The Supreme Court hears Yasui and Hirabayashi, and the Dies Committee targets the JACL

Vol. 16, No. 21, May 27, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories ran side by side in this 8-page issue: A. L. Wirin’s report on his oral argument before the Supreme Court in the Yasui and Hirabayashi cases, and the Dies Committee’s plan to charge the Japanese American Citizens League with subversive activity. Editorials and a Saburo Kido column answered the committee directly. The front page also carried a report that Lt. Gen. Delos Emmons might succeed Gen. DeWitt, with the paper noting such talk was still conjecture.

Pressure to keep Japanese Americans out of the West Coast filled page 2, from the California War Council to the Native Sons of the Golden West. Elsewhere, JACL leaders met with War Department officials, and Mrs. Roosevelt received a Chiura Obata painting from the League. Bruno Lasker wrote about the history of Japanese American settlement, and Seattle’s NAACP raised money for the Hirabayashi appeal.

What’s in this issue

National

• General Emmons to Succeed Gen. DeWitt, Representative From California Understands, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Representative Richard J. Welch reportedly said Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt will be succeeded by Lt. Gen. Delos Emmons in a Pacific Coast army command shake-up. DeWitt is expected to be reassigned near Washington until his retirement.
• Japanese Antifascists Continue Publishing in China, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese liberal publications continue in China, with editor Mr. Aoyama interviewed by Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times. Aoyama reports war weariness, peace proposals, and food shortages in Japan.
• Suit on Farm Seizure Settled Out of Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An out-of-court settlement in a state action to seize State Farming Co. land near Dos Palos, allegedly owned by alien Japanese, sold the property for $204,000. Proceeds will go to the state and creditors, with no share to alien stockholders.
• Axis-Owned Properties to Go On Sale, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alien Property Custodian Leo T. Crowley will sell more than 150 German, Japanese and Italian-owned properties seized by the United States. The sales are part of efforts to clean Axis influence from American business.
• Native Sons Continue to Seek to Deprive Nisei of Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Native Sons of the Golden West passed resolutions at their annual convention calling for a constitutional amendment barring American-born Japanese from citizenship. The organization also urged drastic restrictions on all persons of Japanese descent.
• War Council Will Be Asked to Urge Ban on Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz plans to ask the California war council to urge a constitutional amendment barring persons of Japanese descent from citizenship. He stated he would present the resolution at the Sacramento meeting.
• Los Angeles Mayor Would Seek End of Nisei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles Mayor Bowron expressed hope that former residents of Japanese ancestry would not return after the war. He said a legal method might be found to deprive native-born Japanese of citizenship.

Military & Veterans

• Japanese Prisoners of War Applaud American Songs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A story from a South Pacific prison stockade describes Japanese prisoners enthusiastically applauding American songs sung by their captors. The account was told by Chicago Daily News correspondent B. J. McQuaid.
• Hayashi Brothers Are First Inductees From New York City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mitsuru and Oe Hayashi were the first inductees from New York City into the nisei combat unit. They had been employed in a New Jersey war plant before induction.
• First East Idaho Volunteer for J-A Unit Inducted, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Keiji Taki, an Idaho Falls high school graduate, became the first eastern Idaho volunteer for the Japanese American combat unit. Fifteen Bonneville County selectees were accepted for army and navy duty in the May quota.
• Nisei Soldier Conducts Class in Radio Code, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Corporal James S. Konishi, a 24-year-old nisei soldier at Fort Douglas, Utah, teaches a radio code class. He was inducted in 1941 and has been stationed at Fort Douglas since 1942.
• Camp Shelby Troops Reported Setting Fast Pace for Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese American troops at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, are training eagerly and buying war bonds, according to the Associated Press. Captain Pershing Nakada described the volunteers as eager to train day and night.
• Nisei Sergeant in India Wants First Crack at Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgt. William K. Ozaki, a Japanese American from Eaugallie, Florida, serving in India, is eager to fight the Japanese. His commanding officer describes him as an excellent leader.
• Increase in Use of Nisei Labor Urged by Manpower Board, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A War Manpower Commission conference in Salt Lake City urged greater use of Japanese American evacuees to address Utah’s labor shortage. Officials suggested dispersing evacuee labor to other regions.
• AFL, Veterans Against Change in Immigration, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Representatives of the AFL, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars opposed proposed immigration law changes before a House committee. The proposal would have admitted a limited number of Chinese annually.

Commentary

• Mrs. Roosevelt for Equality on Immigration Laws, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt said national immigration policies should be based on equal treatment for all peoples. She noted current hearings on repealing the Chinese exclusion act and said the nation has traditionally been friendly to the Chinese.
• East Can Offset Western Pressure, by Saburo Kido, page 2. The writer reports that eastern national organizations can offset pressure from the Pacific Coast on nisei welfare. He argues that civil rights cannot be left to one section of the country and that public education in the East remains insufficient.
• Change in Laws on Immigration Is Advocated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The New York East Methodist Conference, represented by Rev. Dr. Lloyd F. Worley, testified before a House committee in favor of repealing Oriental exclusion laws. The conference resolution called for admitting Orientals on the same quota basis as other races.
• Timely Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 4. Saburo Kido comments on the Dies Committee and its attacks on Japanese Americans. He argues the committee’s tactics are reminiscent of earlier witch hunts against labor and liberals.
• The Dies Inquisition, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the Dies Committee for accusing the JACL and other organizations of subversive activity. It describes the committee as a politically motivated body that exploits public unfamiliarity with a defenseless minority.
• DeWitt Transfer Reports, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial discusses reports that General DeWitt will be transferred and replaced, noting interest among both anti-Oriental groups and evacuees. It cautions that such reports remain conjecture until officially announced by the War Department.
• Martin Dies, Demagogue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial attacks Martin Dies and his committee for planning a ‘yellow book’ on Japanese Americans. It notes the Justice Department found no record of disloyal acts by Japanese Americans.
• On the NYA, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes National Youth Administration training opportunities for nisei young people. It emphasizes the significance of nisei being given comparatively unique training opportunities.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A short column notes that Japanese American evacuees have been placed in limited eastern settings and that a congressman has shown interest in hiring an evacuee farmer. It also mentions an article on relocation by Eddie Shimano.
• Re: The Nisei, by Bruno Lasker, page 5. Bruno Lasker, research associate of the Institute of Pacific Relations, surveys the history of Japanese American settlement and argues Oriental residents were kept in segregated communities. He calls for dispersal and integration into American life.
• Washington Letter, by Peter Wood, page 6. Peter Wood writes that Allied democracies have shown they can wage war effectively, citing Churchill’s speech to Congress. He highlights Anglo-American cooperation and the continuing strength of Axis forces.
• Ambassador Grew Calls Attention to Nisei’s Worth, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Former Ambassador Joseph C. Grew praised Americans of Japanese origin as an invaluable element of the population. He expressed regret at the restraints imposed on loyal nisei because of a minority’s conduct.
• Research Associate Surveys History of Nisei Problems, by Bruno Lasker, page 8. Bruno Lasker concludes his survey by calling for Americans to eliminate racial segregation and distinctions in law. He argues that immigrant descendants have special responsibilities for the future of American democracy.

Community

• Utah Senator Expresses Faith in Ability of Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Elbert D. Thomas of Utah said in a radio broadcast that nisei soldiers will prove their mettle and show the effectiveness of the American public school system. He also commented on conditions in the relocation centers.
• RAF Captain Pays Tribute to Gila Camouflage Project, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Captain Robert A. Patton of the Royal Air Force praised camouflage net workers at the Gila River factory for their speed and efficiency. He is an instructor at Prescott Falcon Field where British airmen are trained.
• Friends Report on Relocations: Over 95 Per Cent in Chicago Area Satisfactorily Employed, by Advisory Committee for Evacuees, page 2. The Advisory Committee for Evacuees reports over 95 percent of evacuees relocated to Chicago have found satisfactory employment. Case studies illustrate how budgeting affects savings for relocated evacuees.
• Vital Statistics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A list of births and deaths at various relocation centers during May. Included are births to evacuee mothers and deaths of residents.

JACL

• Dies Committee Opens Attack on Japanese American Loyalty, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Dies Committee plans to charge the Japanese American Citizens League with subversive activity in forthcoming reports. Investigators claim a list of 10,000 Japanese American members of a Black Dragon Society youth organization.
• Mrs. Roosevelt Receives Obata Painting from JACL, Expresses Concern for Problems of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL presented Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt with a Chiura Obata watercolor of a relocation center scene. She expressed sympathy for Japanese Americans and interest in the WRA’s program to release loyal evacuees for outside employment.
• JACL Leaders Meet With War Department Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL representatives met with Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy and War Relocation Authority officials to discuss evacuation problems. They were assured Japanese Americans in the armed forces would receive equal treatment.

Incarceration & Redress

• California War Council Adopts Resolution Opposing Return of Evacuees for Duration of War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California War Council, headed by Governor Earl Warren, opposed any plan to return evacuees to the West Coast during the war. The council commended General DeWitt for the evacuation.
• Immediate Use of Machinery Is Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney General Robert W. Kenny asked California district attorneys to help put idle farm machinery, including evacuee-owned equipment, into service. The request followed Governor Warren signing a bill allowing the state to take over such equipment.
• Relocation in State Opposed by Arizonans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Arizona Governor Sidney P. Osborn’s special committee advised resisting resettlement of evacuees, warning of a developing Japanese community. The committee said the Japanese population already exceeds pre-war levels.
• WRA Carries Out Policy of Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The War Relocation Authority is segregating American-born evacuees deemed a threat to internal security at a new camp at Leupp, Arizona. More than fifty evacuees have already been interned there.
• Wirin Reports Supreme Court Hearings on Evacuation Cases, by A. L. Wirin, page 3. JACL special counsel A. L. Wirin reports on his oral argument before the Supreme Court in the Yasui and Hirabayashi cases challenging military evacuation orders. He argued the orders were unconstitutional and based on racial prejudice.
• Topaz Ration Allowance Cut By One-Third, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Central Utah Relocation Center at Topaz reduced its daily ration allowance by about one-third. Officials plan to make up the difference by growing produce and meat on the project.
• California Clubs Oppose Return of Evacuees to Pacific Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Several California organizations, including the Foresters of America and a Lions club, passed resolutions opposing the return of evacuees to the Pacific Coast. The Open Forum Breakfast Club recommended permanent exclusion of foreign-born Japanese.
• Pacific Coast Congressmen Agree on Evacuee Program, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Congressional delegations from California, Oregon and Washington agreed on a six-point program for evacuees, including employment outside restricted areas. They also endorsed a Sheppard bill to strip citizenship from those proclaiming loyalty to foreign governments.
• Scholarship Fund Will Aid Students From Topaz Center, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A scholarship fund has been established at the Topaz relocation center to aid senior students planning to attend college. Three or more students will be aided each semester.
• Seattle NAACP Hears Report on Court Hearing; Gives Aid, by Ruth W. Kingman, page 8. Former state senator Mary Farquarson spoke to the Seattle NAACP about the Hirabayashi test case before the Supreme Court. The group raised $204.25 to help finance the appeal.

In-Depth

• Nisei Problems: Race Is Cultural, Not Purely Biological, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Dr. Paul S. Martin of the Field Museum argues race is an artificial classification and that prejudice arises from fear of the My-Group being threatened. The article draws on anthropological evidence to challenge racial prejudice.

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