Tats Kushida honored in Chicago, and Iva Toguri d’Aquino enters prison

Vol. 29, No. 22, November 26, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

The Chicago JACL chapter honored Tats Kushida with a scroll at a testimonial dinner as he left the Midwest to become Pacific Southwest regional director for JACL ADC. Elsewhere on the front page, Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, entered the federal women’s reformatory at Alderson, West Virginia to serve a 10-year sentence. Larry Tajiri wrote about the Yellow Peril issue and Hawaiian statehood, and Lawrence Nakatsuka described race relations in Hawaii during a long longshore strike.

Elsewhere in the issue: Gov. Earl Warren called a December employment conference in Sacramento, and Placer County groups filed evacuation damage claims ahead of a January 2, 1950 deadline. Bill Hosokawa looked at how children’s toys had changed, and the sports pages followed Nisei players in Hawaii, Modesto and Seattle. Chicago began preparing for the 1950 national JACL convention.

What’s in this issue

Arts & Entertainment

• Japanese Film Star Enjoys Hollywood Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese actress Kinuyo Tanaka visited Hollywood, presenting a kimono to Esther Williams and dining with Hollywood stars. Her tour was set to conclude with a party hosted by producer Joe Pasternak before she traveled to New York.
• Nisei Producer Makes First Feature-Length Film in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Tahara, owner of Hawaii’s Cine-Pac studio, was completing the editing of Damien, the first full-length feature made in Hawaii by a Hawaiian company. Tahara began filmmaking at 15 with a borrowed 8 mm camera and has since produced newsreels and war bond films.
• Cousin Willie Talks to Horses, by Bok Suan, page 5. Cousin Willie has developed a betting system for the Santa Anita races and plans to use his $500 savings on opening day. The column humorously lists the races and horse types he refuses to bet on.

Community

• Kushida Given Scroll, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL chapter honored Midwest ADC regional representative Tats Kushida with a scroll at a testimonial dinner as he departed for Los Angeles. Kushida was taking over as Pacific Southwest regional director for JACL ADC.
• First Canadian Nisei Wed in Vancouver Since Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jean Urabe and John Kitagawa became the first couple of Japanese ancestry married in Vancouver since the 1942 evacuation. The evacuated area was reopened to Japanese Canadians on April 1, 1949.
• Japanese Canadians Elect Hirose at National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harold Hirose of Winnipeg was elected national president of the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association at its convention in Lethbridge. The delegates called for equal civil rights and a Canadian bill of rights.
• Winner of Nobel Physics Prize Feted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Manhattan’s Japanese American community honored Dr. Hideki Yukawa, the first Oriental to win a Nobel prize, with a dinner and reception. All Issei and Nisei organizations and churches joined the event.
• Fred Ochi Wins First Place in Idaho Art Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Ochi of Idaho Falls won first place in the water color division of the Idaho state art exhibit in Boise. It was his first exhibition entry, and he was also elected secretary of the Idaho Falls Art Guild.
• Chicago Reelects Wakamatsu as Chapter Prexy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Shigeo Wakamatsu was re-elected president of the Chicago JACL chapter for a second term, leading the chapter during the 1950 National JACL Convention year. A new cabinet was named and constitutional amendments created additional offices and a reserve fund board.
• California Police Get Call About Japanese Invaders, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Glendale and Altadena police responded to a Tacoma radio operator’s report that Mount Lowe had been captured by a band of Japanese. Officers found no such group at the site.
• Harmony Weathers Strains of Recent Longshore Strike, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Race relations in Hawaii held steady during a six-month longshore strike despite racial tensions. Observers said tolerance traditions and efforts to keep race out of the labor dispute largely prevailed.
• Franklin Roosevelt Jr. Addresses Chicago Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Congressman Franklin Roosevelt Jr. spoke at a Chicago dinner for the Jewish Consumptives Relief Society, describing the democratic experiment in Israel. Chicago JACL representatives attended the event.
• Evacuee Wins Court Issue on Evictions, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An Illinois appellate court ruled in favor of Japanese owner Koichi Matsumoto, holding that he could not evict subtenants and roomers under the housing act. The decision is significant because most rooming houses are operated by lessees rather than owners.
• Korean Student Held on Charge by Chicago Girl, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Korean student Sung Yul Ryu was arrested in Chicago after a 25-year-old Japanese American woman accused him of posing as a physician, borrowing money, and taking her typewriter. He is also wanted in New York for leaving the state owing money on a car.
• Nisei Police Officer Rated Editorial in Honolulu Newspaper, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin praised Sgt. Takeshi Nakashima for taking accident investigation training at Northwestern University at his own expense. The editorial commended his sense of public service.
• Cincinnati Evacuees Celebrate Successful Relocation in City, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Cincinnati JACL held a successful dinner, flower arrangement lecture, and Oriental art exhibit that drew over 3,000 attendees. The event also celebrated the successful relocation of about 500 Nisei to Cincinnati since 1943.
• JACL Sponsors First Idaho Nisei Bowling Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Boise Valley JACL will sponsor the first annual Idaho Nisei bowling tournament in Boise over three days in December. Events include team, doubles, singles, mixed doubles, and a sweepstakes with a closing dance.
• Alice Morihiro Speaks at Friendship Rally, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Alice Morihiro, Cleveland JACL program chairman, spoke at the interdenominational Children’s World Friendship Rally. She presented on Japan dressed in Japanese costume and appeared on a television broadcast.
• IDC Queen Will Win Trip to Chicago Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Intermountain JACL district council decided to support the national JACL queen contest and send a contestant to the 1950 national convention in Chicago. Over 300 delegates were expected for the two-day convention in Ogden.
• Informal Group at Chicago Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Attendees at the Chicago JACL fourth annual inaugural ball at the Stevens Hotel socialized during an intermission. The photo shows committee members and guest soloist Corazon Delfino.
• Appoint Committee Chairman for National JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago JACL national convention board appointed chairmen for key committees for the 11th biennial JACL convention at the Stevens Hotel from September 28 to October 2, 1950. Dr. Randolph Sakada urged all chapters to plan for maximum member attendance.

National

• Mechanic in Mukden Ordered Deported After Chinese Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shiro Tatsumi, a Seattle-born consulate employee in Mukden, was released by Chinese officials along with Consul General Angus Ward and three other aides. All were convicted of beating a Chinese employee and ordered to leave the country.
• Army Plans Several Nisei Films for Japan Showing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army’s motion picture project in New York plans films on Japanese American life for orientation in Japan. Subjects include a Japanese American farmer’s daily life and notable Japanese Americans.
• Gov. Warren Calls Parley on Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Earl Warren called a December conference in Sacramento to study employment problems facing Californians of Japanese, Chinese, Mexican and Negro ancestry. A special section on minority group problems will be part of the conference.
• Denver Convention Banquet Climaxes Mountain Plains JACL Regional Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Mountain Plains JACL regional meeting formally organized the JACL’s newest district council at a banquet in Denver. Guests included JACL president Hito Okada, former Colorado governor Ralph Carr, and Min Yasui.
• American Legion District Unit in Illinois Unanimously Favors Naturalization of Issei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Third District Council of the American Legion in Illinois unanimously endorsed the Walter Resolution and the Judd Bill to allow naturalization of Issei. The resolution was introduced by Commander Joe Sagami, whose father wished to become a citizen.
• Tokyo Rose Witnesses Will Testify in Trial of Provoo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. John David Provoo was indicted for treason in New York after being listed as a witness in the Tokyo Rose trial. Several witnesses from the d’Aquino case are expected to testify against him.

Incarceration & Redress

• Mrs. d’Aquino Checks In at Federal Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, entered the federal women’s reformatory at Alderson, West Virginia to serve a 10-year sentence. Warden Nina Kinsella said she would be treated like any other prisoner.
• 75 Issei Complete Course on Citizenship in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 75 Issei completed a four-month citizenship and naturalization course sponsored by JACL and other groups in Los Angeles. Congressmen McDonough and Holifield spoke in support of the pending naturalization bill.
• Claims for Evacuation Damages Filed Through Placer County Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Evacuation damage claims ranging from $100 to $50,000 have been filed through the Placer evacuation claims committee. The committee, working with the Placer JACL, expects to conclude its service soon ahead of the January 2, 1950 deadline.
• West Coast Evacuation Story Told by Beatrice Griffith on Tour of California Cities, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Author Beatrice Griffith told a Stockton audience that America’s minority groups faced a brighter future, while describing the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans. She emphasized that democracy must start with each generation.

Military & Veterans

• Minnesota Kekonshiki and Smorgasbord Japanese War Bride Wed, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese war bride Toshie Okutomi married Minnesota ex-GI Orren J. Luehr in his hometown of Mora. The wedding was followed by a dinner and cake at the 320-acre family farm.
• Seek Alleged Nisei Bunco Artist as Checks Bounce in California, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Nisei con artist posing as a war veteran defrauded the family of a Japanese American soldier killed in Italy, borrowing $30. The man was also reported passing worthless checks and victimizing ministers in several Northern California cities.

Commentary

• Prejudice and Public Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that public housing projects should not adopt segregation policies or restrictive covenants. It urges citizens to demand that government housing lead in ending discrimination based on color or creed.
• Last Stand of Political Dodo, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri argues the Yellow Peril issue is fading in California but may make a last stand through opposition to Hawaiian statehood. He criticizes James McClatchy’s report suggesting Japanese Americans could gain Congressional seats.
• Seems Kids Get Things Too Easy, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa laments how modern gadgets and kits deny children the chance to develop patience and craft skills. He recalls making harmonicas and model toys by hand as a boy.

Sports

• Dick Kleeman Wins News Guild Award for Feature Story, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dick Kleeman, an ex-MIS officer and Twin Cities JACL member, won first prize for an interpretative feature on a state boys’ training school. The award was given by the Minneapolis Newspaper Guild.
• Rainbows Can Field a Nisei Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The University of Hawaii Rainbows, with enough Nisei players for a full team, have won most of their games this season. They are preparing to face Fresno State and College of Pacific ahead of the Pineapple Bowl against Stanford.
• Hirota Will Play Pro Ball in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Jyun Hirota, a University of Hawaii baseball and football star, is expected to become the first Nisei to play postwar professional baseball in Japan. He is reportedly set to catch for the Tokyo Flyers.
• Modesto May Retain Nisei Battery, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pittsburgh Pirates plan to keep the Modesto Reds as a farm club, which may keep Hank Matsubu and Jiro Nakamura as an all-Nisei battery. Seattle’s Toby Watanabe was also named to an all-city football team.
• Mekata Shows Skill in Island Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Larry Mekata, who won the national JACL singles bowling title, has performed well in recent island tournaments. The Honolulu AJA team also plans to attend the next national JACL tournament in San Francisco.
• Nishita Headed for California Bears, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bill Nishita, a promising pitching prospect from Hawaii, is studying at Santa Rosa Junior College. Coach Clint Evans of the California Bears has greeted him, suggesting he may join the Bears baseball team.
• DiMaggio, Page Play with Nisei Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Joe DiMaggio and Joe Page played for the Nisei Athletics of the Hawaii Baseball League in an exhibition game in Honolulu. The Athletics defeated the Honolulu Braves 10 to 2.
• Boeing Bowlers Defy American Bowling Congress, Vote to Admit Nisei Keglers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Boeing Bowling Association voted 582 to 26 to amend its constitution to admit Nisei bowlers, defying the ABC’s discriminatory racial policy. The Clippers team, most of whom are veterans, was at the center of the controversy.

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