The Apache sentinel., 1944-01-21
A War Incident,
At Home
Reprinted from
"The New York Times"

eQQy NldISunO(O lVeQ IIt
Larchmont, NY. He was only
four years old last summer, but
plenty big enough, he knew, to
help his mother plant their
Victory garden. With his small
shovel and spade he dug and
hoed until the warm brown
earth was neatly lined with tiny
plants, row on row.
Every morning, early, Teddy Mat
sumoto would run to the garden to
see if the vegetables were ready to
eat and each morning he could see
if that the little plants had still a
long way to grow. But one morning
Teddy stood in the middle of his
garden and wept. In the dark of the
night his garden had been trampled
and uprooted, even the tomato
plants slashed "It's because we are
Japanese" his mother said later.
eve have to expect some things like
this when we are living in strange
country, but we did not think that
here in Larchmont-" and her eyes
filled with tears.
But before long the people of
Larchmont learned about Teddy
Matsumotos garden = that it had
been trampled and destroyed A
wave of indignation swept through
the town. "Its an outraged" said one
official. whoever did this has a
poor idea of what we are fighting
for" mo one would have done this
Senseless and cruel thing" said an.
other, "if he had known that Mr.
MatSumoto had risked his life when
he opposed the military government
in Japan"
Lets replant the garden" sug-
geSted one angered neighbor. Of
fers of help quickly followed and be-
fore night had fallen the citizens of
Larchmont had replanted the Mat
Sumoto garden with seedlings and
plants from their own.
On the following day, Larchmont's
Daily Times printed letter to Ted
dy in its pages. When Teddy is old
enough he will read it for himself
Just now he is content to hear his
mothers comforting voice as she
reads it to him:
Were sorry about your garden,
Teddy.
You worked hard on it and the
beans and cabbages and tomatoes
and Strawberries were just begin
ming to flourish. The rows were
| neatly laid out and there weren't
any weeds. You and your mother
have worked hard on it all through
the Spring. And then someone
sneaked in during the night and
ripped it all to pieces.
Whoever did it, Teddy, didn't un-
derstand about you They didn't
know that your father was tortured
lin Japan for opposing the military
government and for preaching world
peace. They didn't know you are
an American citiyen because you
were born, four years ago.. here in
the land of the free and the home
of the brave.
"Those are two good words: free
and brave They mean you are free
to live in America and plant a Vic
tory garden, but they also mean you
have to be brave enough to put up
with few people you meet here
and there who aren't real Americans
the kind of people who trample
little boys garden because his name
! is Teddy MatSumoto.
GAS you grow up, never forget what
your mother said when she heard
about it: I can't hate anybody.
just feel so sorry for them because
they don't know what. they are do
ing.
"That is an echo of something said
by another Christian long time ago
who suffered at the hands of cruel
unjust people So, if you want to
grow up to be real American and
real Christian, Teddy, be like your
mother
'And remember another thing
What has happened to you happens
often to people who ,plant seeds in
this world. 1t happens to churches,
to schools, to parents, to govern
mentS. 1t has happened down
through the generations to those
who have tried to plant love and
understanding and tolerance in the
world. just when the plants begin
to grow, someone who doesn't under-s
tro1110c in o,od ruins tho