The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1943-11-04
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Has the Japanese-Ameriean
NAA Problem Been Bungled
Modrdedo by
e sSas' eS@@sc by w. r.. A.?
American Economic
Honorable Karl Mundt Honorable Herman p. Eberharter
Congressman. LIST District, Congressnan, 32nd District,
South Dakota Pennsylvania
As debated by

CONGRESSMAN EBERHARTER
OPENS: The essential task Of the
War Relocation Authority Is to re-
settle throughout the country the
people Of Japanese ancestry svacu.
ated last year from the Pacific Coast
While resettlement Is proceeding,
WRA Is maintaining the evacuees in
government centers. I believe the
agency has done a good job on both
counts. In resettling evacuees, WRA
has bent over backwards to safe
guard the national security. It has
collected extensive information from
intelligence files and other sources on
every adult now in relocation cen.
tiers. No evacuee is released il there
is evidence he might be dangerous.
With 81 900 people so far resettled,
not mi disloyal act has been report
ed. In operating relocation centers,
WRA has handled a complicated
problem with efficiency and fairness.
Within the framework Of rationing
and other wartime limitations. it has
provided adequate food, medical care,
and education. To hold down oper-
ating costs, it has made the fullest
use of evacuee labor in food pro-
duction and other work. A sound
resettlement policy is required by
Constitution. and anything less
than decent living standards at the
centers would be inconsistent with
all our traditions. l fail to see how
this job could be administered in a
more thoroughly American way.
CONGRESSMAN MUNDT CHAL.
LENGES: Mr.. Eberharter artfully
seeks to avoid the issue by pleading
efficiency for WRA because it neither
starved. pampered nor mistreated
Japanese in Relocation Centers. Its
deficiencies are more basic than that
Efficiency" is not demonstrated
through failure to utilize centers az
Americanization units or by simply
planning segregation and not prac-
ticing it until prodded by Congress.
Fairness" is not manifest either TO
loyal Japanese or to Americans BY
releasing evacuees without SYSTEM
attic, adequate pre-release loyalty
CIieShS. GSpiOEdSS LII "dI-llIIle -
more serious than sabotage: saying
that nc disloyal act has been re-
ported" does not prove that no spies
have been released. Dead Japanese
are not the only good ones-but to
rate them good" we must be dead
sure they are loyal!
CONGRESSMAN EBERHARTER
REPLIES: l cannot understand why
my colleague persistently bubbles
about WRA's pre-release investiga-
ton. Every precaution is being taken
to safeguard the national security.
To detain citizens beyond the re-
quirements of security would make
a mockery Of the principles for which
we are fighting. To imply that a pro-
gram so complex as segregation
could be carried out overnight is
pure nonsense. The program had to
be carefully planned before it could
be executed on anything like an
accurate and equitable basis. Most Of
the evacuees are thoroughly Ameri-
Ear today. WRA's Americanization
program is vigorous, well rounded.
To deepen the evacuees' loyalty to
America requires their return to nor
NAL life. Americanism does not -four
ish behind barbed wire.