The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1948-03-13
FIGHTS SEIZURE
OF ALIENS LAND
FOR WAR CLAIMS

"AOAAAAN1 O4Nt -. ~, N1dl Cll 10
The japanese American Citizens
Leagues objections to H. r. 4044, a
bill which would permit the liqui-
dalton of vested japanese and Ger
man assets in this country and use
the proceeds to satisfy the pay
nent of claims of civilian war vic
tins who suffered at enemy hands,
were filed this week with Senate
subcommittee studying the legisla-
ton. Under provisions of this
House-appoved measure no COM
pensation would be returned to the
original owners of impounded pro-
perry, now held by the Office of
Alien Property.
The JACL's position on this bill
was made in a statement which the
Washington office of the JACL
Anti discrimination Committee sub
mitted to Judiciary subcommittee
on claims legislation, headed by
Senator John S. Cooper, Republican
of Kentucky. While agreeing in
principle with legislation designed
to compensate American prisoners
of war for their losses and suffer-
ing the statement protested against
Section 80 of the bill, which would
deprive American citizens and aliens
of japanese ancestry of their pro-
perty without compensation or due
process of law.
1t was brought out that this le-
gislatiOn would particularly af-
feet the Japanese alien for, unlike
the German alien, he may not be-
come naturaliZed. The law-abid-
ing Japanese national through
no fault of his own was arbi-
trarily classified as an enemy
alien" since he technically owed
allegiance to Japan. Neverthe-
less, it was added, many a Japa-
nse alien has demonstrated his
innate Americanism by cOntribut-
ing son or daughter to the U.
S. armed forces in the war against
his native land or by volunteer
ing his services to the military
agencies of this Government.
Emphasizing that H. R. 4O44
would penalize Japanese nationals
whose loyalty to the United States
is unquestioned and would be incon-
sistent with democratic principles of
fair play and justice the statement
noted that under this bill regardless
of the validity of their claims the
japanese would not be able to re-
cover their prcperty. 1t said that
passage OF such legislation would
automatically rule out every re-
course they have to regain their
lawful holdings.
According to the JACL statement,
hundreds of American citizens of
Japanese ancestry many of whom
served in the U. S. armed force, also
have outstanding claims against the
Office of Alien Property. But their
claims would be jeopardized by this
legislation. A case of decorated
Nisei sergeant who served on Ad-
miral Nimitz's intelligenc a f
who has filed a claim with DAP for
the return of his property was cited
as an illustration.
I'VE believe that these American
citizens, too, should have the right
to proper adjudication of their
claims and that Congress should
not by legislation preclude possible
recovery of their legal interests
due process of law or COM
the statement read,
Thus, in endorsing the princi-
pie Of indemnifying our fellow
Americans who were the victims
of fascist aggression in foreign
land, may we respectfully sug-
gest that appropriate safeguards
be written into the law to protect
the legitimate interests of Japa-
nese nationals and their citizen
children who earned by their ac-
tons the right to fair treatment
and consideration"
The Senate subcommittee closed
its hearings on H. R. 4044 Tuesday
night The bill has been attacked
by its critics as revolutionary de-
parture from the historic American
policy of returning impoilnded pro-
perty to its original owners at the
end of hostilities. About $4,000, 900
worth of Japanese property have
been vested by the U. S. Govern
ment since the war.
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