davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
Would Name Highway
After Mart, Great
Cuban RcvO|utiOniSt
MOVEMENT STARTED TO
HONOR PATRIOT BE-
FORE MARTI WEEK
CELEBRATION

A movement to establish a
street in Key West that will be
named after Jose Marti, the great
Cuban figure in Cuba's fight for
independence. was launched here
today.
1t is hoped by the sponsors of
the movement to have street
named after Marti in time for the
celebration of the anniversary of
the death of Marti from April 6
to IL.
in all other parts of Latin
America, streets have been named
after Marti," said Martin Lliraldi.
Cuban consul here. "And since
Key West is known as the cradle
of Cuban independence it would
be fitting for this city to name a
street after the great patriot"
II was suggested that Front
street might very well be named
after MART, since the name Front
means nothing except in locating
the street bearing that name.
In celebration. of Marti Week,
il is planned TO invite the ambas-
sailors of all Latin-Amcrican
countries, the president of Cuba,
the mayor of Havana and all 9TH
er officials of other countries that
might be interested in the affair.
The Cuban Navy will be asked
to send ships and men to Key
West to join with units of the
American Navy forces in putting
on series of exercises here.
1t Is expected the city will take
on festive appearance for the
Marti Week celebration. Com
mittees are being formed by the
Cuban consurs office and by
leaders of the Cuban American
people of the city to enlist sup
port to the programs.
Colorful teams of Cuban dane
ers and acrobatS are expected to
take part in the ceremonies. b,
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
Democrats
Take Fling Al
Republicans

AMitfMt8ENM. Match q --
~. faanatnttt National Com
aats saa.k q nina ~ the COP
sf
"A mtAamnan riara0d thc RS
afan e. aHh "taflna thr ma
m - ass thssash tite charge
ga niiffa uthcr Than o.
mf shf nenuillean iradrf-
Ne Haa aanasfwslt.
"a henam saad iufthei
Ns flm Helaia tn s"a3iea
49, lna an aiiri aatt-
f tts nabiir dsslii and
e sf8sma tn had thr unitcd
ga a. hA asta .aeiaiiun
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
Man Arresied For
Fort Myers I'olise

Albert CoWing 81 ~ Mkrfs
was arrested last night si Me-
thon 10y Deputy Sheriff - ~
Andrew on charge Il uCgistt,ig
minor children.
A Capias was ISSUED tn iFf
County for the arrest "a Cos zee
and hc will be taken 81 ~ N.Y.
Ia stand TRIAL as suan as ufiiCr.
arrive here 10 get ham
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
Picks Up 2 Bows
AT Pirates Cove

Two i4-yoar-old boys weft af
rested last night BY Siaie hlgh
way Patrolman wsrrcn Batrmsn
on charges Of running swag ifgsn
their Miami nouea hateWan
said he had picked up Juhn fuE
and William Oakcs. hsath ~ af
Pirates Cove The bsys sfr &c.
ing held al County Jsil Sos sac
coming here If Ds,sle uouniF aa
thoritics. The busa ssy thrF fsr
away from schopl un ftisiat asa
came b. Key West
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
Lee Hills Guest
Speaker Al Rotary
"Ann Night" Here

Lee Hills. managing editor
81 The Miami Herald. will be
the guest speaker n the Key
West Rotary Clubs annual
Ann Night" 10 be observed
Thursday night a T,3o o'clock
81 Ia Casa Marina. President
Earl Adams announced to-
dap.
Hills recently received ma
tionwide prominence when
ne was given an outstanding
journalistic award for his pro.
motion Of goodwill between
NoTth and South America
through his work as managing
editor Of the Herald. ,..
notaFians In charge Of the
program are Horace o'BrYant.
Sebastian Cabrera. Jerry J.
TFeveF and Robert II. Dopp.
There will be no Rotary
lunchsoa meeting this week.
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-03-04
FIorisla Rer0keS
IlrireTS Licenses

FAwMla rrtwkRa approximately
Aaa aaatr dIttr iiccHst'a i"i
s.aaknn dliting dufiug January
Al.ls a,ahu as pairllman Warren
naseman rrpsatud to-day.
Fl4ta arrr thFrr MunrsT com
a. arisets whs issi thciF Licenses
ga gAa ehafar naleWlan said !"
asa hk thciF iurnsee VIII iahe
slsast = trar IN some eases I"
mae g. innnpg than year' Bate
aaMm atd
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23

trustees was to manage the pro-
perty mostly in grapes and re-
NIT the profits over and above ex-
penses and compensation for him.
self. Prices skyrocketed. The pro-
duce of the farms crossed over a
million and a half dollars. But
many expenses at fancy figures
were recorded to diminish the sum.
Alleged repairs to the property were
charged but never made. The
trustees got five thousand each a
year for doing little or nothing.
Picking baskets which the Japa-
nose had been forced to sell at two
cents each when they evacuated
were rented back to them at two
and-a-half cents a year. The ow-
ners finally received ten per cent
of the gross. They did not COM
plain. They wanted to return to
their homes, and they were fear
full that if they demanded their
rights, the community would turn
against them.
Meanwhile, their personal be-
longings were pilfered right and
left. The church was broken into
and rsnsacked of goods they had
stored there. The tenants who
moved into their houses walked
off with radios, refrigertors, and
furniture before the evacuees could
return. For the Nisei we're virtually
informed by the government. pro-
hibited by military exclusion Or
der from returning to the Coast
For years they did not know what
was happening to their property.
Many of them remarked in won
der how it was not professional
crooks, but the best people" who
committed many of these mean and
squalid acts while they were pc.
werless to defend themselves. Nc
wonder, they say, California didn't
want them back.
One man with a bit of a con.
science remaining jumped off the
I roof of an apartment building, the
income from which he had spent
thus taking the easiest way out
when he learned that the Nisei
who had trusted him was return
ing to claim his own the following
day.
A Nisei farmer near MADEIRA
leased twenty acres to an Italian
enemy alien at five hundred dollars
year. (Those of Italian descent
were accounted less dangerous than
American citizens Of Jaanese an
cestry by the race-prej JUDGED Army
command) Prices jumped. The
Italian made fifteen thousand dol
Oars net in 1914 1t is quite I'M
derstandable that he should re-
mark, as he did publicly, that he
hoped the owner, then fighting in
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
Europe, would oe killed.

Europe, would oe killed.
Up in Placer County the Japa-
nose were fruit growers. They
knew trees and loved them. At
evacuation they had to lease them
to the Caucasian growers who in
turn put then in the charge of out
of-state farmers with no experience
and little pride. The trees grew
sicker every year. Two more years
and the orchards would have been
ruined. As 1t is. many trees have
had to be pulled out. Out of the
first Nisei to return to his farm,
a veteran, dug right in and began
to improve the orchards on which,
after all, the welfare of the region
depends. One night his house
was burned down.
A family near Palo Alto had in
the course of years built up a bus
mess in fine chrysanthemums. The
business prospered. The family
lived in a large colonial style house;
the children all went to college.
At execution, in order to preserve
! the irreplaceable roots of their
unique varieties, they turned them
over to the county agricultural a
| gent after making sure that they
had survived the transplanting
-Four years later they came home
J When they went to get the roots
they were told, abruptly, that
they hadn't lived. But they feel
fortunate compared with some OF
their friends. for they still have
their house.
A certain American Legion COM
mander whose name is in my notes
"befriended" many Nisei at evacu-
alton, was given unrestricted po-
wer of attorney for them, sold their
! property right and left, and just
kept the money. The men who were
robbed refused to file suits. They
feel there Is no justice for them in
the California courts.
A woman left in charge of the
belongings of eighty families stor.
ed in a Buddhist temple allowed
her agents" to remove the goods
in truckloads. When the police
inquired she proved power of at
torney. BY the time the power
could be revoked, nothing but rub
bish was left. At least the police
in this case took an interest. In
many areas they never seemed able
to locate any of the thieves or ar
sonists and were apathetic to the
whole matter when pressed by War
/ Relocation Authority officials.
The owner of a nursery and some
beach lots, with only three days to
evacuate, left the property and a
thousand dollars in cash with a
church friend. The cash was to
keep up payments on the property
On his return, he found the prop
erty all lost, the cash used by the
friend" to get divorce, and the
friend" vanished.
The owner of a prosperous pro-
duce business in Los Angeles left
it in the care of an employee, re-
questing monthly payment of a
hundred dollars and promising to
make the man a partner on his
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23

of forming little Tokyos, which at
this moment is operating on COM
Portable slush fund provided by the
state legislature to examine and
rigidly prosecute possible infringe
ment of the alien land laws. This
latter step has already resulted in
seizing as forfeit to the state
number of farms operatedby AM
erican veterans because they were
purchased in their names by alien
parents long ago.
Three remedies, If vigorously
pressed. may yet make some reeo-
very for the forces of decent Am
orleans principles against the seep-
age of greed masking under the
guise of racism.
/. Enactment of a law to give
citizenship to those resident ia
panese aliens who desire it and
who can prove a sincere interest.
Inflicting the stigma of being in
eligible to citizenship on any peo-
pie was poor Amercanism from Tine
beginning. Now it is imposing
needless hardship upon persons
whose lifetime of constructive Ia
Dor in this country was wiped out
by evacuation. THE Oldest have
borne most" Such legislation
would lop off the alien land laws,
thus destroying the legal basis on
which American veterans of ia
panese ancestry are now being rob-
bed of the means of livelihood their
arents' labors had provided for
them.
2. Enactment of a law such as
came before Congress in the last
session IS. 2127 and H.R. 6780
to give reparation to all those who
suffered from the evacuation. This
law restricts payment to actual
losses of real or personal property.
i 3. Continuation and strength
ening of the citizens committees
which in California and elsewhere
have gathered together the forces
of decency and fair play to COM
bat the well-financed and we'll
organized minority of special in
terests who seek to establish on
the West Coast the fascist racism
we have been fighting abroad.
There is more at issue here than
protecting the rights of the Japa-
nese American minority. There is
the question of our integrity as a
nation, the question whether we
can pluck out the moat that is in
our own eye, whether we can put
into practice the principles we
profess.
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
Wapato NiSei
Whip Sawyer


WAPATO, May 23-Smashmg l6
hits and taking advantage of the
wild pitches and errors by the OPP
posing team. the Wapato Nisei
defeated Sawyer 1913 in the second
game of the Mt. Adams league
last Sunday.
Leading the hittcrs were Jimmy
Umemoto and Shiz Kondo with
three hits apiece. Kay Inaba, Wa
alto hurler, allowed only 7 hits
throughout the game with Jimmy
Umemoto nd Tosh Umemoto catch
ing The battery for Sawyer con-
sisted of Nash and Sutton, pitch
ers; and Jack and Dub, catchers
Wapato will tangle with Harrah
the other indicated team of the
league next Sunday at the Harrah
field.
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
The Great American SWlndle i. +.

return. This friend was clever. He
asked for, and received, a letter
stating that the Nisei was no longer
owner, in order, as he said. to con-
vince customers it was all right to
deal with him in wartime. AS a
result Of the imitation of produce
prices. this man, formerly hoist
err of boxes. is wealthy, and the
rightful owner robbed.
These are not exceptional cases.
They are typical-neither the best
nor the worst, To get some idea of
the magnitude of the swindle 1t
would be necessary to multiply
them by thousands.
True. the War Relocation Au-
thority tried to protect the eva
cuees and did some good. But
what 1t could do was pitifully lit
tie. A man who knows hundreds
of these cases says that less than
five per cent of the 10000 evacuees
came off all right" He considers
that he himself came off all right:
he lost his business prospecting
store, and some furniture.
Yet all this loss does not tell the
whole story-and we are dealing
here only with physical losses, not
with the psychic injuries, the ef-
fects of incarceration, the loss OF
self-reliance, and all the ills fol-
lowing upon deprivation of liberties
There is the continued underground
resistance to the Nisei in Califor-
MIA even though only half of them
are returning there, even though
they are now SO small a minority
as to make campaign against
them ridiculous, even though the,
have fought nobly, endured great
ly, suffered losses silently. Fol
example:
A Nisei farmer returned to hi
1
place near Venice, California. H,
wasn't sure the market would &C
cept his stuff, so he went ano
asked. Sure, they said. we'll TAXI
1t. Bring it around. So he plant
ed his celery. spending the last o
his dwindling savings. When tn,
crop matured and he went to sc,
about selling T., the answer wa
No, we can't take 1t. BY lettinl
him grow it before refusing it the.
hoped to wipe him out for good
A courageous WRA official decided
to try a bluff. He loaded the eel
cry into government cars and drov,
it to the market where, confronted
with governmental authority, tn
opposition gave in.
But this is only small item il
the bigger picture of discrimination
which refuses to employ Nisei il
jobs suited to their training, which
restricts the places where they ma!
own houses and then accuses then
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23

Men judge us by the success of
our efforts. God looks at the
efforts Observation-Disclosures E.
lizabeth.
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
classified Ads


GIRL WANTED for general house
work. No cooking. Private
room. Good salary. PR. I425.
AOUSEMAID for general house
work and cooking. 2 adults.
Apt. First Hill. Private room
and bath. Ell. 1891.
GIRL for general housework In
Broadmoor. 3 children. Two
rooms. Wages open. Please
call on Thursday. CA. 8159.
TWO GIRLS to assist in house,
work. Live in. Private room
and bath. Room and board
plus $500 a month. No cook
ing or washing. 1/2 days off
week. PR. 6S52.
GIRL 10 work during summer. No
laundry. No cooking. Private
room and bath. 3 adults.
Ke S222.
COMPLETE, excellent, almost-new
restaurant equipment for sale.
Fermica table and fountain top,
double booths. upholstered seats,
refrigerated pie case. 626 N.
Oallow, Bremerton. Phone us.
FOR SALE BY OWNER. 50-room
hotel building. Furniture and
ground. Taxes $3.50 year.
Newly rcdecorated and furnish
ed. Net profit 500 a month.
Full price S36.5OO Iadown. Bal
ance small payments. Royal
Hotel.
401 5th Ave.
Seattle Wash.
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23

Quietly endured by a group of
American citizens and some of
their alien parents, one. Of the
greatest -swindles in Americas
boisterous history has been going
on under our noses. Not widely
known except TO government Of
ficials, the swindlers, and their
victims, the extent and number Of
the crimes can scarcely be esti-
mated as yet, even though they be-
gan four years ago. And they are
not even being prosecuted.
The opportunity for this mass
swindle was given by what Pro-
fessOr Rostow of Yale has called
our worst wartime mistake, the
evacuation Of Japanese ancestry
from the West Coast. This move
ment, encouraged and perhaps orr
ginated by pressure groups who had
most TO gain from II, was not even
suggested at the time Of the at
tack on Pearl Harber. was not re-
commended by the Pacific Coast
Congressional delegation until more
than two months thereafter, and
was actually carried cut only after
the Battle Of Midway. when any
presumed danger TO the cast had
been thoroughly dispersed. So
much for the justification of what
followed.
Most of the Nisci up until the
last minute refused to believe that
their citizenship would be ignored
and that they would be evacuated
along with alien parents. Then
they thought the removal would be
only for a few weeks, until the
crisis had passed. Finally, forced
by sudden evacuation orders to
dispose quickly of their goods, since
they were allowed to take with
them only what they could carry,
they disposed of their personal
property for a mere fraction Of its
value. Secondhand dealers and
plain opportunists swarmed into the
areas where Japanese A mericans
lived, forced their way into homes,
and grabbed what they wanted.
New electric refrigerators were sold
for five dollars, dining room suites
for ten. Many preferred to give
their property to neighbors rather
than to accept such humiliating
terms. Thoce who decided to store
their goods generally depended up
on the charity of neighbors. Some
simply boarded up their homes, OF
rented them furnished, or locked
their goods up In Buddhist temples
or Christin churches. A few heard
of the governments facilities and
used them.
Those who owned larger proper
ties such as hotels, apartmenes
business blocks, or farms had to
make the best arrangements they
could at a time Of confusion when
many properties were suddenly pla-
ced on the market Most of them
made these arrangements with sup
posed friends or reputable agents
in the community. Many signed
broad powers Of attorney.
Then Athe Japanese daparted-not
for a few weeks, but for four years
Some of them never came back
They resettled in the East and Mid
die West, or they died ON battle
fields in Europe fighting for the
rights and liberties they believed
in.
To find out what was happening
to their property I made two trips
through California, one in 1913, the
other in the spring of 1916. I
talked TO government officials, eau
II
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
BY BRADFORD SMITH

EDITORS note: During the war; Bradford
Smith was Chief of the Central Pacific Division
Of the OWL Coffee of War Information). A
Guggenheim Fellow he is now at work on the
japanese Americans for the Peoples of Amer-
ca series to be published by Lppincott under the
general editorship of Louis Adamic. His story,
Case History appeared in the summer 1916
issue of Common Ground.)
Reprinted from Common Ground, winter, 1917
issue.
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23

enforcement officers. lawyers, pub
lie spirited citizens, and of course
to the Issei and Nisei themselves.
I filled a notebook with such cases
as follow, and I have the word of
reputable witnesses for every fact
which was not able to verify with
my own eyes.
The majority of the people TO
whom the Japanese entrusted their
property felt pretty sure they would
never return to the West Coast.
Many contributed to campaigns to
deport all Americans of Japa-
nese ancestry and. meanwhile simp-
ly appropriated the property in
their hands. Not all of them, of
course. There were many honest
citizens who took meticulous care
of the property entrusted to them
who accounted for every penny
involved, and Common Ground
readers will know of many such
individual cases of real friendship.
But from my own rather extended
tour, I would say that of the ia
panese Americans who had any
thing to lose, 95 per cent suffered
loss. Those who had little to lose
made out worst of all, for their
bit of leased land meant life.
Their savings wiped out by eva
cuation, they had nothing to start
again with. The letter of the Sc
ceretary of the Interior to Congress
requesting legislation for adjudi-
eating claims says, 1T is too early
as yet to make a final estimate
of actual financial and property
losses sustained by the Japanese
Americans because of the evacua-
ton, but it is well established that
the losses have been heavy. Some
lost everything they had; many
lost most of what they had"
This is the kind of thing that
happened:
A Nisei left his car, some farm
implements and a radio with a
Caucasian neighbor. When he re-
allied tht the evacuation would
stick for a while, he asked the
neighbor to sell his car, which had
a book value of $500. This the
neighbor did-for $475, after keep
ing the tires for himself. He then
wrote the evacuee saying that his
wife wanted some furniture and
that he would like to use the $475
for this, adding that If he had a
debt it would help him to avoid the
draft. When the evacuee declined
this deal his friend" charged him
$25 for selling the car, $50 for ira
vel allegedly involved. $40 for his
time. and other items for expenses
When the evacuee tried to get his
radio back, he was told that he
had given" it to the family, and
that If he wanted it back he would
have to pay storage charges of $50!
Losses ran into five figures when
commercial property was involved.
The lessees of a business building
in Los Angeles, for instance, had
put $4,000 into a property under
long term lease. At evacuation
they had to forfeit the entire a
mount before the lessor would
cancel the lease.
The Livingston, California. area
was wasteland when the japanese
came there some forty years ago.
They made it a land of vineyards
and orchards. When they went
away, most of them turned their
affairs over to a. single contractor,
a Caucasian big shot" of the COM
munity, who together with three
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Rates and Information
accepted w Times office, 217 Fifth
Avenue South, Seattle 4, Wash
The N w Times the right reject revise ad
veftisement.
your ad appears Incorrectly notify the N. w. Times
meiacy accepts responsibility for only Incorrect
insertion
The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-05-23
Houses
Businesses
fOrSale
HOME-INCOME-ACRE

HOME-INCOME-ACRE
= room frame, bsmt. $40 mo.
income from upstairs rooms.
4 rooms down for owner.
Full acre level black loan.
Inside city on bus line. Only
5000 full price. Terms
S3,2O0-FULL PRICE
2 bedrooms, living room, din
ing room, kitchen, baths and
bsmt. Auto H.W. Furnitures
An property improvements.
$1,000 cash $50 mo. Near list
hi.
HOME AND INCOME
Positively 14fs net 6 units
apis. home fully furnished
plus owners apt. Auto heat,
fan bsmt. Net $1,000. $4,000
fpn price. $500 handles.
REALTY &C
James Matsuoka, Mgr.
65S jackson Ma. 1922
Evening star., 1947-06-11

fetal said consumption this year
has been at rate below this coun-
try's ALLEGATION.
He said he did not know why.
There has been speculation how
ever, that some householders kept
large stocks of sugar on hand and
are now using these in anticipation
of an early end to rationing.
Whatever the reason, the official
said supplies available for the last
half of the year will be at the an
nual rate of 10000 tons. Hence
he added, there appears to be lit
tie If any need to continue ration
ing.
Authority for sugar rationing is
scheduled to expire October 81
However, the House Banking Com
mittee approved a bill yesterday
which would end household ration
ing the day the measure became
law.
Early House approval has been
forecast, but no action has been
taken in the Senate.
1t is possible the Agriculture De-
partment will take the lid off sugar
buying for home use before the bill
can be sent to President Truman.
The Food Council reported that
world supplies available for dis
tribution this year under it's cons
troll total 15,340, 900. tons compared
with 14,986,0o0 tons indicated in
February. This Is being divided
among "a consuming nations.