Granada Pioneer, Vol. II, No. 11

              Page 2______________PIONEER________________December 4, 1943
______________GRANADA       PIONEER___________________________
   Published  Wednesdays and  Saturdays  by the WRA and
distributed   free     to    each apartment.     Editorial of-
fice:     PIONEER building,  Amache  Colorado.
Telephone:     63                                     Editor:   Sueo Sako
   Staff: John Tsuruta, Allan Asakawa, Henry Kusaba,
Roy Yoshida, George Hamamoto, Jim Otsuka, Jim Otsuki,
Dick Kurihara, Amy Minabe, Ailene Hamamoto., Jack Ki-
mura, Tad Fujii, Roy Murakami,James Sakamoto, Yayeko
Morita,  George  Morita,   Bob Miyoshi,  Harry Ioka,   Jack
Ito.______________________________________________________________
    Your  Friend   And   Mine
A day doesn't pass that we, nisei, can't thumb
through national newspapers or magazines without find-
ing an article of encouragement for us. It either
deals with the fine impression the relocatees are mak-
ing or our fighting brothers across in the mountains
of Italy.
    The Minneapolis Tribune of Oct. 24 carried a letter
to the editor written by John Gale of Craver, Minn.
which typifies some of the real tribute paid to us
nisei.
   It said:
"I read with resentment of the growing criticism of
American citizens of Japanese descent. No doubt many
of these people are better and more loyal citizens
than the instigators of the "kill the Japs" policy.
   "I am of German descent, along with a good many
other Americans, and I don’t think it very likely that
I shall have a knife run through my back.
   "Perhaps these "patriots" on the West coast don’t
realize that the number of American servicemen of Jap
ancestry runs into quite a few digits.
    "I have the pleasure of knowing several Japanese-
Americans, and find that they are just as upstanding
and possess as much love for the United States as most
native born Americans."
    It takes a "regular" to express such thoughts. It
takes real fellows like John Gale to help us retain
our faith in America--to give us the courage to face
our somewhat uncertain future and intensify our desire
to return to the normal American way of life.    -SS
====RELOCATION====
   Takayuki Roy Kasai,Chi-
cago,  Ill.,   Dec.   2.
   Jack Shogo Ishida,Keenes-
burg,   Colo.,     Dec.     1,     to
join parents.
   Masumi Katherine Tsura-
waki,New York, NY, Dec. 1.
   Chizuko Sheridan Tsuna-
waki,Cleveland,Ohio,Dec 6.
DISCUSS  WORK OF
WELFARE   SECTION
   The initial meeting of
the advisory board,attend-
ed by representatives from
the block managers and the
welfare council, was held
last Saturday to discuss
the work of the welfare
department, according to
John J. O. Moore. The
board is scheduled to meet
again today.
EXTENDS THANKS
   The Women’s Federati o n
wishes to extend its thanks
to M. Matsushita, R. Naka-
mura, and J. Nakajima of
block 8E for the monetary
donation to the organiza-
tion._________________________________
PLEASE   NOTE!
   To a"relocated Denver-
ite,”   please give us   your
name    and   address  so we
may publish your letter._____________
  just
Incidentally
      By Sueo Sako
   In his recent column, The
Washington Merry-Go-Round,"
Drew Pearson mentioned that
the War Shipping Administra-
tion has discovered that a
sizable number of experi-
enced nisei seamen are avail-
able for good service a-
board US  merchant  ships.
   With the tempo rising
fast in the relocation pro-
gram, nearly 400 qualified
nisei are available for im-
mediate duty. The big snag
is the Navy Department,
These nisei have been
cleared by the FBI and Army
Intelligence, and the WRA
is waiting for the "go sig-
nal"from the  Navy "bigwigs".
   The official who can
"press the button"is Lieut.
Commander Harold A. Burch
of Naval Intelligence.
Chances for nisei seamen are
rather slim. Burch turned
a file of complaints on US
merchant seamen directly
over to Chairman Carl Vin-
son of the House Naval Af-
fairs Committee without
giving the WSA a crack in
investigating the criticism
first.
   The WSA has expressed the
opinion that they are will-
ing to abide by the Navy’s
decision on the use of nisei,
but thus far, the Navy has
kept  "mum."
…………………………………………..
   Ever since evacuation,
the super-patriots on the
West coast have been harping
for Army control of the re-
location centers.As usual,
carrying the bright torch
for anti-Japanese sentiments
are the American Legion and
the Native Sons and Daugh-
ters of the Golden West.
Lately,these super-patriots
have been receiving whole-
hearted support from the
scores of families residing
in the Salinas Valley of
California whose sons died
in  the foxholes   of Bataan.
   In his recent article in
the New York Times , Lawrence
E. Davies expressed his
views on the Army control
issue that were not in ac-
cord with those of the drum-
beaters of the Pacific
slopes.
   The article said in part:
   "In the minds of many
West   Coast  residents,  Army
control of the relocation
centers would automatically
end the system of permanent
leaves to enable the occu-
pants of the centers to
settle elsewhere in the
country. This is a mistaken
view. Even some California
members of Congress who are
shouting the loudest for
Army control recognize that
it may be unconstitutional
to detail forcibly any Amer-
ican citizen of Japanese
ancestry against whom no
disloyalty can be shown."