Nisei soldiers in Italy and the fight over Colorado’s alien land bill

Vol. 18, No. 6, February 12, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

News from the Italian front and a legislative fight in Colorado shared the front pages of this eight-page issue. The War Department named 15 Hawaiian Japanese American soldiers killed in action and four others wounded in Italy. In Colorado, the state Senate voted 12 to 15 to keep an anti-Japanese alien land measure off the November ballot. Testimony before state officials, a plea from Sgt. Jimmy Gozawa and a speech by Representative Wayne Hill appear inside, along with an editorial on the vote.

Elsewhere, Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki spoke to Berkeley students and received a standing ovation at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club. Saburo Kido’s “Topics” column and Mineo Katagiri’s piece on Nisei and unions are here, along with Ann Nisei on spring fashions. News from Tule Lake, Topaz and Ogden fills out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• War Department Identifies 15 Japanese Americans Killed, Four Hurt in Italian Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department named 15 Hawaiian Japanese American soldiers killed in action in Italy and four others wounded. The casualties are part of the earlier total of 96 killed, 221 wounded and 47 missing announced by Secretary Stimson.
• Norwegian American Wife Hears Nisei Husband Wounded, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Virginia Miyamoto, a Norwegian American wife from La Crosse, Wisconsin, learned her husband Pfc. Kiguo Miyamoto of the 100th Infantry Battalion was wounded in Italy. The couple met in a bowling alley and married in December 1942.
• Three Utah Girls Inducted into Women’s Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three American women of Japanese ancestry from Utah joined the Women’s Army Corps and were sent to Fort Des Moines, Iowa, for five weeks of training. The article notes their induction as part of wider nisei participation in service.
• Sgt. Ben Kuroki Gets Standing Ovation from San Franciscans for Speech Against Intolerance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki addressed the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco and received a standing ovation for speaking against intolerance. He described his combat experiences, including the Ploesti raid and his capture and internment after being shot down.
• Wounded Japanese Americans, Back from Italy, Recuperate at No. Carolina Army Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Wounded Japanese American veterans are recuperating at Moore General Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. Capt. Isaac Kawasaki, wounded by an 88mm shell in Italy, praised war correspondents and said that loyal Japanese Americans must keep proving their loyalty.
• Willing to Die Political Death, Declares Soldier Legislator, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Colorado Representative Wayne Hill, in an army sergeant’s uniform, opposed the anti-Japanese land bill on the House floor. He argued that taking freedoms from a minority endangers the majority’s freedoms.
• First Draft Calls Over One Hundred Youths at Topaz, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Millard County draft board announced 121 Topaz youths cleared for selective service. They will complete forms and papers that will be sent to their respective draft boards on the Pacific coast.

Incarceration & Redress

• RKO Studio Assures Film Will Not Attack Loyal Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. RKO officials said a forthcoming film based on an expose of Japanese espionage would not attack loyal Japanese Americans. The studio said the story’s focus was on a professional agent rather than the evacuee population.
• Topaz Has No Record of Second Incident, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA officials said Topaz had only one shooting, not the second killing charged in a Radio Tokyo broadcast. The article reports details of the shooting of evacuee Wakasa, who was killed by a military sentry.
• Greeting Sent Christian Evacuees by Episcopal Bishop, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Episcopal Bishop W. Block sent a greeting to Christian evacuees at Tule Lake and other relocation camps, praising them for living faithfully under difficult conditions. The message was delivered in his address to the Diocese of California convention.
• Tule Lake Stops Farm Operations, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The War Relocation Authority is returning a 2,318-acre tract near Tule Lake to the Bureau of Reclamation after farm operations for segregation center residents end. Director Best said the farm program was no longer needed for the subsistence of the camp population.
• Tule Lake Camp Residents Back at Project Jobs, by P.C. Staff, page 8. WRA regional director Robert Cozzens announced that nearly 4,000 residents of the Tule Lake segregation center returned to work after three months of idleness. The army had withdrawn from the center and control was resumed by the WRA.
• Orphan Youth Gives Self Up After Escaping from Escort, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ray Yamada, a 15-year-old of Japanese and Caucasian ancestry, escaped from a WRA escort en route to Manzanar and surrendered to Bakersfield police. The article reports the incident briefly.

Community

• Canal Council Condemns Japan Army Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Canal community council at Gila River unanimously condemned Japanese militarism following reports of atrocities against prisoners at Bataan. The resolution reaffirmed loyalty and support for the War Department, following a similar Butte council resolution.
• Legal Action Considered as Ogden Continues Campaign to Oust Evacuee Businesses, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Ogden City Commission denied a business license to a Caucasian lessee of a cafe in a building owned by Japanese Americans. Attorney David Holther said legal action was under consideration to challenge the commission’s discriminatory licensing policy.
• Twelve Nisei Girls Donate Blood to Denver Plasma Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Twelve women of Japanese ancestry donated blood at the Denver Red Cross Blood Donor Center on Feb. 3. They followed 25 men who had given blood the previous week, which they said showed their indignation at atrocities against American prisoners in the Philippines.
• Nisei Students Adjust Selves to Wartime Campus Conditions, by Ruth L. Beyer, page 5. Writing in The Christian Advocate, Ruth Beyer describes how Japanese American students at Methodist-related colleges have taken on leadership and academic roles. Colleges report that the students are eager to serve their schools and their country.
• Evacuees in Chicago Meet Recreation Problem With All-American Fun Cabaret, by Francis W. McKenzie, page 6. Francis McKenzie reports on an “All-American Fun Cabaret” held at the Chicago YMCA Hotel for nisei relocatees. The event drew nearly 500 people and was seen as a model for regular social gatherings.
• Japanese American Farm Labor Camp Planned at Orem, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Utah County farmers will receive volunteer Japanese American farm labor again this year through a camp planned for Orem. County agent S. R. Boswell announced the plan.
• Small Group Behind Anti-Evacuee Action, Says Farm Official, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Esther Erickson, Farmers Union educational director, reported that anti-Japanese feeling at Grand Junction, Colorado, was stirred up by only a few persons. She made the observation after attending a farmers union meeting.
• Rocky Mountain News Editorial Hits Hate Incitement, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver Rocky Mountain News challenged Rep. Shotwell’s claims about alien land purchases and urged the legislature to act only on full, accurate facts. It noted that Colorado’s Japanese aliens are less than one-fifth of one percent of the population.
• Min Miya Chosen Executive Chairman of Davis JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Davis County JACL chapter in Layton, Utah, chose new officers at a cabinet meeting. It also announced plans for a six-team basketball league to organize play among local teams.
• Salt Lake JACL to Buy Jeeps in Bond Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake JACL bond drive aims to raise $25,000 in war bond sales to purchase 16 jeeps for the Army. The drive was halfway to its goal and closes February 19.
• Chicago Area Relocation Post: Vernon Kennedy Will Take Over Resettlement Work in Midwest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Elmer Shirrell resigned as supervisor of the Chicago WRA office, and Vernon Kennedy of the Kansas City area will succeed him. Shirrell plans to remain in Chicago as a personnel manager and continue aiding Japanese Americans.

Commentary

• Sgt. Kuroki Speaks to Students, Faculty, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tech. Sgt. Ben Kuroki spoke at Berkeley about his experiences as a Japanese American in the Army Air Force. His account covered combat missions and his fight against intolerance.
• Democracy in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Colorado Senate for defeating the anti-alien land bill as an undemocratic race measure. It warns that proponents have begun a petition drive to place the proposal on the November ballot and urges vigilance.
• JACL Sponsors, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the list of 67 distinguished American sponsors for the JACL, noting their range of professions and racial backgrounds. It expresses gratitude for their courage and the support they give Japanese Americans.
• Mr. Warren’s Double-Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes California Governor Earl Warren for pairing public calls against racial intolerance with his role in attacking Japanese American citizens. It argues his stance is political opportunism rather than genuine commitment to democracy.
• On West Coast Attitudes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the Martinez eviction case reflects a hate campaign by a minority rather than the whole West Coast population. It urges continued defense of civil liberties and notes the growing links between the Japanese American cause and other minorities.
• Bataan Atrocities, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A reprinted letter from a Japanese American parent describes disbelief that Japan would commit atrocities such as the Bataan death march. The writer argues that militarism has corrupted modern Japan and that the sons fighting in the war stand firm for humanity.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column collects brief notes on Japanese American news, including Ben Kuroki’s coverage, Navy films showing Japanese Americans defending Hawaii, and the Hearst press treatment of Kuroki’s speech. It also reports on a California senate candidate who seeks to keep evacuees out of the state.
• Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 5. JACL president Saburo Kido comments on the Hearst press’s hypocrisy in urging against intolerance while attacking Japanese Americans. He also praises Sgt. Ben Kuroki’s public relations work and cites the growing military service of Nisei.
• Nisei and Unions, by Mineo Katagiri, page 6. Mineo Katagiri argues that Nisei workers should join organized labor rather than serve employers as anti-union strike-breakers. He urges support for pending social legislation such as the Murray-Dingell-Wagner bill.
• Look Ahead From February’s Snows to Fashions of Spring, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei previews spring fashion trends, describing sleek, smooth clothing, small distinctive jewelry, and simpler hairstyles. The column ends with a few household tips and a comment on advertising.

National

• Upper House Defeats Alien Land Bill in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Colorado State Senate voted 12 to 15 to kill a proposal to place an anti-Japanese alien land measure on the November ballot. Opponents called it a step toward fascism, and proponents immediately began a petition drive to force it onto the ballot.
• Chinese Aliens Now Eligible to Own California Land, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Joaquin County District Attorney Chester Watson ruled that Chinese aliens are now eligible to own land in California. Previously they had been included under the state’s anti-alien land law.
• WRA Official Protests Action by Ogden City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. WRA regional supervisor Ottis Peterson wrote the Ogden commission protesting its license denials, arguing the policy was morally and legally unjustified. He warned that discrimination would discourage evacuees from accepting farm labor jobs.
• Gen. Emmons Warns Nisei on Exclusion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lt. Gen. Delos Emmons warned that persons of Japanese ancestry entering prohibited West Coast areas without permits would be prosecuted or removed. The warning followed the forcible removal of Masanobu Hata, who entered the evacuated zone without a permit.
• Discrimination Hit by Rundquist in Salt Lake Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. George Rundquist of the Federal Council of Churches told an Intermountain evangelical conference that discrimination against loyal Japanese Americans opens the door to oppression of other minorities. He had visited Topaz after the conference.
• Nisei Sergeant Asks Fair Play in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sgt. Jimmy Gozawa, a Japanese American soldier from Camp Carson, pleaded before the Colorado House that democracy should rise above race, color or creed. He asked legislators to protect the rights of loyal Japanese Americans whose loved ones serve overseas.
• WRA Official Asks Distinctions Between Militarists, Others, by P.C. Staff, page 7. WRA field assistant director Jesse Lewis told a sugar beet technologists meeting in Denver that it is unfair to vent prejudice on Japanese Americans for the crimes of Japanese militarists. He urged a distinction between the two groups.
• Fascistic Tendencies in Legislation Told to State Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Colorado churchmen, labor leaders and liberals testified against the anti-Japanese land bill, calling it an entering wedge for fascism. Supporters including Mayor J. W. Wells of Brighton argued that Japanese Americans could not be assimilated.
• Colorado Official Had Charged 3,000 Aliens Had Bought Property, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A WRA survey in Denver found only 23 land purchases by persons of Japanese ancestry in Adams County over two years, most by American citizens. The findings contradicted Rep. L. D. Shotwell’s claim that 3,000 aliens had bought land.
• Survey Shows 4,600 Evacuees in Colorado, by P.C. Staff, page 7. WRA assistant director Malcolm Pitts reported that Colorado’s population of persons of Japanese ancestry now totals 7,375. Fewer than two-thirds are aliens, and the increase came from voluntary evacuees and relocated center residents.

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