The Tokyo Rose treason trial nears its end, and the Issei citizenship push

Vol. 29, No. 12, September 17, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

The treason trial of Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known as “Tokyo Rose,” led this eight-page issue. Marion Tajiri reported from San Francisco that the defense rested after Mrs. d’Aquino finished three days of direct examination and three days of cross-examination by prosecutor Tom De Wolfe. The case was expected to reach the jury late the next week, and an informal poll of eleven reporters found eight favoring acquittal.

The push for Issei naturalization ran through several pages. A Senate subcommittee approved the Walter resolution, and Amvets and the 34th Infantry Division Association backed it. The New York Times also asked for its passage. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee asked President Truman to drop the planned appointment of Karl Bendetsen to a high Army post. Columns by Larry Tajiri and Bill Hosokawa, sports pages, and community news from Chicago, Los Angeles and Placer County fill out the issue.

What’s in this issue

National

• ‘Tokyo Rose’ Defense Rests as End Nears in 11-Week-Old San Francisco Treason Trial, by Marion Tajiri, page 1. The defense rested in the Tokyo Rose treason trial as Iva Toguri d’Aquino concluded her testimony denying she committed treason. Cross-examination by prosecutor Tom De Wolfe failed to secure key admissions, and the case is expected to reach the jury soon.
• Newsmen Covering Tokyo Rose Trial Favor Acquittal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An informal poll of eleven reporters covering the trial found no votes for conviction and eight votes for acquittal. The remaining votes predicted a hung jury or withheld judgment.
• Issei Citizenship Proposal Passed by Subcommittee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate Immigration and Naturalization Subcommittee approved the Walter resolution granting naturalization rights to all legal immigrants. The measure may reach the full Senate Judiciary Committee and possibly a Senate vote before Congress adjourns.
• Los Angeles JACL Chapters Support Anti-Bias Ordinance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Coordinating Council in Los Angeles endorsed a city equality in employment ordinance introduced by Councilman Edward Roybal. Only one more council vote is needed for passage, and Nisei are urged to contact their councilmen.
• Walter Resolution Likely to Get Senate Action This Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to report favorably on the Walter resolution granting naturalization rights to legal immigrants, according to the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee. Mike Masaoka said Senate action could follow within a week or two of committee approval.
• JACL ADC Asks President to Cancel Plan to Appoint Bendetsen to High Army Post, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee wrote President Truman opposing the proposed appointment of Karl Bendetsen, wartime evacuation supervisor, as assistant secretary of the army. The JACL was joined by about 40 national organizations in the opposition.
• New York Times Asks Passage of Walter Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The New York Times editorialized for Senate passage of the Walter resolution and the Judd bill to end racial bars to naturalization and limit Asian immigration. The editorial argued the measures would correct an anachronistic injustice affecting some 89,000 persons.

Community

• Nisei Driver Killed, One Hurt in Auto Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yoshio Masaoka of Acampo was killed when his car collided with a truck on Highway 99 near Galt, California. Another Nisei, Masami Shimose, was seriously injured in the crash.
• Young Girls Save Two Fishermen From Drowning, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two 15-year-old girls, Nancy Jean Revie and Cathie Baltzer, swam into the surf at Dillon Beach to rescue two fishermen whose skiff capsized. The girls were hailed as heroines.
• Attorneys Will Volunteer Time to Claims Clinic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chicago attorneys and Nisei and Issei leaders will volunteer in a JACL-ADC evacuation claims assistance program offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The clinic runs for three weeks beginning September 27 at two locations.
• Sister in Japan for First Time, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Corp. Kay Shimada, a Nisei serving in the U.S. Air Force in Tokyo, met his 35-year-old half sister Mrs. Toshiko Shimada Nishimeguri in Hiroshima for the first time. The sister had been raised in Japan since before he was born.
• Minnesota Student Injured Following Auto Crash in California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Akira Okamoto, a University of Minnesota student working in Lodi, suffered a fractured skull when the truck he was riding in was hit by another car. He was hospitalized following the accident.
• Japanese America Have Come of Age as Economic Group, Says Dr. Andrew Lind, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Sociologist Dr. Andrew Lind says Hawaii’s Japanese have risen from the bottom of the economic scale to respected positions in business and white-collar work. He notes the shift from agricultural labor to proprietorship and clerical jobs between 1920 and 1940.
• Flames Destroy Frame Building at Minami Nursery in California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A fire from an untended bonfire damaged part of the Minami nursery warehouse in San Lorenzo, causing an estimated $15,900 in losses. Fifty firemen brought the blaze under control while large crowds watched.
• Twin Daughters Arrive From Japan to Join Mother in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four-year-old twin daughters Yoshiko and Teiko arrived in Seattle from Japan to reunite with their mother Mrs. David Carpenter after an act of Congress. The reunion followed a year of separation caused by immigration laws.
• Oratorical Contest Announced in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California announced an oratorical contest for Nisei and Sansei to be held October 29 at Nishi Hongwanji Hall. Separate English and Japanese language divisions will award three prizes each.
• Placer County JACL Honors Man Who Was Friend in Need, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Placer County JACL honored Harry R. Owen of Penryn, California, for his assistance to returning evacuees. Owen guarded the abandoned community during the war and later became an annual contributor to JACL fund drives.
• Rev. Nakajima to Attend UN Meet in Paris, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Rev. Arnold Nakajima sailed for Europe as one of twelve delegates from Northern California to the UNESCO conference in Paris. He will take part in a symposium in London on September 22 before proceeding to Paris.
• New Car Will Be Grand Prize at Chicago JACL Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago JACL’s Oriental Holiday Bazaar on October 22 and 23 will offer a 1949 Chevrolet as its grand prize. Proceeds will help fund the chapter’s costs of hosting the 1950 National JACL convention.
• Japanese American Growers Win Top State Fair Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Alameda County vegetable growers, many of them Japanese American, won the second sweepstakes prize at the California State Fair. Twenty-one individual awards were also given to growers including Shikano brothers and Kay Mayeda.

Military & Veterans

• Amvets Support Citizenship for Issei in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The national convention of Amvets passed a resolution urging immediate passage of the Walter resolution granting naturalization rights to resident aliens of Japanese ancestry. The resolution was introduced by the Utah department of Amvets.
• Veterans of Famed Red Bull Division Go on Record Asking Citizenship for Issei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 34th Infantry Division Association passed a resolution urging Congress to pass the Walter resolution granting citizenship to Issei parents of Nisei soldiers. The association praised the combat record of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Commentary

• Mrs. d’Aquino Undergoes Grueling Cross-Examination, by Marion Tajiri, page 2. Prosecutor De Wolfe repeatedly pressed Iva Toguri d’Aquino on her broadcasts, citizenship status, and knowledge of Japanese propaganda purposes. She denied most charges and maintained she never committed treason.
• Death and the Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial honors Justice Wiley Rutledge, who died September 10, as a defender of civil liberties. It reviews Supreme Court decisions affecting Japanese Americans and considers how the replacement of Justices Murphy and Rutledge may shift the court’s stance.
• A Challenge for Nisei Writers, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri observes that few Nisei have pursued writing careers, with Toshio Mori as the notable exception. He argues that Nisei writers can contribute to American literature by addressing the Issei and their experiences with dignity.
• Nisei Farming Opportunities in the South, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The columnist examines whether Nisei farmers might find opportunities in the southern states as West Coast farming becomes more difficult. He describes the small Japanese farming presence in the South and the agricultural conditions of Louisiana.
• Notes from a Recent Journey, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa shares observations from travels through Seattle, Portland, and Denver, touching on the Issei masseurs of Seattle and the growth of Portland. He also profiles the Harada family melon growers of Rocky Ford, Colorado.
• Vagaries From the Side of the Hill: Nisei, Negroes Among Effective Organized Ethnic Groups, by I. H. Gordon, page 6. Gordon argues that organized ethnic groups such as the JACL and NAACP are the most effective means for minorities to win equal rights in America. He suggests that individual efforts alone can no longer achieve legislative change.

Incarceration & Redress

• Civil Liberties Groups Protest Bendetsen Appointment, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bendetsen had reportedly accepted the assistant secretary post when a hitch delayed his appointment amid opposition. Joe Grant Masaoka argued that Bendetsen did not soften the blow of evacuation and relocation.
• Wirin Will Confer in Washington on Effects of Rulings, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney A. L. Wirin filed suit on behalf of Tule Lake renunciants who returned to Japan, seeking to return to the United States to testify after a favorable appellate ruling. Wirin will confer with State and Justice Department officials about the implications.

Sports

• Chicago JACL Will Sponsor Three Winter Bowling Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 6. More than 200 Nisei bowlers in Chicago will compete in three winter leagues sponsored by the JACL. Organizers hope the Chicago Nisei Bowling League can host a national tournament in 1951.
• Nancy Ito Plays in World Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sixteen-year-old shortstop Nancy Ito helped the Denver Tivolis reach the world girls softball tournament in Portland. The Tivolis lost to Arizona after winning their opening game.
• Frankie Toyota Signs With Hockey Club, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Frankie Toyota, a 17-year-old schoolboy star from St. Catharines, Ontario, became the first player of Japanese ancestry signed to a professional hockey contract with the Boston Bruins. He is expected to be farmed out this season because of his youth.
• Hawaii Golfers to Begin Tour of West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Twenty-two of Hawaii’s top Nisei golfers will tour West Coast cities, starting with matches on September 25 at the Mira Vista course in Berkeley. The tour will extend to Seattle and Los Angeles.
• Chicks Win Mankato Softball Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kenny Yamaguchi pitched five games in one day to lead the Minneapolis International Chicks to victory in the Mankato invitational softball tournament. The Nisei team won the $150 first place prize.

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