Frank Hachiya honored in Hood River, and the JACL convention in review

Vol. 27, No. 12, September 18, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

Frank Hachiya, the Nisei soldier killed on Leyte, was laid to rest in Hood River with honors, after the local American Legion had once struck Nisei names from the county honor roll. A P.C. Staff report covered the service, and an editorial, “On Frank Hachiya,” looked at what his burial meant. Reinterment plans for Corporal Jimmie T. Kokubu at Arlington National Cemetery, now set for September 22, shared the front page with news that Iva Toguri d’Aquino was due in San Francisco to face a treason indictment.

The national JACL convention in Salt Lake City drew 520 delegates, and Bill Hosokawa offered his post-mortems on it. Also inside: the last 25 Issei were released from Alien Enemy Act proceedings, 442nd veterans planned a Chicago reunion, and Toshio Mori contributed a short story, “The Little Scholar.” The paper also noted Edward J. Ennis’s views on civil liberties and President Truman’s executive orders on federal employment and the armed forces.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Frank Hachiya Laid to Rest in Hood River After Honored Burial Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank Hachiya, a Nisei soldier killed on Leyte, received a burial service in Hood River sponsored by the Veterans Council, after the local American Legion had once struck Nisei names from the county honor roll. Honorary pallbearers and the Mid-Columbia JACL participated in the rites.
• Corporal Jimmie T. Kokubu Reinterment Moved to Sept. 22 at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The reinterment of Corporal Jimmie T. Kokubu, a Nisei World War II dead, at Arlington National Cemetery was rescheduled to September 22. The JACL Arlington committee and Washington JACL are arranging services for the family.
• Kamikaze Pilot Arrives in U.S. to Study Under Scholarship Provided by Dead American Vet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Former Japanese kamikaze pilot Robert Nishiyama arrived in the United States to study at Lafayette College on a scholarship funded by the GI insurance of a deceased American soldier. He hopes his Nisei wife and daughter can join him.
• Combat Team Vets to Hold Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Veterans of the 442nd combat team will hold a Hawaiian luau reunion in Chicago on September 26 at Jackson Park beach. Eligible veterans of several units may obtain free tickets through the Nisei Veterans Club.
• Last Issei Win Release From Alien Enemy Act, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The final 25 Issei interned at the outbreak of World War II were released from Alien Enemy Act proceedings by the Attorney General. Attorney Wayne M. Collins had argued in habeas corpus cases that the removal attempt was illegal.
• On Frank Hachiya, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial honors Frank Hachiya, who volunteered for service and was mortally wounded at Leyte while obtaining enemy information. It notes his name was never placed on the Hood River honor roll in the dispute, and that veterans now honor him.
• Nisei Return to Hawaii From London Olympics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Three Nisei weightlifters returned from the London Olympics, with Richard Sakata winning second place in heavyweight. Teammates Emerick Ishikawa and Richard Tomita placed eighth and third in their divisions.

Incarceration & Redress

• Government Waits Arrival of Tokyo Rose d’Aquino for Indictment for Treason, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Iva Toguri d’Aquino is due in San Francisco to face a treason indictment for allegedly broadcasting propaganda over Radio Tokyo. The case would be the first treason trial in San Francisco in 85 years.

National

• Civil Liberties in Danger, Ennis Says in Interview, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL ADC counsel Edward J. Ennis told interviewers in Salt Lake City that civil liberties in the United States are in a bad way, though racial minority relations are improving. He and A. L. Wirin debated whether the postwar climate is more dangerous than after World War I.
• Unitarian Association Asks for Passage of Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Unitarian Association passed resolutions at its Boston meeting calling for expanded naturalization rights regardless of race and urging Canada to restore full citizenship to Japanese Canadians.
• Democracy Failed With Kawakita, Newspaper Says, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Diego Tribune-Sun editorialized that democracy failed in its treatment of Tomoya Kawakita yet succeeded with thousands of other Japanese Americans who served in the military. The editorial acknowledged the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans as a national shame.

JACL

• Fifty-five Join 1000 Club During JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fifty-five persons joined the JACL 1000 Club during the national convention, bringing total membership to 158. Members pledge $25 yearly to the JACL.
• 520 Delegates Attend 10th Biennial Meet in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Five hundred twenty persons attended the 10th biennial JACL convention in Salt Lake City, with Pocatello sending the largest out-of-town delegation. The registration committee staffed the event from September 3 to 8.

Community

• Hawaii Nisei Injured in Utah Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Hawaiian Nisei students were injured and driver Gilman Chang was killed when their car overturned in Utah en route to Berrien Springs college. The state trooper believed Chang fell asleep at the wheel.
• Tad Hirota Named Executive Director for Buddhist Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tad Hirota of Berkeley was named executive director of the National Young Buddhist coordinating council. He is active in the Bay District YBA and the JACL.
• Chicago Nisei Vie for Softball Title, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago JACL and Zephyrs softball teams prepared a two-of-three championship series beginning September 19 after advancing through the O’Shaughnessy playoffs. The JACL defeated the Broncos and Huskies on the way to the finals.
• Two Nisei Brothers Tour Mexico by Motorcycle, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Sam and John Taira of Los Angeles returned from a 9,000-mile motorcycle trip into Mexico, recommending it as an economical vacation. They noted the favorable exchange rate and the small Japanese population in Mexico City.
• Nisei Bring Back Cantaloupe Production in Colorado Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Brothers George and Dean Mizushima revived cantaloupe growing in the Grand Junction, Colorado valley after it was abandoned during the war. They planted 50 acres and plan to expand next year.
• Chicago Nisei Net Stars Defeat Cleveland in Intercity Match, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Chicago players won the intercity tennis match against the visiting Cleveland team on the hard courts at Garfield Park on September 5. The Chicago team took the trophy.

Commentary

• Closing the Gap, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises President Truman’s executive orders 9980 and 9981 for establishing fair employment in the federal government and equal treatment in the armed forces. It notes the orders may mark an end to discriminatory practices if carried out faithfully.
• Most Nisei in New York Wave Only a Tiny Apartment, by Cousin Willie, page 5. A New York Nisei columnist responds to a cousin in Los Angeles who boasts of his new stucco home and car, questioning the installment debt involved. The columnist defends life in New York and muses about which region will prove better for Nisei.
• Convention Post-mortems, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa observes that the JACL convention reflected a maturing organization taking on national civic responsibilities beyond social events. He notes a growing concern among delegates for broader problems of minority rights.
• New Job for Mr. Myer, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dillon S. Myer, former WRA director, has taken a post coordinating American technical assistance to Latin America and was on the delegation to an inter-American resources conference. The column notes his satisfaction at the evacuation claims progress and the Judd naturalization bill.
• Everybody Is a Booster in City of the Angels, by Togo Tanaka, page 6. Tanaka describes how Japanese American returnees in Los Angeles are enthusiastic boosters of the city and feel they have found a permanent home. He contrasts the settled Issei with the classified ads targeting the city’s transient population.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Little Scholar, by Toshio Mori, page 4. A short story in which young Taro, an eight-year-old more interested in playing than school, bargains with his father and Uncle Sadao for a visit to the ranch. The uncle’s gentle lessons and the orange-peeling ending suggest the boy will learn in his own time.

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