Evening star., 1942-12-09
Army BIames Riot
AT Relocation Camp
On Few Evacuees'
Majority Of japanese
At Center Declared
loyoI to U. S.
Ey the Associated Press.

z! the Associated Press.
The riot Sunday at the Manzanar
tCalifo Relocation Center for jap
anese was blamed by the War De-
partment and War Relocation Au-
thorlty last night on "a relatively
small number of evacuees.'
In a joint statement on the dis
turbance, in which one Japanese
was killed by the gunfire of military
police and 10 we're wounded, one
critically, the two agencies expressed
the opinion that "the great majority
of residents at Manzanar and other
relocation centers are loyal to the
United States and completely in
favor of orderly processes of govern
ment."
Reports from Manzanar said the
mob shouted Pearl Harbor, Banzai!
Banzai!" as it milled through the
center demanding that two pro-
American japanese be turned over
to them.
The official account said members
OF the crowd attacked the soldiers
with stones when their demand was
refused and failed to disperse when
ordered to do so. The statement
follows:
On Saturday night. December S,
at the Manzanar Relocation Center,
a group of six men entered the
apartment of Fred Tayama, an
evacuee resident, and gave him a
beating. Following this incident.
three evacuees were taken into Gus
tody at the center and one of them
was subsequently transferred to the
Jail at nearby Independence.
Sunday morning there was a
gathering In the center. When the
project director approached. the
crowd broke up. But before his ar
rival. a committee had been selected.
This committee came down to the
main gate, which is near the center
police station, and demanded the re-
turn OF the evacuee. who had been
transferred to the Jail at Independ-
ence. At first, the project director
refused to talk with the committee
until the crowd had dispersed.
Finally. however, it was agreed
that the man would be returned to
the center provided that Cd there
would be no more meetings or gath
erings; (2D order would be main
tanned until the proper hearing
could be held: 80 the group would
deliver to the authorities the men
who had beaten Mr.. Tayama.
The crowd then dispersed and
about midafternoon the man in the
independence Jail was returned to
the center police headquarters as
agreed.
Despite the agreement, however,
two large groups gathered about
dark-one at the hospital, demand
ing that Fred Tayama be turned
over to them, and another at in
ternal security headquarters. Mean
while, Mr.. Tayama was taken from
the hospital through back en-
trance to the military barracks.
After determining that Mr.. Tayama
was not in the hospital. the group
which had gathered there then
Joined the group at police headquar-
ters and demanded the release of the
man held there.
Upon the project directors re-
fusal to meet the demand for the re-
lease of the prisoner, some members
of the crowd threatened that they
would 60 to the hospital and kill the
evacuee who had been beaten as well
as all other "informers" Along with
these threats, members Of the crowd
began to throw stones at the evacuee
internal security police.
AT this point the project director
requested the captain of the mill
tary police to enter the center prop
er, assume complete charge of the
area and restore order. The military
police, who then were stationed on
the external boundary Of the relo-
cation area, entered the center in
accordance with this request late in
the afternoon of December 6,
When the military police took
their position to safeguard the prls-
oner and protect the center internal
security police, japanese evacuees
who were active in the demonstra-
ton demanded of the captain that
the prisoner be released to them.
When this demand was refused. the
members of the crowd attacked the
military personnel with stones.
THE captain of the military police
then ordered the assembly to dis
perse. When the crowd failed to
heed the captain and began to ad-
vance on the police position, tear
gas was first used In an effort to
stop and disperse the members.
When this failed ION account Of high
wind) the order was given to halt or
fire would be opened. When the
crowd again ignored these instruc-
tions the order to fire was given,
One volley was fired, following which
the mob dispersed. One man was
killed. another critically wounded
and nine others suffered injuries
of varying degree.
Both the War Department and
the War Relocation Authority are OF
the opinion that this disturbance
was caused bv relatively small
group of evacuees and that the
great majority of residents at Man