Manzanar after the December 1942 disturbance, and segregation of agitators

Vol. 15, No. 29, December 17, 1942. 8 pages. View this issue

The fatal disturbance at Manzanar on Dec. 6, 1942, dominated this eight-page issue. The front page reported that the army and the War Relocation Authority began segregating known Axis sympathizers, while loyal Nisei leaders such as Fred Tayama were moved to a CCC camp in Death Valley. Editorials on pages 2 and 4 weighed what the riot meant. Rep. Leland Ford’s call for an investigation drew an editorial reply, and Lou Eichler wrote about recognizing the loyal.

Other news followed the courts and the camps: the JACL’s decision to enter the Native Sons citizenship case, with Walter Tsukamoto as counsel, and briefs filed for Fred Korematsu. Minoru Yasui’s statement at his Portland trial is on page 6, with Bill Hosokawa on a Heart Mountain blackout test and Larry Tajiri on Harbin. Community Christmas projects at all ten centers and Joe Masaoka’s wedding round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Army, WRA Take Swift Action to Segregate Instigators of Recent Manzanar Disturbance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Following the fatal rioting at Manzanar on Dec. 6, the army and War Relocation Authority segregated known Axis sympathizers and moved loyal Nisei leaders to a CCC camp in Death Valley. WRA officials said relocation of loyal evacuees would be speeded up.
  • WRA Moves Nisei Leaders to Death Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Tayama, JACL Southern District chairman, wrote from Death Valley that his injuries were less serious than reported. Several outspoken pro-American Manzanar leaders were removed with their families to the Death Valley CCC camp for their safety.
  • Evacuees Will Be Used on U. S. Reclamation Projects, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes announced that work on halted reclamation projects would resume using evacuee labor. Projects include Klamath, Shoshone, and Minidoka near relocation centers.
  • Korematsu Case Briefs Filed in U. S. District Appeals Court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Opening briefs were filed in the Ninth Circuit on behalf of Fred Korematsu, who challenges his exclusion and internment as a citizen. ACLU counsel Wayne Collins argued that interning citizens is an unlawful usurpation of judicial power.
  • Rep. Ford Asks Investigation of Camp Incident, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Leland Ford called for a congressional investigation of relocation centers after the Manzanar disturbance, blaming socialistic experimenters. Rep. Sheppard similarly criticized camp management.
  • Placer Grand Jury Alleges Land Law Violated in California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer County grand jury asked state legislators to amend the alien land law, alleging widespread evasion by Japanese aliens and native-born persons. The report cited investigations by the state attorney general and district attorneys.
  • Wyoming WRA Chief Resigns, by P.C. Staff, page 3. C. E. Rachford announced his resignation as Heart Mountain project director effective Dec. 15. Assistant director Guy Robertson will succeed him.
  • Abrogation of Exclusion Act Advocated by Methodist Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Methodist Board of Missions passed resolutions calling for abrogation of exclusion laws and expressing confidence in Nisei loyalty. The resolution also commended the WRA resettlement policy and the Christian response to evacuees.
  • Possibility of Rehearing for Interned Alien Told by Ennis, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Edward Ennis of the Alien Enemy Control Unit announced new procedures allowing family members to request rehearings for interned aliens. He also outlined plans to unite interned families and provide relief for dependents.
  • Instructions for Evacuee Workers Issued by WRA, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The WRA in Salt Lake City reminded evacuee workers on group leave to carry travel permits and report address changes. Evacuees must not travel outside the counties specified on their permits.
  • L.A. County Jury Endorses Move to Bar All Farm Lands to Persons of Japanese Race, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles County grand jury endorsed an Imperial County resolution to bar persons of Japanese ancestry from farmland. A minority report objected, arguing that citizenship exclusion would harm loyal Nisei serving in the military.
  • Ask Removal of Disloyal Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners asked the army to remove alien-born and disloyal American-born Japanese from Manzanar. The resolution was sent to General DeWitt.
  • Utah Relocation Unit Foresees Cut in 1943, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Topaz project director Charles Ernst predicted a 25 percent population reduction during 1943 as residents are released for jobs. He noted that many men at the center are professionals and tradesmen.
  • Topaz Group Cannot Acquire Residence Rights, Says Official, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Utah Attorney General Grover Giles ruled that Topaz evacuees cannot establish Utah residence for divorce, voting, or professional licensing. He reasoned that their presence was not voluntary.
  • Arkansas Governor Blocks Plan to Use Evacuee Labor, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Arkansas Governor Adkins refused to approve the transfer of 36 Japanese American evacuees from Jerome and Rohwer to work on the Norfolk Dam. He insisted that evacuees remain under military guard at the camps.
  • Snow Is Falling at Heart Mountain, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Snow now covers Heart Mountain, which was barren land six months ago and now houses ten thousand residents. The Heart Mountain Sentinel is presented as the voice of these people.
  • ACLU Attorney Speaks on Removal of Nisei From Pacific Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 8. ACLU counsel Al Wirin argued in a KFWB radio talk that mass evacuation failed to distinguish the loyal from the suspect and violated due process. He cited Judge Fee’s statement on the loyalty of persons of foreign extraction.

Military & Veterans

  • Nisei Shot Down Japanese Planes During Dec. 7 Raid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bradford Smith of the Office of War Information reported at a New York meeting that boys of Japanese ancestry manned guns that downed Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor. He also noted Japanese Americans gave blood donations quickly and that Nisei soldiers were fighting for their country.

JACL

  • Tsukamoto to Represent JACL in Nisei Citizenship Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL announced it would enter the Native Sons test case as a friend of court to defend the citizenship of American-born Japanese. Walter Tsukamoto was appointed special counsel and will file a brief in the Ninth Circuit Court.

Community

  • Santa Anita Becomes Training Center for Army Ordnance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Santa Anita, former Japanese evacuation center, is being converted into an army ordnance training center. It will become a major military concentration in Southern California.
  • Prof. Bealey Speaks at JACL Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Prof. A. L. Bealey of the University of Utah spoke at a Salt Lake JACL meeting about relocation problems. The meeting was held at the Japanese Church of Christ.
  • Granada Nisei Leaves for Work in Plane Factory, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank M. Yamauchi left the Granada center for employment in an eastern aircraft factory. He was previously the first Nisei employee at Douglas Aircraft in 1937.
  • Girl in Vermont Gives Savings to Evacuee Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Rutland, Vermont high school girl donated eight dollars, a year’s savings, to the Community Christmas Party Fund for evacuees. The fund has passed six hundred dollars with more contributions arriving.
  • Interest in Evacuee Welfare Shown by Support Given to Community Christmas Project, by Joe Kanazawa, page 3. Donations from outside groups and individuals are pouring into the Community Christmas Party campaigns in all ten WRA centers. Committees in each project are organizing gifts, trees, dinners, and programs for evacuee children and adults.
  • Residents Cooperate at Cody, Granada, by P.C. Staff, page 3. WRA Denver regional director Joseph Smart reported excellent evacuee cooperation at the Granada and Heart Mountain centers. He said there would be no change in policing due to the Manzanar outbreak.
  • Calling All Chapters!, by Teiko Ishida, page 6. JACL office notes report visitors from Topaz, staff news including Joe Masaoka’s wedding, and the ongoing Pacific Citizen subscription contest between centers. The column also includes Christmas greetings to readers.
  • Nisei Soldiers Lead as Buyers of War Bonds, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 100th Infantry Battalion at Camp McCoy was praised for leading in war bond subscriptions. Lt. James G. O’Rourke, the bond officer, commended their record.
  • Topaz YWCA Feted Fifteen Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Topaz YWCA hosted a party for fifteen soldiers from various army camps. Organizers included several Topaz women and the event was reported by the Topaz Times.
  • Strawberry Shortcake Foreseen at Gila, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Gila River residents expect strawberry shortcake this spring after twenty acres were prepared for strawberry cultivation. Tokuji Kobayashi will supervise the planting of 20,000 plants.
  • Tsukamoto to Head Ogden Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Jiro Tsukamoto was elected president of the Ogden JACL chapter at its December 1 meeting. Other officers were also named, and the meeting featured reports on the national JACL convention.
  • Stage Manhunt in Desert for Japanese Man, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kern County officers and Indian trackers searched the Mojave Desert for an alleged Japanese fugitive after a woman reported a man demanding supplies. The manhunt drew several law enforcement agencies and airplanes.
  • Mary Ann Sakamoto, Joe Masaoka Married in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mary Ann Sakamoto and Joe Grant Masaoka were married in a simple ceremony at Memory Grove in Salt Lake City. More than one hundred guests attended.

Commentary

  • Segregation of Disloyal Group Urged; Many Point to Rioting as Justification of Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Western newspapers following the Manzanar riot urged segregation of disloyal evacuees, while some cited the riot as justification for mass evacuation. Several editorials also acknowledged the loyalty of many Japanese Americans.
  • Seattle Residents Comment on Riot at Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two Seattle letters published in the Post-Intelligencer criticized the editorial treatment of loyal Japanese Americans. The writers argued for separating loyal from disloyal evacuees and for protecting democratic processes.
  • Actions of Handful Threaten to Destroy Future of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An editorial from the Gila News-Courier argued that a handful of instigators at Poston and Manzanar endangered the community’s public image and future. It urged evacuees to consider how their actions would be perceived by the American public.
  • Christmas, 1942, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial reflects on Christmas in a war-torn world and among Japanese American evacuees in barrack camps. It affirms that those who have suffered still carry the meaning of Christmas in their hearts.
  • USA, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri recalls a 1936 train departure from Harbin and his stay in the Japanese-controlled Manchurian city. He reflects on imperialism, the decline of the Russian community, and his homesickness as an American with a Japanese face.
  • Lessons from Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that Manzanar’s riot resulted from the artificial and combustible conditions created by mass evacuation and confinement. It urges segregation of pro-Axis agitators while expanding freedom for loyal evacuees.
  • Ford of California, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes Rep. Leland Ford for using the Manzanar incident to attack the War Relocation Authority’s humane policies. It notes that Ford has repeatedly cried wolf in his attacks on New Deal government.
  • Recognition of Loyal Evacuees Asked Following Manzanar Riot, by Lou Eichler, page 4. Eichler argues that the Manzanar riot showed the presence of loyal Japanese Americans who should be recognized and enemies interned. He calls for separating pro-Japan residents from those loyal to America.
  • Crisis in Japan?, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Glenn Babb, quoted from an AP column, notes that Emperor Hirohito’s unannounced journey to the Ise shrine suggests an undisclosed crisis in Japan. The editorial observes that the purpose of the trip remains hidden from the outside world.
  • From the Frying Pan: Heart Mountain Has a Blackout Test, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa describes the blackout tests at Heart Mountain on December 13 and 14, comparing them to earlier, chaotic blackouts on the West Coast. He concludes that the drills show residents’ readiness and place among the communities of the land.
  • Beveridge Plan Is a Blow for Democracy, by Peter Wood, page 5. Wood argues that the Beveridge social security plan in England is a strong blow against fascism comparable to military operations. He contends that social and economic justice strengthens democracy and the Allied war effort.
  • A Statement by Pearl Buck: Barring a Miracle, a 2nd War Must Be Fought for Freedom, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Pearl Buck argued that the war had ceased to be a fight for freedom and that victory over the Axis would not necessarily defeat fascism. She urged Americans to ensure the war is fought for democracy both abroad and at home.
  • Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A column of brief news items covering a Nisei welder leaving Minidoka for Michigan, a stricken Japanese slur in a March of Time film, and Charlie Chaplin’s near-assassination in Japan. It also notes J. P. McEvoy’s visit to Topaz for a Reader’s Digest article.
  • Ann Nisei Says: Make Christmas Live for Your Children in Evacuee Centers, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei advises parents to make Christmas meaningful for children in camp through simple decorations, homemade paper trees, and stockings. She emphasizes that children value participation and surprise over expensive gifts.
  • Willing to Die for America, Yasui Said at Portland Trial, by Minoru Yasui, page 6. Minoru Yasui’s statement before Judge Fee in Portland affirms his American citizenship and loyalty despite his curfew violation conviction. He states he has repeatedly volunteered for Army service and would die for America.
  • Evacuee Labor Use Suggested, by P.C. Staff, page 7. KLO commentator Barrett Chadwick suggested using loyal evacuees’ skills to meet wartime labor shortages. He praised evacuees in California and Arizona for resisting anti-democratic elements in the camps.

Sports

  • Nakama Named on All-American Swimming Team, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hawaiian Nisei swimmer Kiyoshi Nakama, national AAU one-mile champion, was named to the 1942 All-American swimming team. His teammate Bill Smith also earned three individual berths and a relay spot.
  • Kurumada, Sako Win Third Place in Salt Lake Bowling, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The doubles team of Dr. Jun Kurumada and Tadao Sako took third place in the Salt Lake City bowling tournament. Their combined score was 1218, and Sako rolled a high game of 253.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Government by Assassination: How Militarists Won Power, by Stephen Pearce, page 5. Pearce reviews Hugh Byas’s book on Japanese militarists, describing how young officers, patriotic societies, and gangs used assassination to drive Japan toward war. The review notes the book’s organization faults but praises its account of this underworld.

Obituaries

  • Liberal Issei Dies at Home in New Jersey, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Takeji Kusanobu, a Japanese liberal who opposed fascism and war lords in Japan, died at his New Jersey home at age 65. He had worked as general manager of the Takamine corporation’s New York office and was an authority on trade relations.

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.

More from Issue archive