The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-06-22
Interned Yanks
Still a Problem
State Department Estimates
Americans in Grip Of
Axis at $4,000.

WASHINGTON.- Still behind Ger
man and Japanese lines in occupied
Europe and Asia are thousands Of
American citizens. The state de-
partment estimates the number In
the grip of the Axis at 1900.
Merchants, teachers, missiona-
ries, all walks of American life are
represented. Aging expatriates have
died behind internment camp bar
riers and children have been born
in the same camps. Aristocrats and
beachcombers rub elbows In more
than one internee community.
World War II has outdone any
former conflict in this respect. The
swift encirclements and occupations
Of this war have caught far greater
numbers in enemy hands. The pos
sibility of espionage and subversive
activity through short-wave radio
has been new factor bringing far
more stringent measures against
captive populations than ever be-
fore.
Aliens Held In u. s.
The treatment of these civilians is
covered by no formal international
agreement such as the Geneva Con-
vention, which regulates the care
of military prisoners.
However, after Pearl Harbor all
belligerent governments declared
their intention to apply the princi-
pies, of the Geneva Convention to CT
william prisoners. Among these was
Japan, which had not signed the
agreement but had declared her in
tention to abide by its provisions.
This country has informed as posi-
bly, dangerous aliens some 8, 400 Jap
anese, 1900 Germans and $50 Ital-
ians. In addition, 108, 900 persons Of
japanese ancestry have been placed
in relocation centers. Possibly two
thirds Of these relocated Japa-
nese are American-born and are,
therefore, American citizens.
Before any estimate can be made
of Americans caught abroad in ene-
my territory. the first question is:
What is an Americana"
Let Passports Lapse.
Many Americans abroad had let
their passports lapse. Others had
lived abroad most Of their lives
and never had claimed fully their
American citizenship. Many had
alien families. A few cannot speak
English-for example, an American
born Pole who returned to Poland
as child with his parents. All
these received an opportunity to re-
turn to the United States on officially
chartered evacuation ships in 1910.
In the Philippines there probably
are 4, 200 bona fide Americans.
The state department is proceed
ing on basis approximating the
number Of up-to-date passports and
other documentary evidence of citi-
zenship as of the beginning of the
war. Boiling it down to this qualifi-
cation gives figure of something
fewer than 1000 in Europe.
Relatively few of these are listed
as informed.
State department officials esti-
mate that the total of those who
may have some claim to citizenship,
but which they have not registered or
kept up-to-date, may reach nine or
| ten times this figure.
Through the Swiss government
American funds have been made
available to these Americans for
their livelihood where their own re-
sources are exhausted-witht the ex-
| ception of Manila, where the Swiss
| officials have not yet been able to
relieve the situation, state depart
ment men say.
Soap for All Water
/ A toilet soap suitable for use In
i fv1,,S, A.