The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1949-12-24
He Lacked Proof
In Writing But He
Got His Claim


A Los Angeles Issei Tokuji Toki-
masa. 81. was the recipient of the
first payment of an award on an
evacuation claim, made on December
Is, at ceremonies arranged by the
Los Angeles claims field office and
the JACL. it was announced by the
Southern California JACL Office.
A government check for S3O3.36
was presented to Tokimasa by
William III. Jacobs, acting head OF
the claims division field office Of
the Department Of Justice. Toki-
masa's claim for $322.89, cover
ing mostly his office equipment
and a number Of books, was filed
on February rs, 1919. The govern
ment attorney assigned to his
claim was John Ossea, Jr.
A graduate of the law school at
Southwestern University and Ii
censed real estate broker Tokimasa
was evacuated to Heart Mountain.
He taught at the Naval language
school at Boulder, Colorado, and
later at Saltwater, Oklahoma. and
received a letter of commentator
from the Navy Department.
TokimaSa, whose address is 1855
East First Street. in describing his
claim, said, Rather than sell my
office equipment at a ridiculous
price, abandoned most of it," He
explained that he had no written
proof for much of his claim nor did
he file any affidavit although a wit
ness appeared on his behalf when
hearings on his claim, where he re-
presented himself, were held. He in
dictated complete satisfaction with
the award.
In statement to Tokimasa, which
was also released to the Japanese
and American press at the ceremony,
Jacobs said:
"Mr. Tokuji Tokimasa:
"It gives me great pleasure TO
present to you the very first check
paid to a person of japanese an
cestry under the Act of July z,
1948 for losses sustained by you
by reason of your evacuation from
your home and business.
THE claim which you made
was small in amount, which ex-
plains why this check is small.
OF your claim for $322.89, the Gov
eminent has seen fit to award
you $3O3.36. That indicates that
your valuation of your losses was
fair and reasonable, and the award
is practically in the same amount
as claimed by you. This check
alone is not SO very important In
and of itself, but insofar as it in
dicates that the Government has
completed its machinery to adju-
dictate these claims, is important.
From this time on, there will be
steady stream of checks to people
of japanese ancestry until the
last claimant is paid for the losses
which he claims under the Act.
THE Act does not contemplate
that the full losses of people OF
your ancestry will be paid, and
many types of losses are not in
cludcd within the type Of loss
which can be paid under this Act.
However, this is an important
event because It represents an
acknowledgment by the people OF
this country of the hardships
which people of your ancestry
alone were compelled to suffer.
The conduct of the japanese peO-
pie during their evacuation and
during the entire period of the
war is now well known to the peo-
pie of this country and is such
that all people of your ancestry
can always be proud. The citizen
japanese proved themselves to be
trustworthy and loyal citizens Of
this country. No men fought
harder for this country than the
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