The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1951-06-27
The N. W. Times Mailbag

other drives involving those of ia
panese ancestry. We also pointed
out: IF the Japanese merchants
are reluctant and shy about none
tary support towards the festival,
TT rs NOT THAT THEY DO NOT
WISH TO COOPERATE in an area
matter but rather that they cannot
afford It,"
It is amusing. to say the least,
that the committee accuses us of
taking pot shot" at the festival
when we were merely discussing the
ability OF the Japanese to support
the festival financially.
The committee, it saddens us. has
misfired, and we have come to the
conclusion that 1t (the comInittee)
is rotten shot,
And please don't hand us the
line about I'VE also resent. as unjust
and unfair. your statements that
the Japanese community could not
conceivably be interested in sup
porting anything from which they
would not receive direct financial
benefits. Don't garble up our
editorial and put words to suit your
taste. The I'VE resent" is way off
It's mark: 1t is common knowledge
that the Japanese have always done
more than their share in communi-
ty-wide Embarrassing campaigns.
The committee claims that the
editorial "at best, can serve no use-
full purpose, and "at worst
can only make thankless job more
difficult for the people who have
spent, and will spend, great many
hours-without any personal re-im-
bursement-trying to make the Fes-
tival success. That is a lot OF
blarney.
In the first place, the editorial, at
best, to borrow their words, served
this useful purpose: the editorial
aroused the committee into declar-
ing that 1t is trying to do some
thing constructive. We are trying
to provide an incentive to create the
clean, safe look, and healthy
wholesome atmosphere you men,
ton. And the editorial also coaxed
the committee into deploring "the
unsightly conditions of some streets
the humdrum appearance of our
buildings, the scarcity of unusual
and distinctive restaurants, the fact
that there Is no place in this dis
trict to buy Japanese curios and
objects dart. The committee miss
es another point here: We suggest
ed clearing the area of "a1l its I'M
desirable elements, Is made inviting
enough to outsiders without fear OF
one sort or another, and is relieved
of policemen (bless themD walking
in pairs to frisk every suspicious
character. Remember? And we
don't especially mean any special
group either.
In the second place, the editorial,
at worst, to borrow their words
again, should spur the committee
workers on to greater heights. They
should not take pity upon them
selves by crying that 1t is a thank
less job because they have spent and
will be spending "a great many
hours trying to make the Festival
a success" Wen skip that phrase
without any personal reimburse
ment"; it might be embarrassing to
some.
We'll ignore that idle but cute re-
mark about reckoning with "des-
tructive and fata1istic press.
we had expected better things OF
you. But we'd say that we were
profoundly disappointed that the
committee, consisting of fifteen per-
sons, couldn't write a sensible
letter; frankly. we also had expected
better things of you Gall fifteen).
It's great life If you don't weak
en-, isn't 1t?