February 1944: the 100th Battalion at Cassino and the draft resumed

Vol. 18, No. 7, February 19, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Japanese American soldiers in Italy led the news. Secretary of War Stimson announced that the 100th Infantry Battalion had been fighting effectively near Cassino, and the paper ran a photo of eleven men who came back from a mission to secure a road junction. Selective service had resumed for Japanese Americans, and draft notices reached Heart Mountain, Amache and San Mateo. Two years after Executive Order 9066, an editorial called “The Road Back” looked at people leaving the camps. Bill Hosokawa, Joe Grant Masaoka and Saburo Kido wrote columns on deportation, Colorado’s rejected land bill and licensing fights in Utah.

Elsewhere in the issue: President Roosevelt moved the War Relocation Authority under Secretary Ickes, and Dillon Myer blamed super-patriots and the Hearst press for hindering relocation. John E. Reinecke reported on Hawaii marriage figures, and Henry Sugimoto’s paintings were on view at an Arkansas college. Ann Nisei’s column covered the Women’s Army Corps, and three Utah women had joined.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Secretary Stimson Discloses Japanese Americans Engaged In Battle for Strategic City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Secretary of War Stimson announced that the 100th Infantry Battalion, composed of Japanese American soldiers, has been fighting effectively in the Cassino sector in Italy. The announcement was the first official mention of the unit’s role in the battle for the strategic city of Cassino.
• Only 11 Nisei Came Back From Dangerous Mission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A news photo published by the Des Moines Register shows eleven members of the 100th Infantry Battalion who survived a mission that secured a vital road junction in Italy. The Register published the photo to show that men of Japanese ancestry were fighting for democracy.
• 120 Listed for Draft from Coast Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Mateo Draft Board 105 reported that 120 men of Japanese ancestry evacuated from San Mateo and Hillsborough have been listed for induction under reinstituted selective service. The board noted that twelve Japanese Americans from the area were already serving.
• California Nisei Killed in Action on Italy Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tech. Sgt. James Kiyoshi Shiramizu of Poston, a member of the 100th Infantry Battalion, was killed in action in Italy. He is survived by his wife, two-year-old son, parents, three sisters, and two brothers.
• Army Chaplain Converts Many Nisei Soldiers, by Cyrus Sulzberger, page 2. Chaplain Israel L. Yost, attached to the 100th Infantry Battalion, is credited with making thirteen conversions to Christianity among the unit’s members. New York Times correspondent Cyrus Sulzberger praised the Japanese Americans’ great courage.
• First Heart Mountain Evacuee Gets Army Induction Notice, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gene Kumagai of Heart Mountain received the first order to report for induction under the reinstituted selective service for Japanese Americans. Other draft-age residents were receiving reclassification notices placing them in 1-A.
• Buddy of Blinded Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sid Kashiwabara of Heart Mountain recalled his high school teammate Pfc. Yoshinao Omiya, a Japanese American soldier blinded in the Italian campaign. Kashiwabara described Omiya as a quiet, conscientious fellow who gave everything he had.
• U.S. Army Officer Answers Derogatory Comment on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Time Magazine published letters from Army men defending Japanese Americans against derogatory letters. Lieut. E. D. Chess, who served with the 100th Infantry Battalion, praised their fighting, and a serviceman who had been a bodyguard for a Nisei interpreter also defended them.
• Ninety Prominent Names of Nisei Casualties, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The War Department listed Japanese American casualties in Italy, including Sgt. Yoshimitsu Nakamura killed in action and Pfc. Nasaki Oshiro wounded in action. Their next of kin were also listed.
• Nisei Soldier Gets Annual Civic Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Jerry Katayama of Salt Lake City was named one of twelve recipients of the annual citizenship awards from the Junior Chamber of Commerce. He had been nominated by the Salt Lake JACL, where he had served as executive secretary before induction.
• Three Utah Nisei Girls Train for WACs at Des Moines, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Japanese American women from Utah, Keiko Nishiguchi, Priscilla Yasuda, and Michiyo Mukai, left Salt Lake City to join the Women’s Army Corps. They will receive five weeks of basic training at Fort Des Moines.

Community

• Radio Commentator Reads PC Column Over Network, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Arthur Gaeth, a Mutual network broadcaster, told the story of Japanese American loyalty on Station KLO in Salt Lake City. He read a Pacific Citizen column by Larry Tajiri, and his broadcast was to be printed for wider distribution.
• Topaz Girl Enters Cadet Nurses Corps, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tomiko Sutow, a former nurses’ aide at Topaz, left the center to enter the Cadet Nurses Corps at Mercy Hospital School in Marshalltown, Iowa. She is one of the young evacuees pursuing training outside the camps.
• Final Rites Held for Amy Murayama in Chicago Church, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Services were held for Amy Murayama, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. Sadakichi Murayama, at Grace Episcopal Chapel in Chicago. She had worked in the Social Welfare Department at Santa Anita and Jerome centers before her death from pneumonia.
• Fire Destroys Parsonage of Buddhist Church, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chief of Police John M. Croft investigated a fire that destroyed the parsonage of the Japanese Buddhist Church in Kingsburg, California. It was the third fire in unoccupied structures owned by evacuated Japanese Americans there.
• Japanese Americans Invited to Attend Christian Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Americans of all faiths were invited to the Intermountain Christian Youth Conference scheduled for March 11 and 12 in Idaho Falls. Dr. John E. Skoglund of Berkeley Divinity School will be the principal speaker.
• WRA Official Says Iowa Attitude Not Altered by Events, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Frank Gibbs, WRA supervisor in Des Moines, said Iowans have not changed their tolerant attitude toward Japanese Americans. Relocated farm workers were being welcomed by neighboring farmers.
• Citizens Join in Petition for Fair Play for Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ninety prominent Salt Lake citizens signed a petition by the Citizens’ Committee for Constitutional Rights urging fair play for Japanese Americans. Mayor Earl J. Glade said no action would be taken until the licensing situation was thoroughly explored.
• Salt Lake AFL Would Restrict Nisei Permits, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Salt Lake Federation of Labor sent a resolution to Mayor Glade asking the city to prevent licenses to persons of Japanese ancestry regardless of citizenship. The federation argued that Japanese Americans were competing with American business and labor.
• Chicago Baptist Church Adds Evacuee Pastor to Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa joined the staff of the First Baptist Church of Chicago as assistant pastor to minister to Japanese Americans. The church described the appointment as a significant step toward integrating Japanese Americans into community life.
• Community Acceptance Good, Says WRA Relocation Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 7. WRA supervisor Harold S. Fistere reported that evacuees from Minidoka and other centers are finding good community acceptance and business opportunities in midwest and eastern cities. Fistere and Dr. P. A. Webber were touring the region to assess resettlement.

National

• Nisei Seamen May Ship from Eastern Ports, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American seamen holding valid papers may now ship from Atlantic ports, according to the National Maritime Union. State department regulations still require seamen’s passports before boarding.
• Canadian Evacuees to Test Forced Sales of Properties, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The power of the Dominion government to order compulsory sales of property owned by evacuated Japanese Canadians will be tested before the Exchequer Court in Ottawa in April. Counsel MacLennan said the losing side would appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Santa Maria Valley Nisei Reclassified by Draft Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. One hundred nineteen American citizens of Japanese ancestry in the Santa Maria Valley have been reclassified by the local draft board. The reclassification followed the reinstitution of selective service for Japanese Americans.
• House Rules Group Denies Gag on Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California delegation won a fight in the House Rules committee for an open rule on debate over a bill to let native-born citizens renounce citizenship. The committee denied an appeal to prevent consideration of amendments.
• Japanese American Artists Denounce Negotiated Peace, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Arts Council of Japanese Americans for Democracy, chaired by Yasuo Kuniyoshi, denounced Japanese fascist atrocities and the Peace Now movement. The council stated that any step short of unconditional surrender is contrary to its anti-fascist principles.
• Colorado VFW Hits Land Sales to Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The council of administration of the Colorado Department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars voted to oppose alien ownership of Colorado land. The council also offered support to a pending petition to bar such ownership.
• Toru Matsumoto Ordained in New York Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Toru Matsumoto, a Christian of Japanese ancestry, was ordained into the ministry of the Reformed Church of America in New York on February 10. Police provided precautions, though no incident occurred during the ceremony.
• Governor Hunt Bucks Plan to Remove Military, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt protested the removal of the military police detachment at the Heart Mountain relocation center. He suggested that the military guard unit be retained for the duration of the center.
• Senator Robertson Warns Against Withdrawing Military, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Senator Robertson of Wyoming said he opposed removing military guard units from the relocation centers. He warned of danger to residents from local citizens if protection were left to local police.
• Evacuated Farms in Canada Purchased for Veterans’ Use, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Premier Hart of British Columbia indicated that the dominion government purchased lands formerly occupied by Japanese Canadians for the veterans’ land resettlement plan. The announcement suggests many evacuees may not return after the war.
• Two Nisei Withdraw Case to Test Legality of Ogden Denial of Licenses, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tom and Oliver Kinomoto filed and then withdrew a case challenging the Ogden City Commission’s denial of business licenses to persons of Japanese ancestry. The complaint argued the denial was arbitrary and violated constitutional rights.

Incarceration & Redress

• Three Tule Lake Segregees Sentenced for Liquor Violation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Tule Lake segregees were sentenced to one year imprisonment each by Federal Judge Martin I. Welsh for illegal possession of untaxed liquor. The men had been brought from the segregation center to Sacramento for trial.
• Orders Transfer of WRA to Ickes’ Control, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Roosevelt ordered the War Relocation Authority transferred intact to the Department of Interior, placing it under Secretary Ickes. Dillon S. Myer will remain as director of WRA operations, and officials believe policies and personnel will be unaffected.
• First Amache Nisei Ordered to Report for Draft Physical, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first Granada resident called for a pre-induction physical since selective service was reinstituted was ordered to report at Amache. Draft-age residents of the center were also receiving notices.
• Super-Patriots, Hearst Papers Hinder Government Relocation Effort, Dillon Myer Charges, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA director Dillon Myer charged that relocation efforts were obstructed by organized opposition from super-patriotic groups and the Hearst press. He said that two-thirds of the evacuees are American citizens and that 70,000 are eligible for relocation.
• Kent Will Sponsor Open Evacuee Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kent, Washington will host a public forum on the relocation problems of persons of Japanese ancestry evacuated from the Puget Sound area on February 27. Dr. Frank G. Williston of the University of Washington has been selected as discussion leader.
• Topaz Official Will Enter Navy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. James F. Hughes, deputy director of the Topaz relocation center, is leaving to enter the Navy. Two farewell parties were held in his honor.
• Fresno Group Asks Seizure of Farm Implements, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The agricultural committee of the Fresno County Chamber of Commerce urged state agencies to confiscate and sell farm machinery stored by persons of Japanese ancestry. District Attorney James Thuesen described the earlier county war board authority, which ended December 31.

Commentary

• How Free Is the Air?, by P.C. Staff, page 4. NBC blamed the War Department for barring T/Sgt. Ben Kuroki from a network program, though the withdrawal followed NBC executives calling the Japanese American question controversial. The editorial argues NBC should be as cautious about allowing race-baiters on its microphones.
• Angry Men on Capitol Hill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Pacific coast congressmen are pushing for punitive legislation beyond the Biddle denationalization bill, motivated by hostility toward Japanese Americans. The editorial contrasts them with a statement by seven California congressmen calling for fair play.
• The License Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. After Ogden denied licenses to Japanese Americans not in business before Pearl Harbor, the Salt Lake City Commission took up similar licensing questions. The editorial warns that such undemocratic measures spread quickly and urges a test case in Ogden.
• The Road Back, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two years after Executive Order 9066, Japanese Americans are returning to normal living as they leave the relocation centers. The editorial notes their spirit was not broken despite the disruption to their lives.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column offers brief notes on Japanese American news, including Vice-President Wallace avoiding questions on Japanese Americans and Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s award-winning painting. It also reports on Japanese Canadian evacuees reorganizing their economic lives after losing property.
• Defeat of Colorado’s Race Legislation Bolsters Faith in Democratic Processes, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka describes the psychological shocks Japanese Americans have suffered since Executive Order 9066 and the Colorado legislature’s rejection of an anti-alien land bill. He argues that the defeat shows democratic processes can uphold fair treatment when decent citizens act together.
• The Two Sides to the Deportation Picture, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa argues that American citizens of Japanese descent cannot be deported, while a voluntary expatriation procedure might be appropriate for those who show disloyalty. He contends that Japanese aliens should be given the opportunity to become citizens before any discriminatory action is taken against them.
• Letter from Larry Fujii on Wake Up Nisei, by Larry Fujii, page 6. Fujii writes that Nisei in relocation camps and cities should recognize the war is ongoing and contribute to the war effort. He urges the Pacific Citizen to give more coverage to the 100th and 442nd and to Camp Savage.
• Nisei Intermarriage Rate Shown in Hawaiian Figures, by John E. Reinecke, page 6. Reinecke presents Hawaii Board of Health statistics showing that outmarriage among Japanese women rose to nearly 14 percent during the war year 1942-43. Most outmarriages were with Caucasian men, largely mainland servicemen and war workers.
• Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 7. Kido discusses the anti-Japanese agitation in Colorado and Utah and argues that families should choose a stable community before relocating. He also profiles the late Jukichi Harada, a pioneer Issei of Riverside, California, and urges Nisei to prove their loyalty through deeds.
• Ann Nisei’s Column: Women’s Army Corps Offers Opportunity for Nisei Girls, by Ann Nisei, page 8. This column describes the Women’s Army Corps requirements and job opportunities for Nisei women, following three Utah women who enlisted. It encourages young nisei women to join, noting that the WAC offers no segregation and a chance to serve.

Arts & Entertainment

• Henry Sugimoto Exhibits Paintings at Arkansas College, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Henry Sugimoto’s exhibition of fifty water colors and oils, including paintings of life at Jerome relocation center, is on view at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas through February. His works have also been included in a touring exhibit for army camps and museums.

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.