MID 336.8 Japan, 10/14/41


Mr. George C. Burton
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Justice,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Mr. Burton:

The DAILY WORKER of October 23, 1941, features a column, "THEY'RE SAYING IN WASHINGTON," by Adam Lapin, dealing with Japanese organizations engaged in espionage. The information therein follows very closely a Summary of Information, dated October 4, 1941, received from a G-2 source in Honolulu.

Attached hereto are pertinent extracts from the DAILY WORKER and copy of the Summary in question.


Enclosures (2):
Extrct. DAILY WORKER, 10/23/41
Cpy Summary of Info., 10/14/41

UNCLASSIFIED

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MID 336.8 Japan 10-14-41


Subject: JAPANESE EX-SERVICE MEN'S ORGANIZATIONS

Summary of Information:

1. ZAIBEI HEIMUKAI (Japanese Military Service Men League). This organization was organized in August, 1937, by Tadasiki Izuka, Assistant Chief of Japanese Foreign Information Bureau Headquarters in San Francisco.

There are 7200 members in northern California, Washington, Oregon and Utah. Each member gives $1.00 to Japanese War Fund, and others engaged in intelligence activities. This includes military age nisei as well as Japanese aliens. Y650,000.00 were sent to Japan as of May 1941.

2. IMPERIAL COMRADESHIP SOCIETY (Japanese Ex-Service Men League). This organization is headed by Sakutaro Kuboda, owner of Market Hotel, a retired officer. Kuboda visited Japan last year and attended Japanese Overseas Congress. He is especially recognized by Japanese army to carry on the work. His son, Takashi, is an active member on Japanese American Citizen League; he is also the editor of Shinzin no Tomo (Citizen Friend). This Society raised a fund of Y1,000,000.00 at the request of Finance Minister, Mr. Ikeda, through Yokohama Specie Bank in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Headquarters at Los Angeles.

These two organizations are the same in nature. It is further stated that these two organizations have pledged to do sabotage (railroads and harbors) in the states mentioned above, in time of emergency. Similar organizations are in Hawaii. Sixty-nine local units of these two organizations are said to be carrying on activities.

Distribution:
MID, Washington, D. C.
FBI, Honolulu
ONI, Honolulu
File

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EXCERPTS FROM NEW YORK DAILY WORKER - OCTOBER 23 - COLUMN, "THEY'RE SAYING IN WASHINGTON" BY ADAM LAPIN OF THE WASHINGTON BUREAU.

(Daily Worker Washington Bureau) Washington. October 22.

The FBI and the intelligence units of the Army and the Navy have considerable information about a widespread network of Japanese espionage in the United States. Nazi and Italian consular officials have been expelled from this country but Japanese consular officers continue to be spark plugs for Axis espionage and propaganda activities.

Three Japanese organizations, centering on the West Coast and on Hawaii, are now functioning in the United States. These are the Japanese Military Servicemen's League with 7,200 members, the Imperial Comradeship League with 4,800 members, and the Japanese American Citizen's League. All three are said to have been set up by Tadasiki Iizuka, assistant chief of the Japanese Foreign Office Information Bureau, who came to Hawaii in 1936 and then went to Los Angeles in 1937 where he worked out of the Japanese Consulate. Despite intensive pressure, many American citizens of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast are doing their best to combat these groups.

One of the chief activities of all three organizations appears to be the raising of funds to support the Japanese war effort. The Japanese Finance Minister is said to have requested the Japanese American Citizens League to raise 1,000,000 yen with the San Francisco branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank as the agent to receive the money.