Granada Pioneer, Vol. II, No. 32

              Page  2_____________________PIONEER________________February 23,   1944
    Just
Incidentally
	By  Sueo Sako
   The past two weeks the
tempo to "railroad" one of
the several proposals to
enact legislation of a bill
to deport American citizens
of Japanese ancestry has
been stepped up in the House
of Representatives on Cap-
itol Hill. The West coast
politicians are attempting
to push a drastic bill to
deport all Japanese Americans.
Thus far, Attorney General
Francis Biddle’s suggestion
to require an oath of alle-
giance from suspected nisei
has gained  ground.
   A showdown is imminent
and undoubtedly some form
of measure against the Japa-
nese Americans Is forth-
coming.
   A real brilliant sug-
gestion was mentioned in a
recent Chicago Sun editorial
which might bring these
one-track minded West coast
legislators to their senses.
The editorial said in part:
"Someone with a sense of
justice ought to arrange
for Pfc. Yoshinoa Omiya,
whose eyes were blown out
in Italy, to appear before
the congressional committee
...."    An useful  witness
such as Pfc. Omiya might
make some thoughtless leg-
islators think.
   No truer words were ever
written when the editorial
charged, “Economic  rivalries
in California have helped
create antagonism against
Japanese-descended groups.,
and the Hearst press has
done its best to inflame
this  hate…"
   But to the Western law-
makers, backed by powerful
political, economic and
war-hysterical groups, are
basing their test of loyal-
ty on the facial construc-
tion of a minority group.
   Barbara Barnes, perhaps
clearly described the prob-
lem confronting the nisei
in America when she wrote,
" If Japanese Americans
could wear their hearts on
their sleeves they would
have an easier time. Many
should be accepted without
question for the loyal cit-
izens  they are,
   "But all they can wear
is their ancestry,     Indel-
ibly stamped on their faces.
There is no chance for them
to seek new homes quietly
and unnoticed, for their
family trees hang conspic-
uously around their necks
and today they are heavy
as  millstones.
	GRANADA   PIONEER
     Published Wednesdays  and Saturdays   by the WRA and
distributed     free    to each apartment.              Editorial  of-
ffice:    PIONEER building, Amache,   Colo.        Telephone  63.
Reports  officer;  Joe McClelland              Editor  Sueo  Sako 
   Staff:   Allan Asakawa, John Tsuruta,Roy Yoshida,
George Hamamoto, Jim Otsuka, Jim Otsuki, Amy Minabe,
Ailene Hamamoto, Jack Kimura, Yayeko Morita, George
Morita, Bob Miyoshi, Jack Ito, Toshiharu Matsumoto,
Junior Nakagawa,   Yonemi   Ono.
	Letters   TO  THE  EDITOR
   (Ed. note--Following    letters    were    written to the
editor  of TIME magazine  and  appeared     in the  Feb.  14th
issue,  and  since they are   of  interest    to the  Japanese
Americans they have been reprinted.)
Sirs:
   There are a lot of people in these United States
who have nothing but a one-track mind. In some of the
articles of your Letters to the Editors (TIME, Jan.17)
I  saw some   of these   people   in the   true  light.
   I just came from Italy where I was assigned to the
Japanese 100th infantry Battalion. I never in my life
saw any more of a true American then they are. To these
people who don't have any military rank,probably don't
even know that these little "yellow-bellies" (as one
writer wrote) are saving his skin: I only wish that
these people could witness these little "yellow-bellies"
fight.
   Ask anyone who  has  seen them in action against     the
Jerry (to) tell you about them. They'll tell you when
they have them on their flanks they are sure of security
in that  section….
   They,my friends,are not the little "yellow-bellies";
you are.
E. D. Chasse
2nd  Lieutenant
Moore  General Hospital
Swannanoa,   N. C.
Sirs :
   We are just back from overseas where we were trying
to preserve democracy for the very same people who say
the   Nisei  should  be  deported.
   I was bodyguard to an American of Japanese descent
who was risking his life to act as an interpreter for
us. He was a target for both Jap and American bullets….
   I wish to God that some of the people at home who
say, "Democracy Is for the white race only,” could be
made  to go  out  and  fight  for   it.
A Camp Carson Serviceman
Camp Carson,   Colo.
JAP DANCING  CLASS   FOR  BEGINNERS
AND ADVANCLD  GROUP  STARTED
   Under the general super-
vision of Mrs.Grayce Mori-
kawa, a tap dancing class
for beginners and advanced
group is being held every
afternoon, except Sunday,
from 2 o'clock at the 8F
Little   Theater.     There  are
about 15 pupils attending
Mrs . Morikawa' s present
class.
   If the enrollment in-
creases there will be a
separate class for begin-
ners and advanced students
so anyone interested is
urged to sign up immediately
at the community activities
office at 8F. Although
there is a scarcity of
dancing taps,the recreation
department will endeavor
to purchase them for the
students, added Mrs. Mori-
kawa.