Bruyeres remembers the Nisei soldiers, and evacuation claims near deadline

Vol. 29, No. 23, December 3, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

The people of Bruyeres, France gathered at the JACL-sponsored Nisei memorial in the woods of Helledraye on the fifth anniversary of their liberation by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Acting Mayor Robert Valantin spoke, and a wreath from the National JACL was laid for the Nisei war dead. Much of the front page and the rest of the issue turned to evacuation claims, with a January 2, 1950 filing deadline. Mike Masaoka advised anyone with an interest in a claim to file, and the National JACL planned to submit the claimants’ view to the Department of Justice.

Elsewhere in these 8 pages, Masaoka was due in Vancouver to compare claims programs in the United States and Canada. Rep. John A. Carroll and Rep. John Z. Anderson spoke on civil rights. Columns by Larry Tajiri, Bill Hosokawa, Joe Oyama and Lawrence Nakatsuka appeared, and the sports pages covered the first national Nisei basketball tournament in Chicago.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Citizens of Bruyeres Recall Heroism of Nisei at Ceremony in Anniversary of Liberation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The people of Bruyeres, France gathered at the JACL-sponsored Nisei memorial in the Vosges foothills on the fifth anniversary of their liberation by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Acting Mayor Robert Valantin praised the courage of the Japanese American soldiers and the sacrifices made for French freedom.
• Assign Nisei to Missionary Work in Africa, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. Thomas Masaji Okuma of Wailuku, Maui and his family were appointed missionaries to Angola, West Africa by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Service. He studied at several institutions including Yale Divinity School.

National

• National JACL Will Submit Evacuee-Claimant’s View of Repayment Program to Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL will submit memoranda to the Department of Justice presenting the evacuee-claimant point of view on the evacuation claims program. Attorneys, particularly Nisei attorneys, are invited to participate by preparing legal briefs on the law.
• Hawaii University President Predicts Statehood for Isles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Gregg Sinclair, president of the University of Hawaii, predicted Hawaii would achieve statehood within six months of Congressional deliberation. He cited race prejudice as the main obstacle and praised the wartime loyalty of Japanese Americans.
• Masaoka Will Confer in Canada on Evacuation Claims Situation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka will compare evacuee claims payment programs in the United States and Canada during conferences in Vancouver starting December 5. He will also meet with Royal Commissioner Justice Bird and address a Vancouver JOCA meeting.
• Advise Japanese Canadians to Take Care in Accepting Loans from Cannery Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National JCCA urged Japanese Canadian fishermen to be cautious about cannery company loans that may function as demand notes placing their equipment at risk. George Tanaka advised fishermen to join the CIO Fishermen’s Union and accept only loans with set repayment terms.
• Union Protests Plan to Return Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fishermen’s Union officials in Vancouver protested a canneries plan to bring 250 to 300 evacuated Japanese Canadian fishermen back to the British Columbia coast. The union said there was already sufficient fishing gear operating on the coast.
• AWOL Nisei Soldier Turns Out to Be Filipino Barboy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A soldier reported in Guam as a Japanese American AWOL from Honolulu was identified as Eduardo B. Haguisan, a Filipino barboy. Haguisan had impersonated a Nisei soldier to avoid deportation and reach Hawaii.

Incarceration & Redress

• Urge Oxnard Center Be Returned to Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Victor A. Martinez of the Civic Progressive League urged the Oxnard city council to return the Seventh Street Recreation Center to the JACL, noting Japanese Americans had paid for its move, upkeep, and furnishings. He argued the city’s transfer of the center to other groups after the 1942 evacuation was unjust.
• Sumio Doi Files for Damages Under Evacuee Claims Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Placer Evacuation Claims Committee reminded evacuees with property losses that the January 2, 1950 filing deadline is approaching. Sumio Doi, a Newcastle veteran and orchardist, filed one of the largest claims through the group.

Community

• Milwaukee JACL Will Aid Claimants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Milwaukee JACL chapter arranged for attorney Robert Dewa to assist anyone filing evacuation claims on Dec. 3 and 4 ahead of the deadline. Chapter president Kazumi Oura announced the help.
• Northwest Area Council to Be Reactivated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Northwest JACL district council will reactivate at a Spokane meeting on Dec. 3 and 4, featuring speakers Mike Masaoka and Masao Satow. A banquet and a session on evacuation claims were also scheduled.
• Intermountain JACL Picks Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kathy Tamura of Murray, Utah was crowned queen of the Intermountain JACL district council convention. National legislative director Mike Masaoka congratulated her at the Canyon Club in Ogden.
• Milwaukee Chapter Will Take Part in Holiday Folk Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Milwaukee JACL chapter will exhibit a typical Japanese living room at the Holiday Folk Fair on Dec. 3 and 4. The chapter also planned a Christmas Eve party for the community and was preparing its 1950 cabinet election.
• Crown King, Queen at Elles Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Edward Henmi and Mary Yamamoto were crowned king and queen at the fourth annual Thanksgiving dance held by the Elles at the Marigold ballroom in Fresno. The football theme carried through the decorations and festivities.
• American Nisei Girl Wins Praise from Japanese Visitor, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Hiroshi Hashimoto, director of St. Luke’s International Medical Center in Tokyo, praised American Nisei women for retaining traditional Japanese feminine virtues. He also commended Nisei generally for their productive, American-style lives.
• Denver Legislator Says Reactionaries Block Civil Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. John A. Carroll of Colorado told the Denver Unity Council that civil rights legislation faces little prospect unless Senate rules change. He called the reactionary coalition that blocked the program a conspiracy against the will of the people.
• Rep. Anderson Tells of Opposition to Civil Rights Program, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. John Z. Anderson of California spoke to Watsonville and San Benito County JACL members at a dinner, opposing most of President Truman’s civil rights proposals. Grant Masaoka, Northern California regional director, spoke in favor of the proposals.
• Tragedy Strikes Minneapolis Family Which Helped Student, by Peter Ohtaki, page 3. Ilse Norrbom, whose family had arranged to sponsor a Japanese engineering student at the University of Minnesota, died of poisoning in New York in an apparent suicide pact. Her late husband Lowell had died in a 1948 auto-taxicab collision.
• Nisei Returns from Visit to Atom-Bombed City, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Kimiyo Morinaga returned from Hiroshima, where she spent seven weeks with relatives and reported a new and better city rising from the ruins. She said the people harbor no bitterness toward the United States for the atomic bomb.
• Ellis Center Choir Plans Full Program for Holiday Season, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Ellis Community Center Choir in Chicago scheduled a series of holiday performances including a city-wide Issei and Nisei service on December 17. The choir will also sing at Christmas Eve caroling and Christmas Day services.
• Boise Valley JACL Wins IDC Bowling, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Boise Valley JACL won the team bowling championship of the Intermountain JACL district council in Ogden, edging out the Pacific Citizen team. Dr. Jun Kurumada was the individual star of the tournament.
• Gaeth, Cullum Speak at EDC Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Arthur Gaeth and Robert Cullum spoke at the JACL Eastern district council dinner in Washington, D.C. on November 12. The event brought together JACL leaders and supporters of naturalization equality.
• Hold Harvest Hop, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Idaho Falls JACL chapter held its Harvest Hop in the newly remodeled JACL hall, drawing fifty couples to dance to Marlin Rowan’s orchestra. Three turkeys were given away as prizes.
• Advise Any Person with Interest in Evacuation Claim to File, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mike Masaoka advised anyone with an interest in an evacuation claim to file before the January 2 deadline, even if others have already filed. He stressed that parties with legal or community property interests should protect their rights.
• San Jose JACL Group to Hold Annual Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The United Citizens League of Santa Clara County will hold its fourth annual New Year’s Eve dance at the San Jose Women’s Club with Bob Kent and his orchestra. The event is a community social gathering.

JACL

• Issei Contribution to Nation Hailed by Masaoka at IDC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mike Masaoka hailed the contributions of resident Issei to American culture and economy at the Intermountain JACL district council convention and urged renewed effort on the Walter resolution for naturalization equality. A $5,000 fundraising goal was set for JACL ADC from the Intermountain area.

In-Depth

• Happy Ending Seen for Kiyono Family of Alabama After Long Litigation in U.S. Tax Court, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tsukasa Kiyono, an Issei nurseryman who pioneered the camellia and azalea industry in Alabama, faced a long tax court case over poor bookkeeping. The Tax Court found no fraudulent intent and ruled the family owed back taxes but not fraud penalties.
• The Kiyonos of Alabama, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Tax Court ruled on the Kiyono Nurseries case, finding the Issei couple’s bookkeeping inadequate but not fraudulent. The case stemmed from wartime seizure of their Alabama property and their postwar return to Mobile.
• We Goona Buffalo Hunt, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A reporter describes a buffalo hunt on a Wyoming ranch where a herd of about fifty wild buffalo was culled to benefit the herd. The hunters brought down four bulls after days of searching by jeep and plane.

Commentary

• Prejudice in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that Washington, D.C. operates under Southern segregation laws and customs that do not reflect the rest of the nation. It cites segregated schools, housing discrimination, and discriminatory government hiring as examples.
• Bill of Rights Day, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial marks the 158th anniversary of the Bill of Rights and urges that the day be used for action rather than self-congratulation. It notes the ACLU’s plan to encourage local Bills of Rights for cities.
• Chinaware, by Hideo Kuwahara, page 4. A translated Japanese poem by Tatsuji Miyoshi reflects on the humble artisan and the beauty of chinaware. The translation series is presented by Hideo Kuwahara.
• Mona Lisa, by Kotaro Kampo, page 4. A translated Japanese poem portrays a mother’s calm smile through a stormy night and the hopeful morning that follows. The poem is presented in Hideo Kuwahara’s translation series.
• Radio and Racial Stereotype, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri observes that radio drama has moved away from demeaning Japanese American stereotypes toward heroic portrayals. He reviews a CBS Suspense episode in which a Nisei veteran is cast positively.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa comments on a fraternity conference that avoided a direct vote on racial discrimination, though a resolution recommending removal of discriminatory clauses passed. He sees it as a partial victory for democratic practice in fraternities.
• Double Standard, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Department of Justice filed a brief challenging the ‘equal but separate’ doctrine that permits segregation of Negro passengers. The article argues that separate treatment inherently implies inferiority and violates the American creed.
• Anent Evacuation, by Beatrice Griffith, page 5. Author Beatrice Griffith praises the Nisei for proving their capability and loyalty after being incarcerated behind barbed wire. She notes they have excelled in teaching, science, and business, especially in the East.
• Manhattta, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Oyama reports on the growing popularity of Japanese rice crackers in eastern and midwestern stores through Twixt, Inc. He also profiles Nisei entertainers and professionals in New York and New England.
• Vagaries, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 6. Nakatsuka describes a sweeping revival of Japanese institutions, language, and customs in Hawaii that has been accepted by the community. He contrasts this with wartime hostility toward such practices.

Sports

• The Great Togo-Oriental Villain, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Okamura, wrestling as The Great Togo, has drawn controversy for playing an Oriental villain in his matches. A Bakersfield bout led to a minor riot requiring police reserves.
• Fujihara Plays for Unbeaten Santa Rosa, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Everett Fujihara, a former Sebastopol star, was playing left guard for the undefeated Santa Rosa Junior College team. Several other Nisei prep and college players were highlighted for their performances.
• Tommy Yamaoka Makes the Grade, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tommy Yamaoka earned a 10-round decision over Alfredo Chavez at Hollywood Legion stadium, a notable main event for a Nisei boxer. He had trained in Salt Lake City before turning professional.
• Chicago Team Will Play in Coast Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago Huskies, champions of the first national Nisei basketball tournament, will compete in the third All-Oriental national tourney at San Jose State gym from December 22 to 25. Other entrants include Berkeley Nisei and Hawaii NAU All-Stars.
• Chicago Huskies Beat Berkeley in Finals of First National Nisei Basketball Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago Huskies defeated the Berkeley Nisseis 58 to 46 in the finals of the first national invitational Nisei basketball tournament held in Chicago. Shig Murao was named most valuable player and Hawaii’s Chico Miyashiro won the inspirational player award.
• Frank Kebo Will Get Paper’s Award for Rolling Perfect Game, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Frank Kebo, ineligible for ABC membership, rolled a perfect 300 game in the Chicago Nisei bowling league. He will receive the Chicago Sun-Times diamond medal achievement award for the feat.

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