Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment

              H6214
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD —HOUSE
July 21, 1980
Mr. Speaker, HJt. 5499 will serve not
only to review the situation surrounding Executive Order 8066, but will examine the impact this order had on the
detainees. By creating a Commission
that will formulate, as a preface, questions batting the incident. Including
4he cause, necessity, and en'ecis of the
detainment, ram confident that we will
be able to clear the record. Past commissions have been an important tool in educating the public about particular issues,
and this Commission can do the same,
and hopefully deter a reoccurrence of
similar injustices.
I look forward to passage of this long
overdue legislation, and urge my colleagues to join with me in voting for
the passage of this bill.»
• Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, it has
been nearly 40 years since President
Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, an infamous document which
initiated an ugly episode in our history.
Under this authority, more than 120,000
U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry were
seized and removed to internment camps
with total disregard to due process of law.
Rarely, if ever, have the basic human
and civil rights of so many of our citizens
been so systematically violated. These
Japanese Americans were placed under
control of the military authorities in terribly inadequate housing, with little sanitation and limited health and medical
care.
The ordeal of these Japanese Americans, who were wrongly imprisoned, is
a stain on our national conscience. It
is terribly important that, as a country,
we acknowledge these injustices and reiterate our commitment that they never
be permitted to happen again,
H.R. 5499, which establishes a national
Commission on Civilian Wartime Relocation and Internment, will enable us t"
begin, at least, this crucial task. It will
provide for yearlong public study of the
internment, and will make a full report
to Congress. The Commission will also
examine whether any compensation
should be considered for those who were
interned.
This Commission, therefore, will help
educate the Nation to these events in the,
interest of avoiding their repitition in the
future. This is the least we can provide
for those who suffered such a travesty
of justice. It is long overdue.
I am proud to be consponsor of H.R.
5499, and urge its passage today.*
• Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker,
it is significant that with the passage today of HJE. 5493, the U.S. Congress has
seen fit to recognize the grave injustices
suffered by American citizens interred in
Government-sponsored interment camps
here in the States during World War H.
All of us are aware to varying degrees of
the plight suffered by the Japanese-
Americans during this period of time; all
of us regret these injustices and by our--
votes, hope that the Blue Ribbon Commission will establish evidence that will
go a long way toward insuring that
these injustices will not be suffered again.
Yet, although our knowledge of the
Japanese-American, interments Is universal, many of my colleagues will be sur- -
prised to learn that Aleuts within the
then-Territory of Alaska were submitted
to equal, and in many cases, much worse,
conditions in a relocation that was initiated, and then essentially forgotten by
the VS. Government. To clear up any
questions that remain in the minds of
my colleagues, and to shed light on the
Aleuts' tragic experience during World
War n, I should like to enter into the
Record the following testimony, submitted during hearings on this same legislation earlier this year before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and
Governmental Relations of the Committee on the Judiciary:
Commission on Waetime Relocation Aim
•      INIEEKKIKI   OF   CHILIANS   ACT
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, J appreciate this opportunity to submit a statement on the "Commission on
Wartime Relocation and Internment of
Civilians Act," a bUl which has the support
of our colleagues in the House and has been
approved by the other body on May 22nd.
Mr. Chairman, » great Injustice was suffered by one hundred twenty thousand
American citizens and permanent resident
aliens of Japanese ancestry during World
War n. These citizens, In violation of their
civil rights and human rights were relocated
and detained In Internment camps without
any mUltary Justification. Their condition
has long burdened the conscience of America.
This legislation, which you hear today, will
Initiate an appropriate Inquiry by a "blue
ribbon" Commission, and lead to recommendations for appropriate relief. The Commission will make recommendations to ensure
that no such action Is taken by government
In the f uture.
Although the plight of the Japanese-
Americans Is well known. It Is little known
that a large number of my constituents, the
Native American Aleut people living tn their
ancestral homes on the Aleutian Chain and
the Pribilof Islands, were removed by military orders in June 1942 and detained in
camps in Southeastern Alaska until mid-
1944. -     -
Mr. Chairman, during Senate committee
consideration of this bill. Senator Ted
Stevens offered amendments to expand the
mandate of the Commission to include an
Investigation of the facts surrounding the
removal and Internment of the Aleuts during the war. His amendments were approved
by the committee, and the Senate-passed
bill, containing the Stevens amendments. Is
now berore your subcommittee.
The representatives of the Aleut people,
Mr. Mike Z&harof, from St. Paul Island, and
Mr. Phil Tutiakoff, from Dnalaska, will
testify today about conditions in the camps
and the Injustices suffered by nearly 1,000
Aleut citizens. They will submit for the
record of these proceedings detailed materials
which describe the basis for Aleut relocation
and detention. They will appeal to this subcommittee to include the Aleut experience
in the mandate of the Commission under
this bm. _.-._-   ;.
Mr. Chairman, Japanese war messages'Intercepted In April 1942 indicated that an attack would be made on the Aleutian Islands,
probably sometime in early June. On June 2,
a part of the enemy force was sighted approximately 400 miles south of Kiska Ir.ls.rjd
by a U.S. .Navy plane. Early on June 3, the
Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor (Dnalaska).
The Navy facilities there, and the army's
Port Mears were again bombed on June 4.
And at 1:00 a.m. on June 8,1942. units of the
Imperial Japanese Army made an unopposed
landing at Holts Bay, on Attu Island. Kiska
Island was subsequently occupied by the
Japanese as weU.
These events Initiated the chain which led
to the removal and the internment of the
AleuA. people. Local military commanders decided to clear the islands of the Native
Americans living there. On Atka. the crew of
the US£. Gillis destroyed the village by fire,
and the Aleuts were evacuated by aircraft.
The TJ.S^. Huloert, operating In Nazan Bay,.
evacuated about 60 Aleut*. These events oo-
cured on June 12. And on June 16, the evacuation of the Pribilof Islands was acoom-
piiihed iy an Army transport, the S£.
Delarof. On St. George, the cattle were shot;
they were returned to the wild on £t. Paul.
The people were permitted to take very few
possessions. When the Delarof sailed, the authorities had not yet decided where to land
the Aleuts.
Although the Initial decision to evacuate
the Islands was not malicious, the following
two years were a living nightmare for my
constituents. They ultimately were Interned
In abandoned fish canneries and fishmeal
plants, and In an abandoned gold mine in.
Southeastern Alaska. They were not provided
with adequate tbelter, medical supplies, or
other facilities and equipment necessary to
maintain health and life. There were epidemics of disease in the camps. Many citizens
died from exposure and lack of medical care
. They were neglected and nearly  foreotten
Military censorship was Invoked to ensure
that the outside world knew nothing of the
conditions under which the Aleuts were kept.
The able bodied men were removed from the
largest camps, at Punter Bay on Admiralty
Island, for work details back on the Pribilof
Islands, from whence they came. But the
old men, the women and children, were kept
in the camps unable to care for themselves.
Wholesale disease and death was the result.
Mr. Chairman, soon after the evacuation
It became apparent the Japanese had abandoned any plans for occupation of the Aleutian Chain. There was no military necessity
for kerr-ing Aleut civilians, or other civilians.
from returning to their homes. Of course,
only the Aleuts and some Interior Department employees had been evacuated. The
non-Native civilian population In the Dutch
Harbor-TJnalaska area was permitted to remain, while the Native Aleut population was
kept segregated in the camps.
The wanton disregard for the health and
welfare of the Aleut civilians, for a two year
period in the government camps. Is a disgrace and is well documented in materials
assembled from the TJ.S. archives "by the
Aleutian/PribUof Islands. Association, the
legally-recognized representative of the Aleut
people. The segregation of this race of people, while others bad accers to their homes,
was a denial of civil rights and due.process.
There has been no compensation for the
massive losses suffered by the Aleut people
during those tragic times.
Mr. Chairman, I urge your subcommittee
to approve the language contained In the
Sencte-passed bin which includes the Aleut
experience as a basis for Commission review
and action. I urge you to report the Senate-
passed bill so that this Commission can be
established, and begin work, at the earliest"
possible time.
Only after a full disclosure, on the public
record, of the injustices suffered by the Japanese-Americans and the Aleuts, can this
Nation determine the proper remedies and
ensure that similar racially-motivated official
actions do not agate occur.
Thank you. Mr. Chairman*
GENERAL  LEAVE ,
Mr. DANIELSON. Mr. Speaker. I ask
unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which
to revise and extend their remarks on
the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there
objection to the request of the gentleman from California?