Stranded Nisei in Japan, the Oyama case and the Kawakita treason trial

Vol. 24, No. 23, June 14, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

Help for stranded Nisei led the news. Roger Baldwin reported that General MacArthur approved measures to assist about 10,000 Japanese Americans in Japan who wished to return to the United States, and a JACL branch in Tokyo was formed to help. Also on the front page, Joe Grant Masaoka met California Attorney General Fred Howser and urged that Alien Land law prosecutions wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Oyama test case. The indictment of Tomoya Kawakita for treason drew a news story, a Nisei veterans’ response and a reprinted Portland Oregonian editorial.

Inside are reports on the Evacuation Claims Commission bill, with Rep. John Gwynne and Rep. Robert Twyman, and Mike Masaoka’s Senate testimony on employment discrimination. Bill Hosokawa wrote about his college classmates and reviewed John Gunther’s Inside U.S.A. A Silver Star for Joseph Sase of the 442nd and an exhibition by Japanese American artists in New York are also covered in this eight-page issue.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• MacArthur Approves Measures to Aid Stranded Nisei, Says Roger Baldwin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. General MacArthur approved measures to assist about 10,000 Japanese Americans in Japan who wish to return to the United States, according to Roger Baldwin. A JACL branch in Tokyo has been formed to help repatriate stranded Nisei whose citizenship has been certified.
• Tomoya Kawakita Indicted for Treason by Federal Grand Jury in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tomoya Kawakita was indicted on June 11 for treason for allegedly abusing American prisoners while serving as a foreman at a Japanese prison camp. The charges carry a minimum of five years and a possible death sentence.
• Check Passport Given Kawakita for U.S. Return, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Government prosecutors began investigating how Kawakita obtained a passport to return to the United States after the war. He had told officials he wanted to see his parents in California.

National

• Howser Asked to Withhold Escheat Actions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A JACL group met with California Attorney General Fred Howser and Deputy Everett Mattoon and recommended withholding Alien Land law prosecutions until the Supreme Court rules on the Oyama test case. Joe Grant Masaoka argued the voters had repudiated the law through Proposition 15.
• Wirin Will Enter Chinese School Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A. L. Wirin left for Honolulu to enter a case challenging a wartime territorial law that restricted Chinese and other foreign-language schools. The American Civil Liberties Union is interested in joining the case.
• Equal Opportunities for Nisei in Trade With Japan Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington office of the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee planned to press the State Department for equal opportunities for Japanese Americans in resumed private trade with Japan. Details of the planned trade arrangements were also outlined.
• Illinois Legislator Declares Evacuation Unnecessary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Robert Twyman of Illinois told the House that the evacuation of Japanese Americans was unnecessary and urged passage of the evacuee claims bill. He said he expected the bill to pass by a large majority.
• Rep. Gwynne Believes Claims Bill Will Receive Favorable Report, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. John Gwynne indicated his House Judiciary subcommittee would likely report the Evacuation Claims Commission bill favorably with modifications. Testimony at the hearings estimated individual family losses at several thousand dollars.
• Masaoka Urges Federal Action Against Discrimination at Senate Subcommittee Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka testified before a Senate subcommittee in support of a national law prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, or ancestry. He cited Nisei war service and the difficulties Japanese American veterans faced in finding work.

Community

• Dr. Bloom Talks to L.A. Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Leonard Bloom reported to the Los Angeles JACL cabinet on the work of the Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington. He had testified on the Evacuation Claims Commission bill and conducted a survey of evacuation losses.
• Canada House Group Defeats Franchise Move, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A motion to grant Canadians of Japanese ancestry in British Columbia the vote in Dominion elections was defeated in a House of Commons committee. The restriction applies only to that province.

Military & Veterans

• Strict Screening of Stranded Nisei Urged by Veterans Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Veterans Association of Los Angeles condemned the disloyal acts attributed to Kawakita and urged stricter screening of stranded persons seeking repatriation. The group also suggested publishing names and photographs of applicants.
• Nisei Veteran Receives Army’s Silver Star, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joseph Sase of Ogden received the Silver Star for gallantry near Mount Folgorito, Italy, in April 1945 while serving with the 442nd. He advanced alone and destroyed two machine gun crews.

Commentary

• Equality in Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial highlights Richard J. Walsh’s argument that U.S. naturalization laws unfairly bar Asian immigrants and that this discrimination harms the nation. It notes the loyalty and contributions of Japanese residents and the need to remove racial bars.
• Mired In Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes immigration authorities for separating the Kaelin family, allowing the mother entry while deporting her daughters because of their Japanese father. It argues such outcomes stem from laws steeped in prejudice.
• Mr. Gannon Changes His Mind, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Reprinted from the Los Angeles Daily News, the editorial praises Chester Gannon for changing his stance toward Nisei and welcomes his support for equal rights. It questions the logic of land ownership restrictions based on ancestry.
• The Treason Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Reprinted from the Portland Oregonian, the editorial condemns Tomoya Kawakita while urging readers not to indict all Japanese Americans for one man’s treason. It contrasts his conduct with the valor of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
• Information Wanted, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A former GI writes seeking names of fellow veterans who served at specific military medical facilities in Italy and the United States to support a disability claim. He asks readers to contact him.
• Nisei and Integration: Silken Curtain?, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Smith responds to Mary Oyama’s articles on Nisei integration, questioning claims that Nisei lack social consciousness. He argues that cultural groups can serve as a bridge to broader American integration.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on his college graduation ten years earlier and what became of his old classmates. He describes their scattered careers and the experiences that followed their school years.

Arts & Entertainment

• Looking Back on Commencement, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reviews John Gunther’s book Inside U.S.A., noting its references to Nisei and the evacuation. He finds the evacuation coverage brief but generally accurate and impartial.
• Japanese American Artists Exhibition Show in New York City, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The first formal exhibition by the Japanese American Artists Group opened at the Riverside Museum in New York. It features oil and water color works by Nisei and Issei artists, including several former evacuees.

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