The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1950-01-25
You Name the Column


4 AlG ldull ll0o pOAiAt NAiNiNs bib AApAs
to my way of thinking. upon the
small and loyal core of hard-work-
ing people who for the last several
wears have been struggling to keep
the JACL movement going in Seattle.
they may have made mistakes here
and there-but then, who hasn't?
At least they've kept working, try
ng their level best in the face of a
public indifference which has been
o Overwhelming that it almost
caused abandonment of the Seattle
hapter altogether
There are a lot of things wrong
With the JACL, both in the national
1rganization and in the local set-up
ma >hese faults have undoubtedly
lindered the success of the JACL
IN Seattle. The national JACL has
ntagonized many veterans by cham
pioning. with much fanfare and
publicity the cases of renunciants
and other persons who are regarded
y the eX-GIs as having stabbed
them in the back. I confess to
feeling the same way myself - any
person who didn't Fundamentally
upport the war effort as true AM
ricanS should have. isn't worthy of
my sympathy or regard in my opin-
ion. wish the national JACL would
quit wasting sympathy on these less
han-100Pt Americans.
The national organization has
made other mistakes, too, about
which I write and might do so at a
later date. which have affected the
enthusiasm, or lack of it. with which
he JACL is greeted in Seattle. AS
far as the local chapter is concerned,
t has been undeniably handicapped
BY the poor reputation of the pre-
war Seattle chapter in the days be-
ore the war and Immediately follow
ing. Why the prewar record should
De held against the present chapter
composed almost entirely of new
and different members who are striv-
ing not to repeat the mistakes of
their predecessors, is a mystery
which cannot be explained. However,
the feeling undeniably is there, to
the detriment and handicap of the
local organization.
Despite all the mistakes and
Wrong-Way turns of the JACL. how
ever I can't help feeling that there
is no other comparable organization
which. with so little to work with
in the way of money and equipment.
has done and is trying to do so much
or the general welfare of any par
ticular minority group. The positive
achievements of the JACL in pub
licizing the Nisei cause. in working
for the passage of the Evacuation
Claims Act and the eligibility of the
Issei to citizenship and i'm pressing
court tests on the constitutionality
IF legislation adversely affecting both
Nisei and IsSei, compose a record
which is worthy of praise and for
which all U. S. japanese should be
duly grateful. Without such an or
ganization. the full fruits of the
Nisei's war record might not have
been obtained. perhaps for fifty
years from now.
It has been the unfortunate fate
Of the JACL that it is severely cri-
.icized for its mistakes but gets no
credit or thanks for a job we'll done.
I think it's high time that the Nisei
IN Seattle veterans and non-vet-
Grams alike - started pulling to-
2ether in the only organization |
which wants them all, the sole re-
luirement being that of U. S. citi-
It has faults, and lots of |
hem. But to my way of thinking. |
hey are minor compared to the |
JACL record and detectives, and a
OF easier to fix up from the inside
han from the outside.