Defending Japanese Americans against the Dies committee, June 1943

Vol. 16, No. 24, June 17, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

The Dies committee’s hearings in Los Angeles dominated this eight-page issue. On the front page, a delegation of Los Angeles ministers told the committee that most opposition to Japanese Americans had been “whipped up by the press,” and WRA Director Dillon Myer asked Congressman Dies to restrain misleading public statements. Larry Tajiri’s editorials answered the committee’s seizure of the JACL’s Washington files and its announced investigation of the Pacific Citizen. Saburo Kido and Bill Hosokawa added columns on the press and on speaking up.

Other pages followed daily life during the incarceration (often called internment). Frank Saito answered testimony about a food cache at Poston, and 129 evacuees were building new rail line for the Santa Fe in Wellsville, Kansas. Page 8 reported on Masao Yamada, the Army’s first chaplain of Japanese ancestry, and on news from the combat team at Camp Shelby.

What’s in this issue

National

• No Public Demand for Action Against Japanese Americans: Ministers Tell Dies Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A delegation of Los Angeles ministers urged the Dies committee to tolerate and release loyal evacuees of Japanese ancestry from war relocation camps. They argued that most opposition was whipped up by the press and that loyal persons should be distinguished from disloyal ones.
• Dies Member Will Ask for Army Control, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Representative Karl Mundt told the Los Angeles Times he favored army control of relocation centers to establish effective discipline. He said the testimony at the hearings had convinced him of the need for such control.
• Dies Man’s Charges Are Protested by Seattle Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle Evacuee Service Council challenged claims by Robert Stripling that many evacuees released from relocation centers were trained in sabotage in Japan. The council includes civic, labor, and religious groups.
• Gov. Warren Says Evacuee Return May Bring Sabotage, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Governor Warren told a press conference that the return of evacuees during the war would be a body blow to security. He cited opposition from civilian defense, army, and navy officials to bringing evacuees back.
• Refuses to Block Evacuee Return, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pasadena board of city directors declined to act on an American Legion request to oppose the return of evacuees. The Legion’s program was adopted separately by the Pasadena Optimist Club.
• Gen. DeWitt’s New Promotion Still Mystery, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Congressman Tom Rolph said General DeWitt’s forthcoming assignment would keep him temporarily in San Francisco. Speculation about DeWitt’s future has been tied to controversy over evacuee return.
• Dies Investigation Hit in Des Moines Paper’s Editorial, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Des Moines Tribune called Congressman Dies’s disclosures on evacuees probably of a piece with his usual loose accusations. It defended the WRA’s policy of releasing evacuees.

Incarceration & Redress

• Myer Condemns Irresponsible Statements by Dies Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA Director Dillon Myer called on Congressman Dies to restrain committee spokesmen from making misleading public statements about the WRA. He asked for names and evidence of any evacuee spies or saboteurs to be turned over to the FBI.
• Dies Subcommittee Rejects WRA Offer to Participate in Present Camp Investigations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Dies subcommittee rejected Dillon Myer’s offer to have WRA representatives join its Los Angeles hearings, calling it a censorship attempt. Wirin and Taft of the ACLU argued for the return of loyal citizens to the coast during testimony that also included debate with Chairman Costello.
• Refuses Move to Withhold Support From Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Santa Clara County supervisors declined to endorse a California Supervisors’ Association resolution to withhold public support from evacuees until their savings were exhausted. The San Jose Mercury Herald reported the decision.
• Dies Committee Holds Hearings in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Testimony at the Los Angeles hearings described an unrest at Poston in November, including a reported Japanese flag and beatings of loyal evacuees. Witnesses James and Gelvin gave conflicting accounts of what occurred.
• Evacuees Interests Dies Group Of Law, Says Witness, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Arizona attorney Irving Jenkins described a new state law that effectively boycotts persons of Japanese ancestry from most commerce. The Dies committee showed interest in whether the law would be constitutional.
• Four Salt River Valley Firms Charged With Violation of Anti-Evacuee Law in Arizona, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four produce firms were charged in Maricopa County Superior Court with failing to publish required notice of business dealings with evacuee laborers. Evacuees from the Poston center had been placed on farms in the Salt River valley.
• Dies Committee Holds Hearings in Los Angeles: Shorter Continued Testimony, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Continued testimony described disturbances at Poston, including a reported flag incident and assaults on loyal evacuees. The testimony was disputed by WRA officials.
• Evacuee Refutes Charge of Food Cache to Aid Enemy Troops, by Frank Saito, page 3. Frank Saito, a former Poston resident, refutes testimony that evacuees hoarded bread for Japanese invasion troops. He attributes the bread surplus to Army contracts and blames former supply chief Harold Townsend for mismanagement.
• Nisei Evacuee Killed in Accident at Granada Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hiroshi Okamura, 26, died at the Granada center hospital after a rupture of the lung received while working on a canal near Lamar. He was crushed when a pile driver guide tipped over.
• Attacks on Nisei Stop Short of Violence, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Some West Coast city councils passed measures against return of evacuees. San Jose’s council passed a resolution opposing return of any persons of Japanese descent to the coast for the duration.
• The Wellsville Experiment: Evacuees Help Build New Rail Line for Santa Fe in Kansas, by P.C. Staff, page 5. 129 evacuees from Poston are building new track for the Santa Fe at Wellsville, Kansas and living in box-car homes. The project is watched by neighboring communities as the first group work project employing evacuees in the Midwest.
• Evacuee Refutes Charge of Food Cache to Aid Invaders, by Frank Saito, page 6. Frank Saito, a Poston resident and now a dentist in Salt Lake City, responds to testimony that evacuees hoarded food for invasion forces. He describes mismanagement by supply chief Harold Townsend, including bread waste and withheld transportation.
• Demand for Evacuee Workers Rises in Midwest, Says WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Elmer Shirrell of the WRA Chicago office said Dies charges had done little harm to resettlement and that employer demand for evacuee workers is growing. He reported more than 6200 evacuees had taken jobs nationwide by June 1.
• 339 Evacuees Resettled in Missouri Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The WRA Kansas City office reported 339 evacuees resettled in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and parts of neighboring states. Forty-six were placed in the greater Kansas City area in domestic, hospital, and skilled jobs.

Community

• Poston Chief Denies Dies Quiz Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wade Head, director of the Poston relocation center, denied testimony by Norris James about the handling of eight young evacuees involved in an attack. He said the attackers were tried in Yuma County Superior Court and five remain in custody.
• California Refuses to Pay Unemployment Benefits to Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Department of Employment denied unemployment insurance claims to about 800 persons of Japanese ancestry held in western relocation camps, on the grounds they were not available for work. The denial affects evacuees in the camps.
• Senator Robertson Declines Bid to Visit Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Heart Mountain officials said Senator E. V. Robertson declined a verbal invitation and ignored a telegram inviting him to inspect the center. The senator had publicly charged that evacuees were being pampered by the WRA.
• JACL Colorado Calling!, by Joe Masaoka, page 6. Joe Masaoka announces the newly opened Denver JACL office and lists its services for Japanese Americans, including a lounge for soldiers and information on civil rights. He also notes nisei passing through Denver en route east.
• Stewart Proposal Protested at Southwest Student Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Student Christian Movement regional conference in Missouri formulated a letter protesting Senator Tom Stewart’s proposal to strip nisei of citizenship. The letter argued that loyalty is not inherited through blood.
• Nisei Speaks On Freedom At Denver Graduation Exercise, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Milton Hajime Hayano, a Japanese American student, spoke on freedom of speech and religion at Manual Training High School’s commencement in Denver. He is a veteran Red Cross and war bond speaker who plans to study dentistry.
• Eleven Nisei Attend Conference of Christian Youth Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Eleven nisei delegates attended a regional Student Christian Movement conference in Hollister, Missouri on problems of racial minorities. The conference also heard a talk on the WRA program from Rohwer’s community services head.
• Minidoka Children Dedicate Flagpoles, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Children at the Huntsville and Stafford elementary schools in Minidoka dedicated new flagpoles with special programs. The Minidoka Volunteers Organization presented a flag that was raised for the first time.
• New York Nisei Raise Fund to Aid Relocation, by Toge Fujihira, page 7. A Resettlement Benefit program held in Manhattan raised $532 for the Japanese American Committee for Resettlement. The event featured musical performances and a skit depicting evacuation and resettlement.
• California Head Signs Land Law Aimed at Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Governor Warren signed a bill strengthening California’s alien land law by prohibiting land ownership through guardianship arrangements. The measure makes violations a felony and was aimed directly at evacuees.
• Methodist Body Urges Release of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A conference of 1500 Methodist delegates from Northern California and Nevada adopted a resolution calling for release of loyal Japanese American citizens from relocation centers. The resolution opposed racialism and hatred.

Commentary

• Chester Rowell Terms Attack on Nisei “Hysterical Nonsense”, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chester Rowell, editor emeritus of the San Francisco Chronicle, criticized the Dies Committee investigation of Japanese Americans as unfounded and driven by hysteria. He argued that the agitation against Nisei violated constitutional guarantees of citizenship.
• Press Wields Much Power, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Saburo Kido reflects on his travels through the Middle West and East and the sensational press coverage of Japanese Americans. He warns that public belief in misleading tales from the Dies hearings is dangerous.
• Attacks on Japanese Americans Aid Tokyo Propagandists, Is Belief of Pasadena Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pasadena chapter of the Pacific Coast Committee on Fair Play concluded that attacks on Japanese Americans weaken Allied morale and help Japanese military propaganda. The group outlined its plans and membership at its first general meeting.
• From Bad to Worse, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Minneapolis Star-Journal editorial condemns the Dies committee’s investigation of Nisei as fanning racial hatred and urges it be disbanded. It argues the problem should be handled objectively by the FBI and courts.
• Revelations By Mr. Dies, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial condemns the Dies committee’s seizure of JACL Washington files and its investigation of the Pacific Citizen. It argues the committee’s record of red-baiting and bigotry disqualifies it from fair investigation.
• Unions and Relocation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial explains that labor unions shape the reception evacuee workers receive, citing protests in Chicago and Utah. It argues unions can be won over if consulted, and urges the WRA not to ignore organized labor.
• The Nisei Are Not Alone, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that renewed attacks on Japanese Americans by Dies and West Coast politicians echo the pre-evacuation campaign. It calls on Americans to repudiate race-based exclusion and says the nisei are not alone in the fight.
• An Editorial: Democracy Begins at Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges fairness toward Nisei employees at a county hospital nurses’ home after a union representative voiced racial objections. It cites the Marengo, Illinois example where tolerance prevailed.
• Blue Print for a Slum, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Common Ground publishes five articles on evacuation and resettlement, including pieces on WRA employment, student relocation, and community acceptance. The symposium argues that resettlement is a community responsibility.
• Ann Nisei’s Column, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column explains how high altitude affects baking and gives adjusted recipes for one-egg and white cakes. It offers rules for changing baking powder, sugar, shortening, and liquid at higher elevations.
• From the Frying Pan: It Is Time We Started Swinging Back, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa argues that reasoning with California race-baiters is futile and that Japanese Americans must publicize their case to the nation. He urges an appeal to the common American’s sense of democracy.
• Whistling in the Dark, by Kenny Murase, page 5. Kenny Murase reflects on leaving Poston for the East and the logic of resettlement. He describes life in Philadelphia, where nisei have found friendly communities and opportunities.
• Dies Committee Errors Exposed by Merry-Go-Round Column, by Drew Pearson, page 7. Drew Pearson’s syndicated column reports that Dillon Myer rebutted Dies Committee charges that evacuees were using cars, receiving whiskey, and getting extra grants. Pearson reports WRA officials said several Dies claims were erroneous.

Military & Veterans

• Visit of Nisei Soldier Stops Work at Plant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A one-day sit-down strike at a Loomis, California fruit packing warehouse ended when Private Wilson Makabe, a nisei soldier on furlough, agreed to leave. Sheriff’s deputies took him into protective custody.
• God, Guns Will Win War, Says First Nisei Army Chaplain, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Masao Yamada, a Congregational minister from Hawaii, became the Army’s first chaplain of Japanese ancestry and will serve with the combat team at Camp Shelby. He studied in Tokyo and witnessed the 1936 military uprising.
• News from the Combat Team, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Japanese American soldiers at Camp Shelby prepared to host about 100 nisei girls from the Denson, Arkansas center. The combat team also formed a regimental band and received praise from Hattiesburg residents.
• Nisei Volunteers Interviewed by Kansas City Times Reporter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fifteen Minidoka volunteers for the combat team passed through Kansas City en route to Camp Shelby. A Kansas City Times reporter interviewed the group leader Tadashi Fujioka and others about their hopes for army life.

JACL

• Congressional Investigators Will Study Recent Activities of JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dies committee agents seized the Washington files of the Japanese American Citizens League and questioned a May 22 meeting held with Japanese Americans. The JACL noted that the individual subpoenaed was not a member.
• Dies Group Announces It Will Investigate Pacific Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Dies Committee announced it was investigating the Pacific Citizen, citing its criticism of the committee and of Representatives Costello and Anderson. The Los Angeles Times reported the inquiry as part of preliminary studies on Japanese American publications.

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