Evacuee claims, a Korean War hero and Go for Broke!

Vol. 33, No. 1, July 14, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Payment of Japanese American evacuee property claims ran through this eight-page issue. The House Appropriations Committee approved $500,000 for the Justice Department to pay claims, and a Senate subcommittee endorsed the Celler compromise bill to speed them. Chet Huntley wrote that only 210 of 24,000 claims had been cleared in a year. Mike Masaoka of the JACL ADC urged Congress to pass naturalization equality legislation before a Japan peace treaty was signed. On page one, Corp. Eiji Morishige of Honolulu was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after he was killed in Korea.

Go for Broke! drew attention on two pages: Placer County honored 59 men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team at a screening, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about his son Mike watching the film. Larry Tajiri reviewed East Is East, and Roku Sugahara wrote about the radio series Mr. Moto. The sports pages followed Ford Konno’s world record and reports of a St. Louis Browns tryout for a Nisei pitcher.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Distinguished Service Cross Awarded Honolulu Corporal Killed in Action in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Corp. Eiji Morishige of Honolulu, a Nisei leader with Co. C, 7th Cavalry Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism near Ochon, Korea, on Feb. 4. He was killed while deploying his men on a hill his platoon had seized.
• Cleveland Nisei Officer Uses Song to Escape from Chinese Captors During Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 8. First Lieut. Gene Takahashi of Cleveland escaped Chinese captivity in Korea by singing an English song that signaled his escape plan to a fellow prisoner. He later used a diversionary ruse to protect his company after its commander was killed.
• Chaplain Yamada Urges Veterans to Support JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rev. Masao Yamada, former 442nd chaplain, urged Nisei veterans in Portland to work with the JACL against race discrimination and for naturalization rights for Issei. He spoke at a JACL dinner and a public meeting at the Oregon Buddhist church.

National

• House Group Quizzes Kawano About Communist Influence in Hawaii Longshoremen’s Union, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jack Kawano, a Nisei dock worker and former ILWU leader, testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee that Communists dominated the longshoremen’s union. Kawano, an admitted ex-Communist, was questioned about his role organizing the Communist party in Honolulu.
• Miwa Testifies for Government in Vetterli Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago businessman Ted Ichiro Miwa became the government’s first witness in the perjury trial of Clarence H. Vetterli, a junior college journalism instructor. Prosecutors charged Vetterli lied to a Federal Grand Jury during a 1949 Communist spy investigation.
• Nisei Member Stands Pat in Housing Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Nisei insurance agent George Ono refused to give up his membership in the University Housing Association after a real estate firm demanded his ouster due to race restrictions. The firm threatened to block FHA financing and water rights if Ono stayed.
• House Committee Approves $500,000 Budget Request for Evacuee Claims Settlement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Appropriations Committee approved funds for the Justice Department to pay Japanese American evacuee property claims under Public Law 886. The committee also identified administrative deficiencies in the claims program.
• Senate Committee Approves Compromise Formula to Speed Payment of Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Senate Judiciary special claims subcommittee unanimously endorsed the Celler compromise bill, which would let the Attorney General offer claimants up to 75 percent of compensable losses or $1,500. The JACL ADC said the measure would speed adjudication and save government money.

JACL

• JACL ADC Asks for Passage of Naturalization Equality Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka, JACL ADC legislative director, urged Congress to pass naturalization and immigration equality legislation before a Japan peace treaty is signed. He argued repeal of the 1924 Exclusion Act would demonstrate American sincerity toward Japan and freedom-seeking Asian peoples.

Community

• Dr. Togasaki Takes New County Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki, a Nisei physician, was named assistant county health officer for Contra Costa County. The brief notes her earlier service with the state board of health.
• Honolulu Newsletter: Bon Season Brings Revelry, Religious Rites to Hawaii, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Bon season in Hawaii has become increasingly festive, with bon dances drawing large crowds that some traditionalists consider too gaudy. Buddhist groups like the YBA disapprove of non-Buddhist sponsorship of the dances.
• Placer County Honors 59 Nisei Soldiers at Premiere of Go for Broke!, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Placer County honored 59 Japanese American men who served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team at a Roseville screening of Go for Broke! on June 24. Speakers included state and local officials, and a Gold Star mother was presented with a gold star for her son.

Commentary

• Speedy Revision of Evacuee Claims Program Help Rectify Wartime Mistake, by Chet Huntley, page 2. ABC commentator Chet Huntley reviews the wartime evacuation and the inadequate Evacuation Claims Law, arguing the program has been painfully slow. He notes only 210 of 24,000 claims were cleared last year and calls for prompt revision so the wrong can be rectified.
• Nisei Week Queen Balloting Under Way, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Balloting is underway for the annual Los Angeles Nisei Week queen competition, with more than 40 candidates. Five finalists will be chosen by ballots published in local Japanese American newspapers.
• Anti-Bias Activity Begins at Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial urges Nisei professionals who accept jobs outside their training to organize and fight for employment compatible with their abilities. It argues that the Nisei’s social and economic security depends on community organization.
• The Government and Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the federal government for filing a brief against racial discrimination in Washington, D.C., defending 1870s-era anti-discrimination statutes. It argues that discrimination undermines American democracy’s credibility abroad.
• Action at the County Line, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for adopting a policy of non-discrimination in the use of county-owned land. It notes the JACL had urged the action.
• Return of Mr. Moto, by Roku Sugahara, page 5. Sugahara critiques the NBC radio series Mr. Moto, now seeking a sponsor, noting the high cost of network time. He praises the show’s plotting but criticizes James Monk’s portrayal and the stereotyped speech of the title character.
• Mike Sees Go for Broke!, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes his 10-year-old Sansei son Mike watching Go for Broke! and reenacting it with friends, focusing on the funny parts rather than the heroism. Hosokawa reflects on whether young Sansei will come to see themselves simply as Americans.
• The Meaning of Race, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Elmer Smith explains that the scientific concept of race refers to shared genetic ancestry rather than nationality, language, or culture. He argues all humans share a common origin and that the physical differences between groups are superficial.

Arts & Entertainment

• East Is East Dissects Community Prejudice Against Japanese Americans, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri reviews the 20th Century Fox film East Is East, set in Salinas, California, where a returning officer’s Japanese wife faces community hostility. The article discusses the film’s production, cast including Yoshiko Yamaguchi, and its handling of postwar prejudice.

Sports

• St. Louis Browns Scout Star Nisei Player, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bill Veeck, new owner of the St. Louis Browns, has shown interest in Nisei and Japanese players, and a Nisei pitcher is reportedly under consideration. Veeck also has a Honolulu scout looking for prospects.
• Hawaii AAU Seeks Funds for Konno’s Trip as Nisei Sets World Mark in 800 Meters, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno set a world record of 9:30.7 in the 800-meter freestyle at the Hawaiian AAU championships, but poor attendance left the AAU short of funds to send him to the national meet in Detroit. Evelyn Kawamoto also broke an American record in the 400-meter freestyle.
• Report St. Louis Browns May Sign Nisei Hurler, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Abe Saperstein, a partner in the St. Louis Browns, reportedly made a tentative offer to Honolulu pitcher Bill Nishita. Nishita has been the standout pitcher for the Honolulu Braves in the Hawaii Baseball League.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.