming in Garland, Utah. Both are active students in school clubs and athletics.
• Chicago Girl Wins Illinois Scholarship, page 2. Kaz Kita, 17, was awarded a scholarship to the Navy Pier campus of the University of Illinois. She is a teen editor for Nisei Vue and the Chicago Shimpo.
• New England Chapter Asks JACL to Fight Movie Racism, page 2. The New England JACL chapter petitioned the national JACL to act against anti-Japanese propaganda in Hollywood films. The petition argues such stereotypes undermine the reputation of Nisei veterans.
• New England JACL Chapter Initiates Autumn Program, by By WILLIAM R. SIMMS, page 2. The New England JACL opened its fall season with a square dance and meeting attended by national director Mas Satow. Members also drafted a resolution to the national office on Hollywood anti-Japanese propaganda.
• Detroit Council Plans Nisei Talent Show to Aid Institute, page 3. The Detroit Japanese Coordinating Council will hold a benefit Nisei talent show on Oct. 22 to aid the International Institute building fund. The program will include dance, vocal and novelty acts.
• Sacramento Heads Guilty on Manslaughter Count, page 3. Hotel operator George Morimoto pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Sacramento Superior Court over two asphyxiation deaths at his hotel. The deaths were caused by an unvented heater.
• Forget Traitor But Remember Nisei Patriot, Imperial Valley Newspaper Urges in Editorial, page 3. The El Centro Imperial Valley Press urged readers to remember Meiji Fujizawa as a patriot and forget traitor Tomoya Kawakita. The editorial praised the 442nd and the loyalty of Nisei generally.
• Mountain Plains Chapters Plan First Convention in Denver, page 3. Mountain Plains JACL chapters will hold their first district convention in Denver on Nov. 12-13 to consider formally establishing a district council. Mike Masaoka will give the main banquet address.
• Five Fishermen Rescued from Sinking Vessel, page 3. Five fishermen were rescued after their 40-foot boat Susan began sinking off Manhattan Beach, California, overloaded with sardines. A lifeguard rescue boat towed the vessel to the Redondo breakwater.
• Paul Rusch Speaks on Japan’s Youth Projects, by By STEVEN SAKAI, page 8. Paul Rusch, former Camp Savage and Fort Snelling personnel director, spoke in Los Angeles about conditions in occupied Japan. He described his youth center projects and a nationwide tour he planned with the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.

National

• Illinois AFL Backs Issei Naturalization, page 1. The Illinois Federation of Labor passed a resolution supporting the Walter Resolution and Judd Bill to remove racial restrictions from naturalization and immigration laws. The resolution was adopted at the state convention in Springfield.
• Committee Reports Out Walter Resolution, page 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously reported out the Walter resolution on Oct. 13, opening naturalization to about 88,000 resident aliens, most of them Japanese. A Senate vote could come before adjournment.
• Evidence of Fitness of Issei for Citizenship Overwhelming, Says Senate Judiciary Group, page 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s report concluded that evidence of Japanese aliens’ fitness for citizenship is overwhelming. The report praised the wartime service of Japanese Americans and endorsed the Walter resolution.
• City of Milwaukee Approves Resolution Supporting Passage of Equality in Naturalization, page 2. The Milwaukee Common Council unanimously urged Congress to pass legislation equalizing citizenship rights and immigration quotas. The resolution was sponsored by the city’s Human Rights Commission and the Milwaukee JACL.
• JACL ADC Asks Senators to Pass Walter Resolution, page 2. Mike Masaoka of the JACL ADC wrote every U.S. senator urging a vote for the Walter resolution. He argued Issei parents of Nisei veterans deserve the same naturalization opportunity as other immigrants.
• Resolution Nears Vote, page 2. Mike Masaoka reported the Walter resolution is likely to pass the Senate, possibly within two and a half months, through a single procedural vote. National President Hito Okada also wired senators urging approval.
• Senator Miller Was Supporter of Nisei Citizenship, page 3. JACL ADC noted the death of Idaho Senator Bert H. Miller, a Judiciary Committee member who supported equal naturalization. Miller had planned to push for the Walter resolution.
• John Shelley Declines Offer of Vacancy in Department of Army, page 3. AFL leader John F. Shelley declined appointment as Assistant Army Secretary and reported assurance that Karl Bendetsen would not be reappointed. JACL had opposed Bendetsen due to his role in the wartime evacuation.

Obituaries

• K.K. Kawakami, Noted Publicist, Dies in Washington of Illness, page 1. K.K. Kawakami, 76, a publicist and writer on U.S.-Japanese relations, died in Washington on Oct. 12. He had authored many books and articles and had served as correspondent for Japanese newspapers.

Military & Veterans

• Rusch Will Speak, page 2. Twin Cities Nisei will hold a memorial service on Nov. 6 featuring Paul Rusch, former personnel director of the military intelligence language school. A reunion of former MISLS men is also planned.
• Nisei Veterans Welcomed by Guard, page 2. A California National Guard sergeant invited Nisei veterans to join the unit, noting openings were available. The invitation was extended this week in San Francisco.

Arts & Entertainment

• Teru Shimada Wins Praise for Acting as Bogart’s Pal in Tokyo Joe, page 2. Teru Shimada received high praise from trade reviewers for his role opposite Humphrey Bogart in the film Tokyo Joe. The film features more than 50 Japanese Americans and is the first Hollywood film with a postwar Japan occupation setting.
• Yuriko to Give N.Y. Concert, page 3. Yuriko Amemiya, a Nisei modern dance artist, will give her first solo concert in New York at the 92nd Street YMHA. The program includes a piece based on her wartime camp experience.

Commentary

• Walter Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Senate Judiciary Committee for reporting out the Walter resolution, which would open naturalization to resident aliens of Japanese ancestry. It credits JACL ADC strategy for keeping the measure moving.
• Minneapolis and Fair Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial highlights Minneapolis’s fair employment practices commission, which settled 45 percent of its first 75 cases. It argues the Minneapolis experience shows FEP legislation works without heavy enforcement.
• Some Questions Remain Unanswered: The Trial of Tokyo Rose, by By MARION TAJIRI, page 4. Marion Tajiri reviews the treason trial of Iva Toguri d’Aquino, examining the government’s key witnesses and the jury’s verdict. He raises questions about racial sensitivities in the courtroom and about the State Department’s treatment of other Nisei.
• Japan, the Villain, by Roku Suychore, page 5. The columnist discusses how Japan’s postwar image has suffered and how Nisei may be affected by it. He proposes distributing the Japan Yearbook to libraries and to the United Nations to promote understanding.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa observes that mechanized equipment has replaced stoop labor in the Colorado sugar beet harvest. He also critiques the fine print of Japan travel regulations and transportation costs.
• Togo Tanaka’s Postscripts: Prof. Oyama and Censorship, by Togo Tanaka, page 6. Tanaka reports on the arrest of Professor Ikuo Oyama by Occupation authorities and discusses limits on criticism of the Occupation. He concludes that Japanese militarists and American officials may both suppress critics.

Sports

• Asato Stars as Rainbows Defeat Denver, page 6. Sophomore Asato led the University of Hawaii Rainbows to a 27-14 upset of Denver University on Oct. 7. The win was one of the team’s most successful mainland invasions in years.
• Sato Wins Match, page 6. Jim Sato defeated N. Buck 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of the Arcadia Open tennis tournament. The match was held October 9.
• Mark Twain Team Holds Lead in Chicago Bowling, page 6. The Mark Twain team leads the Chicago Nisei bowling league after five weeks with a one-game margin. Several teams posted notable series scores in the October 5 matches.
• Pacific Citizen Team Takes Lead in Salt Lake League, page 6. The Pacific Citizen team moved into first place in the Salt Lake JACL winter bowling league with a 4-0 win over Terashima Studio. Dr. Jun Kurumada led the night with a 620 series.

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