Nisei soldiers in Italy and martial law at Tule Lake

Vol. 17, No. 18, November 6, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories from opposite sides of the war ran side by side in this eight-page issue. John Lardner and H. R. Knickerbocker reported from Italy on the 100th Infantry Battalion, which held what Lardner called perhaps the most advanced position of the Fifth Army on the road to Rome. Knickerbocker described Pvt. Masao Awakuni, a bazooka gunner from Hawaii who knocked out a German tank. At home, Army troops with tanks and machine guns entered the Tule Lake segregation center, and the issue followed the story through a Dillon Myer statement, an observer’s account and an editorial titled “Nisei Regret.”

Larry Tajiri wrote four editorials on anti-Japanese prejudice, the loss of the old Little Tokyo districts and the 1936 Salinas labor violence. Joe Grant Masaoka and Bill Hosokawa each wrote a column on postwar assimilation. Other pages carry news from Camp Shelby, a WRA plan for subsistence allowances, and Hito Okada’s advice on child discipline in the centers.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Position of Nisei Battalion in Italy ‘Most Advanced’ of U.S. Fifth Army, Says Lardner, by John Lardner, page 1. Correspondent John Lardner reports that the 100th Infantry Battalion held one of the most advanced positions of the Fifth Army on the road to Rome. He describes the aggressiveness and stamina of the Japanese American troops, including the bazooka exploit of Pvt. Masao Awakuni.
• Nisei Soldier Knocks Out German Tank With Bazooka, by H. R. Knickerbocker, page 1. Pvt. Masao Awakuni, a slight bazooka gunner from Hawaii, waited until a German tank was 25 feet away and destroyed it, killing its crew. Knickerbocker recounts the soldier’s calm courage and his own impressions of him.
• Fearful Story Hint of Italy Battle, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese American soldiers in Italy would rather fight the Japanese than the Germans, according to Lt. Col. Farrant Turner, as reported by H. R. Knickerbocker. Knickerbocker describes the fighting spirit of the 100th Battalion and their desire to win back American trust.
• Nisei Soldiers Win Shelby Camp’s Baseball Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Nisei infantry regiment team won the Camp Shelby baseball championship playoff with a last-inning home run by Goro Kashiwaeda. Lefty Higuchi pitched a masterful game, and the team received a trophy from a Hattiesburg rancher.
• Soldier Musicians Go on Southern Possum Hunt, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Members of the Nisei regimental band spent an evening possum hunting with a Hattiesburg rancher, Earl Finch, and his dogs. The lighthearted outing ended with a successful hunt and shared refreshments.
• Newsman Tells Inside Story of Departure of 100th Infantry, by John Terry, page 2. Honolulu Star-Bulletin correspondent John Terry recounts the August departure of the 100th Infantry Battalion from Camp Shelby and its subsequent movement to North Africa and Italy. He describes the soldiers’ quiet resolve and eagerness to see combat.
• Granada Minister Visits Denver Community Church, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Rev. Lester Suzuki of the Granada relocation center visited the Denver Community Church. The article reports on his visit and congregation activities.
• Army Recognizes Nisei Combat Team Performance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Secretary of War John J. McCloy visited the Japanese American Combat Team at Camp Shelby and attended a formal review. The visit underscored official interest in the unit’s development.

National

• Troops Impose Martial Law on Tule Lake Segregation Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Army troops with tanks and machine guns entered the Tule Lake segregation center after segregants defied civil authority and a guard was beaten. Reports describe internees held for hours while leaders were questioned.
• Salt Lake City Realtors Study Housing Restrictions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Salt Lake City Real Estate Board’s postwar committee studied recommendations on the sale of homes to persons of Japanese ancestry. The board’s executive vice president declined to disclose the details of the proposals.
• Church Stand on Evacuees Presented Congress by Ford, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Rep. Thomas Ford presented to Congress a Los Angeles Church Federation resolution calling anti-Japanese agitation short-sighted and detrimental. The resolution affirmed the church’s earlier position before the Dies committee.
• Hawaiian Evacuees Directed Tule ‘Strike,’ Myer Believes, by P.C. Staff, page 7. WRA director Dillon Myer said most ringleaders of the Tule Lake crop harvest refusal were evacuees from Hawaii. He described the refusal as a test of power within the center and declined to comment on west coast return.
• Family’s Size to Determine Subsistence Allowances, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The WRA announced a new subsistence allowance plan for relocating evacuee families based on family size and need. Each person receives a 5-day allowance of $25 regardless of family size.
• Tule Lake Trouble Developed Over Refusal to Harvest Crops, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Describing the Tule Lake demonstration, an observer reports thousands of evacuees surrounded the administration building and held meetings. WRA officials believed that most participants were adult men while many women and children did not join.
• Rowell: State Senate Group Raises a New Bugaboo, by Chester Rowell, page 7. Chester Rowell criticizes Los Angeles District Attorney Fred Howser for reporting threats against Japanese Americans and warns against sanctioning mob violence. He argues that Japanese American soldiers fighting for America deserve protection.
• WRA to Take Over Poston Administration, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Administration of the Poston relocation center will transfer from the Indian Service to the War Relocation Authority on January 1, 1944. Officials said the change would have little effect on center residents.
• Reactionary Congressman Hit for Relocation Stance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The People’s World criticized California congressmen for biased statements about Japanese Americans that discourage relocation. It noted Rep. Leroy Johnson’s resolution calling for deportation and investigations of Nisei.

Community

• Honolulu Japanese Closes Shop; Gives Supplies to USO, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Umito Inamine of Honolulu donated $2,500 in remaining merchandise from her closed store to the USO for distribution as Christmas gifts. She expressed gratitude for the government’s permission to operate her store during wartime.
• Story of Evacuation Told by Henry Tani, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Henry Tani’s three-part article in Youth magazine tells the story of Japanese Americans from Pearl Harbor through relocation. The series includes Pvt. Masao Awakuni’s exploits and a portrait of Capt. Isaac Kawasaki.
• Little Tokyo in Los Angeles Is Now Negro Community, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The former Little Tokyo area in Los Angeles is now a Negro community with a newly formed Bronzeville Chamber of Commerce. Its founders aim to make the district a credit to the city.
• Evacuees Aid Harvesting of Colorado Beets, by P.C. Staff, page 8. WRA supervisor Harold Choate reported that 700 evacuee volunteers helped harvest over 65,000 tons of sugar beets in Colorado. He praised their willingness and intelligence as workers.
• Japanese Americans Have Lowest Crime Rate, Says Rev. Heist, by Rev. A. A. Heist, page 8. Rev. A. A. Heist of Santa Maria, California, notes that Japanese Americans had the lowest crime and dependency records in his county. He cites Minidoka’s record of minimal crime as evidence of the residents’ character.

Commentary

• Prejudice for Export, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. California race-baiters are exporting anti-Japanese prejudice to eastern and midwestern audiences through speakers and letters to editors. The editorial argues that the loyalty of relocated evacuees and nisei soldiers refutes these charges.
• Little Tokyos Disappear, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The old Little Tokyo districts on the West Coast have been replaced by new residents, many of them Negroes facing housing restrictions. The editorial suggests returning evacuees must find new homes and businesses, which may speed their assimilation.
• Pledge Against Racism, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial reprints PM’s call for Americans to pledge against racial and religious hate and to speak out against it. It argues that racism must be fought by people themselves through ideas and conscience.
• Remember Salinas in 1936, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The Salinas chamber of commerce campaign against Japanese Americans is linked to economic interests in the lettuce industry. Tajiri recalls the 1936 Salinas labor violence as an example of fascist methods used by growers.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes miscellaneous items, including a correction to Walter Winchell’s report about Christmas gifts and details on Capt. Taro Suzuki of the 100th Battalion. It also mentions a Denver Post scoop and a young officer’s defense of Japanese Americans.
• Real Test of Assimilation of Japanese Americans Will Come During Post-War Period, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka argues that true assimilation of Nisei will be tested when postwar competition for jobs begins. He urges Nisei to build lasting ties in their new communities.
• West Coast Anti-Evacuee Clamorings Artificial, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa observes that the anti-evacuee campaign on the West Coast appears artificial when viewed from the Midwest. He describes the warm reception many Nisei receive in Des Moines.
• Nisei Soldier Writes Story of Issei Parents in ‘Asia’, by George Morimitsu, page 5. George Morimitsu’s article in Asia magazine describes the language barrier between issei and nisei and the sacrifices issei made for their children. He concludes that the hopes of the issei rest on the nisei in America.
• Vandals Abuse Evacuee Property, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Reports of vandalism to evacuee property stored in churches and homes prompt advice that evacuees have their belongings moved to WRA warehouses. The article also suggests vacant buildings be rented to worthy agencies.
• Child Discipline, by Hito Okada, page 6. Okada offers advice to parents in relocation centers on maintaining discipline and routine for children despite crowded conditions. The column suggests hobbies, reading, and consistent examples as ways to guide children.
• Evacuee Mural Featured by Church Monthly, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A mural painted by Keyoze Toyofuku and Sam Ichiba was reprinted as the cover of The Window of YWA. The article notes the mural’s Christian theme and its resonance with relocation center life.
• An Editorial: Nisei Regret, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The editorial regrets the Tule Lake harvest refusal but stresses that the disloyal segregants do not represent Japanese Americans generally. It notes that 300 to 350 loyal evacuees volunteered to harvest the crops.

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