Court tests, the Army combat team and a new Arkansas land law

Vol. 16, No. 7, February 18, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories shared the front page of this eight-page issue. A seven-judge court was set to hear the Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui cases, together with the Regan Native Sons suit, on February 19. The JACL filed as a friend of the court in the Regan case, with attorney A. L. Wirin as its counsel. The other story was the Army’s new Japanese American combat team, which brought volunteers in Hawaii, Utah and Idaho. Mike Masaoka and Saburo Kido urged JACL members to sign up.

Elsewhere, the editorial page took on an Arkansas law barring Japanese Americans from owning land. Larry Tajiri recalled growing up in California during the anti-Japanese campaigns of the 1920s, and Bill Hosokawa wrote on resettlement from St. Paul. Henry Fukuhara began a series of drawings of camp life with a view of the sentry tower at Manzanar. Pages 6 and 8 carry chapter news, weddings and basketball.

What’s in this issue

National

• Court Reviews Army Orders On Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A seven-judge extraordinary court of the U.S. District Court of Appeals will hear the Korematsu, Hirabayashi, Yasui, and Regan Native Sons cases challenging military evacuation and curfew orders. The JACL is filing as a friend of the court in the Regan case and is considering further involvement if cases reach the Supreme Court.
• 27 Evacuees Arrested at Gila Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-seven persons of Japanese ancestry were removed from the Gila River relocation center for behavior deemed incompatible with other evacuees’ interests. Thirteen were transferred to Moab, Utah, and fourteen Japanese aliens were taken into FBI custody.
• Evacuees Respond To Pleas to Offer Equipment For Use, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of War Information reported that farm machinery left behind by evacuated Japanese farmers is being collected for possible use by other farmers. Evacuees are responding to offers to sell the equipment, and the sales are being facilitated.
• Arkansas Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting American Citizens From Owning Land in State, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Homer Adkins signed a bill barring persons of Japanese ancestry, regardless of citizenship, from ever owning land in Arkansas and limiting their leases to one year. The law targets evacuees relocated to the Rohwer and Jerome camps.
• California Group Starts Drive For Permanent Exclusion of Japanese Evacuated From State, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Santa Barbara County citizens’ group, backed by State Senator Clarence C. Ward, began organizing for permanent exclusion of persons of Japanese ancestry from California. The group appointed a committee to draft a recommendation for Congress and raised funds for the movement.
• ACLU Brief Charges Native Sons Assail Cherished Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief as friend of court in Regan v. King, condemning the Native Sons of the Golden West for attacking the constitutional rights of Japanese Americans. A similar brief was filed by the National Lawyers Guild.
• Repeal of Exclusion Act Advocated By U.S. Congressman, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Representative Walter H. Judd of Minnesota called for repeal of the 1924 Asiatic exclusion act to bolster Chinese morale. He argued that placing Asiatics on a quota basis would show the United States means what it says about the four freedoms.
• Hanford Group Against Return of Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Hanford, California citizens’ committee adopted a resolution opposing the return of persons of Japanese descent to the West Coast, urging they be kept in relocation centers for the duration. Signers included District Attorney Roger R. Walch and State Senator Roy R. Cunningham.
• Native Sons Protest Formation of Nisei Army Combat Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West protested the formation of a Japanese American combat unit. The group asked Congress to nullify the War Department’s plan.
• Nisei Enlistment in Army Opposed by California Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Orchard City Grange of San Jose passed a resolution stating Japanese Americans could not be trusted with an army uniform. It urged that suitable war work be found for them instead of armed forces induction.
• Alien Property Bill Passed By Utah House, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Utah’s house of representatives passed a bill denying real property ownership to aliens ineligible for citizenship, affecting leaseholds and crop-sharing contracts. Opponents argued it violated democratic principles and that American-born children could hold title.
• YWCA Official Asks Rehearing on Utah’s Anti-Alien Land Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Florence Pierce, YWCA general secretary, asked the Utah State Women’s Legislative Council for another public hearing on SB 5. She argued the measure discriminates against Orientals, particularly Chinese.
• ACLU Brief and National Lawyers Guild Brief Challenge Native Sons Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild filed friend-of-court briefs opposing the Native Sons suit, calling it an affront to minorities and to the nation’s war aims. Both argued the suit fosters racial hatred at a time when national unity is essential.
• ACLU Protests Wallgren Bill On Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Civil Liberties Union protested a bill by Senator Mon C. Wallgren to transfer War Relocation Authority functions to the War Department. The union argued the WRA was doing an admirable job and that resettlement should be encouraged.
• U.S. Considers Volunteering of Alien Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A War Department telegram indicated that aliens of Japanese ancestry wishing to volunteer for the Army should execute Form 804A. The department said efforts would be made to permit their enlistment but no promises could be made.
• Evacuee Laborers Seen as Big Aid To Idaho Farmers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Evacuee Japanese farm laborers from war relocation centers were identified as the best hope for meeting the agricultural labor shortage in Canyon County, Idaho, in 1943. Transportation for these workers would need to be provided.
• Evacuee Members Of Maritime Union May Get War Jobs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Topaz residents formerly in Pacific coast seamen’s unions were advised to register with the National Maritime Union for possible employment on the Great Lakes. The WRA relocation supervisor shared the registration details.
• Evacuees in Oregon, Idaho Recruited For Seasonal Farm Work, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Plans are underway to recruit and house up to 5,000 evacuees for seasonal agricultural work in Oregon and Idaho in cooperation with the WRA. The FSA regional director said last year’s evacuee workers were hard-working and patriotic.
• U.S. Officials Non-Committal On Balch Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Federal officials offered little comment on John A. Balch’s proposal to remove 100,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii to the mainland. The War Department deferred the matter, and Congressmen largely declined comment.
• Nevada Accepts Limited Group Of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Governor E. P. Carville agreed to permit 100 persons of Japanese ancestry to work in tomato plant cultivation in Moapa Valley, Nevada. He had previously opposed any use of evacuee labor.

Military & Veterans

• Sergeant Ben Kuroki Flies Over Europe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sergeant Ben Kuroki of Hershey, Nebraska, a Japanese American serving with the USAAF, is flying combat missions over Axis-occupied Europe as a gunner. He is one of four Nebraska-born brothers serving in the army and is proving his loyalty to his home state.
• Response to War Department’s Announcement Swamps Draft Boards in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. In less than two weeks after military service was reinstituted for Japanese Americans, 7,425 volunteers responded in Hawaii to a call for 1,500 men for a combat team. The entire Japanese American personnel of Honolulu’s fire department also volunteered.
• Magna, Utah, Claims 100 Per Cent Response For Army AJ Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The town of Magna, Utah, reported a 100 percent response to the Army’s call for volunteers for the Japanese American combat team. The two eligible Americans of Japanese ancestry there, Tadao Sako and Henry Mori, volunteered at their local draft board.
• Many Volunteer In Salt Lake For Army Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Many American-born Japanese in the Salt Lake City area volunteered for the Army’s new Japanese American combat team. Induction was expected to start after February 23, and volunteers from Nevada and Idaho also came to register.
• Story of the Week: Nisei Climbs 90-Foot Pole To Rescue American Flag, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At Amache, Colorado, a nisei fireman, Hiroshi Tadakuma, climbed a 90-foot pole barefoot to rescue a runaway American flag after military police could not reach it. He made the ascent on his third attempt and said he was glad to be of service.
• Wilson Makabe First To Volunteer at Twin Falls, Idaho, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Wilson Makabe of the Twin Falls area became the first American of Japanese ancestry in that area to volunteer for the Army’s new AJ combat team. Two of his brothers are already serving in the Army.
• Sergeant Kishiyama Visits Relatives, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sergeant Stanley Kishiyama of Camp Grant, Illinois, is visiting relatives and friends in Pocatello, Idaho, during a 15-day furlough.
• A Message to JACL Members On Army’s New Nisei Unit, by Mike Masaoka and Saburo Kido, page 3. JACL leaders urged members to register and volunteer for the Army’s new Japanese American combat team as a demonstration of loyalty. They argued the unit could be a powerful answer to critics and a chance to prove Japanese Americans’ allegiance.
• Nisei Leaders In Hawaii Back Army’s Action, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Interisland Morale Committee of Japanese ancestry leaders in Hawaii announced wholehearted support for the Army’s proposed combat team. The committee called it the opportunity to help preserve democratic ideals.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This news column reports that military police at relocation centers were not Guadalcanal veterans, and praises the all-nisei 100th Battalion at Camp McCoy. It also notes Hawaiian donations for Christmas gifts for the nisei troops.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column discusses relocation and resettlement issues among evacuees. The column is written from St. Paul, Minnesota, and addresses the difficulties of resettlement.
• Ann Nisei Says: Flowers Will Add Glamor To Your Clothes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This fashion column offers ideas for using flowers to add glamour to hats, scarves, gloves, and evening wear. It suggests simple ways to refresh outfits with floral accents.
• The World This Week, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A roundup of world war news covering Soviet advances, fighting in Tunisia, and naval actions in the Solomons. It also reports on Congress and domestic political developments.
• Army General Pays Tribute to Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Brigadier General R. E. Mittelstaedt, commander of the Maui district, praised Americans of Japanese ancestry as among the best soldiers he commanded in California. He spoke at Baldwin high school as volunteering opened on Maui.

Commentary

• Timely Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Saburo Kido responds to the Native Sons campaign and California legislators pushing for permanent exclusion of Japanese Americans. He argues against hasty action that could harm peace after the war.
• Editorial: Arkansas Joins the Axis, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the Arkansas law denying Americans of Japanese ancestry the right to own real property as race legislation comparable to Hitler’s decrees. It warns that the law damages American democracy and the credibility of the nation’s war aims.
• Birthplace: Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes that aliens may volunteer for Army service and calls for eventually allowing Japan-born persons raised in America to volunteer. It argues that Americanism is defined by attitudes and character rather than birthplace.
• The Burden of Proof, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that public attitudes still place the burden of proof on Japanese Americans despite their loyalty. It quotes Pearl Buck’s message urging Japanese Americans not to despair and to endure unjust treatment with democratic faith.
• Growing Up in California, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri recalls his childhood in Los Angeles during the 1920s anti-Japanese campaigns and the passage of the Exclusion Act of 1924. He reflects on how early exposure to racial prejudice shaped his later interest in minority problems.
• The Other Side of the Picture on Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial argues that shortcomings in the relocation program lie as much within the centers as outside them. It urges evacuees to decide promptly whether to resettle or stay, since jobs disappear while they hesitate.
• Washington Letter: Japan Loses a Battle in the South Pacific, by Peter Wood, page 5. Peter Wood reviews the Guadalcanal campaign, in which Japan suffered heavy losses of ships, planes, and men before withdrawing. He argues the fight there offers the Allies a spearhead for future attacks.
• In the Centers: Editorial From Gila News-Courier, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial reprinted from the Gila News-Courier urges evacuees to put aside bitterness and help bear the burdens of other minority groups. It calls for a rational attitude and reliance on true democracy.
• Vital Statistics: Births, Deaths, Marriages, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This vital statistics column lists births, deaths, and marriages among evacuees at various relocation centers during early February 1943.

Incarceration & Redress

• Spring Will Start Exodus From Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The coming of spring is expected to begin an exodus from the relocation centers, though red tape must be simplified. Many residents may still be in centers after the war because their economic foundations have been wiped out.
• Poston Land Will Be Returned to Indians, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Poston is on an Indian reservation of about 100,000 acres that will be returned to the Indians after the war. Evacuees are clearing land, but the lack of long-term tenure gives them little incentive to invest in cultivation.
• Nisei Outside WRA Projects May Volunteer, by P.C. Staff, page 3. American citizens of Japanese ancestry aged 18 to 38 living outside WRA centers may volunteer for the Army combat team by applying at local draft boards. Volunteers must be born in the United States or its territories and speak English.
• Topaz Citizens Send Message To Stimson; Loyalty Stressed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Topaz residents sent a telegram to Secretary of War Stimson rejecting a earlier resolution from a small group that had demanded conditions for loyalty. They declared they would register and fight for the United States.
• Registration for War Service In Full Swing at WRA Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Registration of all adult evacuees in the ten war relocation centers was reported in full swing, along with voluntary induction procedures for eligible males. Topaz and Heart Mountain were proceeding on schedule.
• Bibliography: Articles, Comment on Evacuation Listed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Northern California office of the Fellowship of Reconciliation issued a bibliography on the evacuation. It includes a graph showing that anti-Japanese press stories far outnumbered pro-Japanese stories by early 1942.
• Manzanar Sentry Tower, by Henry Fukuhara, page 5. Henry Fukuhara of Manzanar presents the first in a series of drawings depicting relocation center scenes. The drawing shows the sentry tower at the camp.
• Evacuees Ask Questions About Resettlement, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The article discusses evacuee hesitance about resettling outside the centers and their concern for public opinion and living conditions. It describes Earl Tanbara’s efforts as JACL representative in St. Paul to place evacuees in jobs.
• CALLING All Chapters!, by Teiko Ishida, page 6. This column reports the wedding of Mike Masaoka and Etsu Mineta at Memory Hall in Salt Lake City, along with reminders to chapter officials about membership renewal forms. It also notes an OWI publication on postwar policy.
• Utah Senators Report Rumors Of Topaz Luxury Unfounded, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Utah senate investigating committee reported that rumors of preferential treatment for Topaz evacuees were largely unfounded. The committee described living conditions, medical facilities, and schooling at the center.
• Evacuation Mistake, FOR Official Tells San Jose Group, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Caleb Foote of the Fellowship of Reconciliation told a San Jose audience that the WRA runs the centers well but the evacuation was an unfortunate mistake. He estimated relocation cost America about $2,000 per evacuee.
• All Citizens of Japanese Descent May Go Into Army, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Citizens of Japanese ancestry aged 18 to 38 living outside relocation centers may volunteer for the U.S. Army by applying at local draft boards. The instructions follow Secretary Stimson’s announcement of a combat team.
• Selective Service Board Selected at Central Utah Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Topaz assigned three evacuees, Saiki Muneno, Vernon Ichisaka, and Mike Maruyama, to serve on the advisory board of Selective Service board 30 in Millard County. Their duties included assisting with questionnaires and notarization.
• Tenney Committee Seeks Use of Stored Evacuee Cars, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A California joint legislative committee led by Senator Jack Tenney planned hearings on evacuee-owned cars and tires stored in the state. The committee said it aimed to trace suspected un-American activities.
• WPB Orders Halt on Construction Work on Heart Mountain Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The War Production Board cancelled priorities and halted construction on two elementary schools at the Heart Mountain relocation center. The order followed similar action at Granada.
• Charge Evacuees Pampered Called Republican Propaganda, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Walter Q. Phelan, Wyoming Democratic chairman, dismissed charges by Senator E. V. Robertson that Heart Mountain evacuees led a soft life. He said the camp residents were provided essentials but were not babied.
• Portland Man Tests Military Power in Court, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Henry L. Beach of Portland challenged the Western Defense Command’s authority to question him and rule on his eligibility to remain in the zone. He cited Judge Fee’s ruling in the Yasui case.
• Chicago Resident Emulates Cupid: Held By Police, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Chicago police held Gilbert Hayashi after his roommate Anton Larson complained Hayashi aimed an arrow at him with a bow. Hayashi said he had reached the end of his patience with Larson.

JACL

• JACL Brief in Regan Case Attacks Racial Nationalism of California Native Sons Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL filed a 100-page brief as friend of court in the Regan case, arguing the Native Sons’ claims about citizenship are false. The brief was signed by A. L. Wirin, Walter Tsukamoto, Saburo Kido, and two Black attorneys.

Community

• Arizona AC Takes Doubleheader, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Arizona A.C. basketball team won two games in a doubleheader at Peoria high school. Joe Tadano and Lindy Okabayashi led the scoring for the Esquires.
• Ada Moriyasu Weds Bill Kishiyama in Idaho Falls, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ada Moriyasu and Bill Kishiyama were married at Trinity Methodist church in Idaho Falls on February 14. The bride’s attendants and the reception were described.
• Staged Citizens Campaign For New Members, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pocatello chapter of the JACL planned a membership and subscription drive with a quota of $980 for the National Chapter. The chapter discussed the campaign at its February 7 meeting.
• Shigeno-Saito Rites Held in Oregon City, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dorothy Haruye Shigeno and Albert Saito were married in a single ring ceremony at the Women’s club in Ontario, Oregon. A reception for about seventy guests followed.
• Boise Valley JACL Discusses Finances, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Boise Valley JACL discussed its financial status and planned a combination semi-annual dinner on February 20. Committee assignments for the event were announced.
• Farewell Dance Is Held for Pocatellans, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Bill Yoden and Tsuneo Tanabe were honored at a farewell dance in Pocatello before departing to volunteer for the nisei combat unit. The article reports the event’s details.

Obituaries

• Etsu Mineta Weds Mike Masaoka in Salt Lake Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Etsu Mineta married Mike Masaoka in a ceremony in Salt Lake City attended by about two hundred guests. Masaoka, national JACL secretary, was taking leave to volunteer for the nisei combat unit.

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