Bulletin from Lincoln Kanai, Japanese YMCA, San Francisco, March 28, 1942

The following bulletin by Lincoln Kanai of the Japanese YMCA, San Francisco, may

be of interest to Service Committee members:

San Francisco Mareh 28, 192

Sirs

Revealing investigations and witnesses have brought out that among the Amer-~

icans of Japanese ancestry and also Japanese nationals wno have been here long

there has been no sabotage in Hawaii or on the Pacific Coast on or since December

7th and there is unlikely to be, This clarification has come from the Governor

of Hawaii, the Mayor of Honolulu, Chief of Police Gabrielson of Honolulu, Congress-

man Samuel King of Hawaii and the Tolan Hearing Committee, And only consular

agents in the hire of Japan have been apprehended of espiorage,

To some Americans, this may seem reassuring; to others alarming. Still others

say that this is the time of watchfulness, and that these Japanese are organized

and waiting for orders so that they might strike when invasion comes, These

alarmists envision a great fifth column entrenched at the key spots of America's

efforts to strike all at once. They say that the Japanese on the West Coast seem

to fit perfectly to this, as they are concentrated along the coastal area, power.

lines, reservoirs, roadways, war factories, and air fields, Simple knowledge that

hey have been here long before the establishment of defense industries and air

fields has never occurred to many, Also that all other nationality groups are

likewise in cities, near roadways, fertile valleys, power lines, etc. Then there

is the charge that the children have been going to language schools and the dead

are sent back to Japan. This type of publicity seems to point this out as a re"

sult of thoir unassimilability, Again simple deductions and findings bring out

the fact that the children of Japanese parentage no matter how much they are given

to go to language schools here (usually an hour per day) are not able to read and

-write enouczh to be literate, Imagine the surprise when the Japanese language

education that the children have gone through has given little satisfaction to

the parents on the children's ability to converse and also disappointment that

they are not able to read and write even a simple letter. The Army and Navy are

finding that no matter who it is, unless adept at language, they are not able to

fit themselves sufficiently for any language correspondence, We are ignoring the

greatest factor of environment and our educatioral system when we consider these

children other than Americans.

But along with this, imagine what a tremendous damage the press and some radio

commentaries have done to prejudice the public as well as male John Q. Public fear

the Japanese here, The vast majority of educated' persons such as Galen Fisher at

the Institute of Public Relations; Monroe Deustch, Vice-President of the University

of California; Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt, Mills College President; Allan Blaisdell at

the Berkeley International House; Richard R, Perkins, Managing Director of the San

Francisco Y. M. C, Aw; Annie Clo Watson of the Internatiorml Institute; Dr, Frank

H, Smith of the Federation of Churches; Mr, Booth of the Fricnds Scrvice and a

host of others know and understand the problem accurately. But no matter what

course and influence those presenting an honest picture have tried to do, they have

not been as articulate in their presentation; for accurate information docs not

make for the spectacular. Whatever the information, there have been othors ready

to manipulate any statement of truth to justify their own novions, In order to

correct this type of publicity, the sclution is direstional publicity responsible

to natioral unity. If such pressure publicity is not controllable, a martial law

along the coast is deemed advisable, It is rather unfortunate that we have not

used those persons who have been best acquaintea to discover the truth in the

question of the Japanese and the Americans of Japancse ancestry, However, the

miestion should not remain as charged if the charges have beon found without basis.

Lincoln Kanai 2

There are tremendous problems of dislocations to come with the pending

orders of evacuation--first for the alien Japanese; then for the Americans of

Japanese ancestry: students, artists, skilled workers, doctors, professional men,

technicians, agriculturists, farmers, floriculturists, etc,, to over 160 differer

skills. Some 24 per cert of these people only are in agriculture and yet they

produce some lO per cent of the commercial Truck Farming crops of California, the

most important truck farming producing state in the nation, The 5145 Japanese

farmers stand to lose approximately $100,000,000 in investments; but due to the

complex economic system, a billion dollars in investments by Caucasian Americans

will also be affected, To replace even farmers suddenly and abruptly dislocates

our production, However, we have faith that due processes will bring a maximum

of equity and we hope that these interdependert and basic industries and skills

will not dislocate and bring hardships on our citizenry,

A great many Americans believe that the orders in the blanket statement of

the citizens of Japanese ancestry included in the evacuation is in direct oppo-

sition to the constitution contrary to the spirit of our fighting aims, This

order may permanently scar the very heart of what we are trying to uphold, In

the military order outlined, this complicates some two hundred cases of mixed

races and their attachments, who will be affected because of their lineage, The

condemnation of the whole race by supposition and acts of a few certainly is in

line with axis policies and I believe this to be uneAmerican at all times and a

vicious practice for America,

Yet we find that the Japanese people, because they have been here long, will

do what the government wants them to do. They know and have come to love and

cherish the very things for which this country has entered the war, This is well

illustrated in their willingness to cooperate, no matter if their families are

parting with sons in the Armed Forces of America in this total war.

Wow, I fear more than ever the bitterness and hatreds that will develop with

this blanket order which includes our own citizens. I know, too, that even if

citizens were not included in this blanket order, most of them would move with

their families into the interior, This is true for most of the Americans of

Japanese anoestry are young and according to a hasty survey, the average age is

about 20 or 21 years. This is also the reason that they number more per capita

than those of other ancestry in the Selective Service. The present evacuation

may mean that we do not have sufficient confidence in our law enforcement bodies

or that we shall have to increase these forces considerably, Perhaps if our food

problems and other dislocations become acute, we may have to apprehend and intern

those whose hysterical shoutings have brought this evacuation. This blanket order

has complicated the problem so that should Hitler himself fly to America on a dare,

legally he could not be arrested as he is Austrian and therefore by our laws is a

friendly alien,

There is the problem of bringing the morale of a determined country into a

united will for this war. I fear that the present blanket order will be among the

tragic mistakes of the administration, This order without proper commentary from

the War Department will carry the responsibility to the future of the American

people, The dislocation of absorbed and enmeshed communities of long standing

and establishment of a hundred thousand people and the temporary refugee set-up

for their rehabilitation will bring tremendous tragedies on these innocent victims,

As a lesser of "two evils" supposition rather than a tested pattern, these orders

will remain as at present by the Western Command, If, however, a statement is made

by the Western Command that because of military necessity as well as expediency,

that they would desire the cooperation of the Americans of Japanese ancestry for

this evacuation with hearing reviews before or after, the willingness will be

readily seen and demoralization can be prevented.

enc oii os es tt intr

Lincoln Kanai ; 5

As we know, the Japanese have been here a long time and have been loyal and

obedient to laws and orders, They have children who are American, with many fam-

ilies having their sons side by side in the Army with other Americans, This is

the differerce between America as compared to Mexico or Canada. The great

majority of Japanese have been here developing the basic industries that are necd-

ed in this ration and they will contime to do so as long as they are given the

opportunity, These old timers have been prevented by our own laws from being

naturalized. Bearing this thought, Rear Admiral H. BE, Yarnell, formerly of the

Far-Eastern Command, has made the statement that this has been a sore spot in our

immigration laws, We know too that there would have been some 200 persons onter

this country up to the present time, and sorely preventing the cancerous problom

of immigration, We mst not forget that these people who have been here with their

children ever chorish and live in the hopes of some day becoming Amorican citizens.

They have been prevented from doing so because of our own laws no matter how much

they have contributed to Amcrican life. The only naturalized citizcns are those

votorans who were in the last World War, Now however, tho uprooting of the sccond

gencration Americans of Japancse ancestry, who they have given as a heritage to

America, has made them lose faith to a large degree,

Please understand my position in writing this letter, I stand side by side

and shall support the President no matter what course the war will take so long as

it is with the objectives of fighting for the democracies and its institutions of

"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I shall place myself on an equal

basis to be tested as any other American for loyalty, and I shall stand for the

unity of command that is strategically necessary to win this war and the peace

that follows, I am aware that there are enemies trying to exploit the differences

in race, creed, and descent to divide us and bring suspicion and mistrust among

all of us. But I do believe that for a total unity of effort and understanding,

an unconguerable unity (based on equality, justice, and humanity) will eliminate

religious prejudice and racial hatreds to strengthen American democracy and the

will of the American people to win this war,

Respectfully yours,

Lincoln Kanai, Y.M.C.A., 1530 Buchanan St.