Letter from Ernest Besig, Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, to Fred Korematsu, June 9, 1943

yenred T. Korematsu,

S28 Hast 2nd Soe,

Salt lake City, Utah.

Dear Freds

Thanks for the letter.I sent the enclosure in one cf

our envelopes to Miss Boitanoe. I suppose that is what you wan-

ted, although it was not entirely cloar.

The Supreme Court made a favorable decision in your

case on dume 1, Justice Hugo Black wrote the opinion for a

unanimous court that you had a right of appeal despite the fact

thet you received only probation instead of a jail sentence.

The case has now been returned to the Circuit Court of Appeals

where they will now consider the case on the mrits, as to whee

ther the military had a right to exclude citizens of Japanese

extraction. As a practical mtter, I suppose nothing will happen -

watil the Supreme Court passes on the Mirabayashi and Yasui cases,

and I do mot expect anything to happen in those cases wre next

fall sometime, ee

I'0x2122 sorry to hoar that the employment has pe out.

I think it would be all to the good if you could move Hast where

there is a better chance to get a job and where they are ant as

prejudiced against the Japanese.

Have you ever heard fron John Ura? I suppose iti -

in Illinois by this time,

i've beon pretty busyerecently. I haven't any hel 2 Net

the office, so thet mkes it a Little tougher, At home I am one

of the millions who have started victory gardens and spend a lot:

of time fooling with it. We get too meh fog out om 28th Aves

no sunshine for a week), so some of the things that require a lot

x heat don't do very well, However, I have more then enough lete

tuee, and the carrots, beets and peas do very well, The beans

should turn out all right if we get sunshine, but I don0x2122: hold out

much hope for the tomatoes, even though the plants have blossoms on

thom.

The bay ares is fearfully crowded and people have diffie+

culty renting places to live, Also, the transportation problem is

becoming rather serious, and street cars are jammed full at the

rush hourse More and more women are making their appearance--as

conductors, motormen, bus drivers, cab drivers, elevator operators

and in thelehimeyanew,iffyouuwheti Segtnes are *pinding it easier to

get jobs now, and thousands of in the re

as are the Chinese. "eREES1y Youre, '