Imperial Valley press., 1943-06-25
SUPREME COURT
BACKS DEWITT
Jacksonville Register-Paj ajarenian)

Jacksonville Pajarenlan)
The supreme court decision Monday
upholdng the conviction of two west
coast japanese on charges of violating
the military curfew imposed by Lt.-Gen.
John l.. Dewitt, chief of the western de-
Tense command should curb much of
the argument about the constitutional
ity" of removing JapS from coastal areas
during wartime.
What's more, the high court justices
were unanimous in their decision.
The supreme courts action came on
the same day that Gov. Earl Warren of
California told governors of the nation
assembled at Columbus, Ohio, of the dam
gers of sabotage if japanese are freed
from relocation centers without army
or FBl supervision.
The decision and Mr. Warrens mes
sage should make some impression on
residents of the midwest and east who
think that the west coast is unduly eX
cited about the japanese situation. Mil
lions of people in those sections appar
emily refuse to believe that Japanese
Americans" could be disloyal to the Unit
ed States
THE war power Of the national gov
ernment is the power TO wage war sue
cessfully. II extends to every matter and
activity so rslated to war as substantially
to affect its conduct and progress" said
the opinion of Chief Justice Stone. Con-
tinuing, he said:
The power is not restricted to the
winning of victories in the field and the
repulSe of enemy forces. 1t embraces
every phase of the national defense, in
cluding the protection of war materials
ri bn of hn nd
from injury and from the dangers which
attend the rise, prosecution and progress
of war :.
THE actions taken must be appraised
in the light of the conditions with which
the president and congress were con-
fronted in the early months of 1912,
many of which, since disclosed were then
peculiarly within the knowledge of the
military authorities On Dec. 7, 1941, the
Japanese air forces had attacked the
United States naval base at Pearl Har-
bOr without warning, at the very hour
when japanese diplomatic representa-
tives Were conducting negotiations with
our state department ostensbly for the
peaceful settlement of differences be-
tween the two countries"
However, he said his vote to sustain
the two convictions did not intimate that
the military authorities in time of war
are subject to no restraints whatsoever,
or that they are free to impose any re-
strictions they may choose on the rights
and liberties of individual citizens or
groups Of citizens in those places which
may be designed as military areas"
"While this court SITS it has the ines
capable duty of seeing that the mandates
of the constitution are obeyed that duty
exists in time of war as we'll as in time
Of peace, and in it's performance we
must not forget that few indeed have
been the invasions upon essential liber-
ties which have not been accompanied by
pleas Of urgent necessity advanced in
good faith by responsible men,
His reasoning, we are sure, is applaud
ed by the great maj jority of west coast
residents.
During this year we will double the
size of our fleet. We are building mer-
chant ships four times as fast as they are
being sunk. We are girding ourselves
not for q cinu1a 10 att on 81 cipnla front