The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1954-02-24
ATTORNEY General
OkS Standardization
Of Men Applicants

Am %fsI'A"sSiseC
WASHINGTON. D c. Feb "a
tJACLl-The Attorney General has
instructed the Immigration and Ma
tTalization Service to proceed with
the naturalization of ISSei male ap-
plicants whose citizenship has been
held up pending Qualification of
their World War I draft status
Congressman Francis f. WalterdD
Pa informed the Washington Of
flee of the Japanese American Citi-
zens League this week
In hailing this victory over tech
nicality and legalisms, Mike Masao-
ka, Washington JACL representa-
tive paid tribute to Congressman
Walter, co-authOr of the legislation
that extended for the first time ma
turalization privileges to resident
alien Japanese for his leaderhip in
this matter.
MaSaoka recalled that following
the decision of Federal District
Judge Louis f. Goodman of San
Francisco in the naturalization case
of Kazuichi Tsuji he called on Con-
gresham Walter and explained
that thousands of ISsei male appli-
cantS for citizenship were being
| held up pending final Qualification
of their World War | draft status
On behalf of the JACL. Masaoka
! asked Congressman Walter to in
tervene with the Attorney General
to request that no appeal be taken
| in this decision and that general
application of Judge Goodmans
sweeping opinion be ordered by the
! Immigration and Naturalization
| Service
! Early, in January Congressman
Walter persuaded Chairman Reed
of the Judiciary committee to ad-
dress a letter to the Attorney Gen
eral stating that the Goodman de-
cision correctly interpreted con-
gressional intent regarding both
Section 315 of the 1852 immigration
and Nationality Act and the 1910
and l948 Selective Service Acts
The reasoning set forth by
Judge Goodman on pages seven
through ten, inclusive of his deci-
sion seems to us irrefutable and We
ry convincing. Chairman Reed
wrote the Attorney General
In the letter Just received by
Chairman Reed, Attorney General
BrOwnell wrote: II have reviewed
this case and have come To the con-
clusion that an appeal should not
be taken from Judge Goodman's de-
cisiOn I agree with the cOnclu-
SiOns reached by Judge Goodman
especially in view of the decisions
of the United States supreme Court
in McGrath V. Kristensen, $40 Us
l62 and MOser United States 341
Us Al 1 have notified the Immi-
grafton and NATURALIZATION Service
to discontinue the opposition To pc
titiOns for naturalization Of non
declarant aliens who were exempt
ed from service under the 1917 and
1918 acts if the only grounds for
opposition is an alleged application
for exemption from military service
during World War l."
Mas Yonemura of Oakland, Victor
Abe Of San Francisco and Wayne
Kanemoto OF San Jose we're the Nj
sci attorneys who as a public ser
vice. represented Tsuji in this his
toric matter Edward Ennis OF
New York City. counsel for the Wa
shington JACL office also partici-
pated in the arguments as a friend
Of the court.
Masaoka declared that JACL's IN
sistence that Congress intended Il
extend naturalization privileges Il
all resident japanese aliens with.
out technical barriers being lmpos
ed has been indicated He ex
pressed the hope that the Natura
lization Service would now expedite
the final processing of the thou
sands OF cases that have been helt
up on this technicality
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