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Refer to No.{Evacuees suspected} A8-5/B-7-0 (16-JBS-lcl) Serial No. I 014998 HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH NAVAL DISTRICT
Federal Building New Orleans, La. May 12, 1943
MEMORANDUM
1. Subject was one of six members of a committee for evacuees which conferred with Director Paul TAYLOR of the Jerome Relocation Center on March 6, 1943, to protest against the W.R.A. Evacuee Registration Program. The committee apparently represented evacuees who had failed to register and were warned that they would be subject to imprisonment. The committee stated that the group had refused to register because they were loyal to Japan. As a result of the conference approximately 781 evacuees in the alleged disloyal group registered by writing across the face of the registration form that they wanted to be repatriated or expatriated to Japan. Their registration was supervised by members of the committee composed of subject and subjects of References (a) through (e). 2. Informant states that subject, a Buddhist priest, was born in Hawaii on Sept. 27, 1915, and attended grade school, high school, and college in Japan from 1921 to 1936. He left Japan in 1937 and went to Hawaii, remaining there until 1939, when he spent two months in Japan, again returning to Hawaii. During the period of 1938-1943 subject taught in a Japanese language school in Hawaii. On or about Jan. 14, 1942, subject was interned at Sand Island, T.H., and came to Jerome on Feb. 6, 1943. He said he wanted to return to Japan, and while at Camp Livingston, La., ??????? he informed the Spanish Consul at New Orleans of this desire. Subject declared he does not feel like an American citizen, that he belongs to Japan, that he is willing to do anything for Japan in an effort to have Japan win the war, and would gladly be a member of the Japanese armed forces fighting against the U.S. 3. Subject was considered a radical leader within the Center, and aimed at creating disloyalty among the U.S. citizens there. Formerly a Buddhist priest in Hawaii, subject conducted religious meetings which, in reality, were a screen to discourage the W.R.A. and Army registration program. He stated that "those Japanese who registered and answered in the affirmative to Questions 27 and 28 (the loyalty questions) were disloyal to the Japanese government and should be classified as traitors. If you work hard it is helping the Allies and is working against the Japanese government." Subject reportedly spread stories around the Center that U.S. soldiers at Pearl Harbor machine gunned Japanese fishermen and that cruel and barbaric treatment was the fate of Japanese internees at various internment camps. Other informants state that subject and his henchmen are now meeting to discuss who should be attacked next and that they send young boys as messengers to Japanese loyal to the U.S., warning them that they may be "next." 4. Subject signed the letter to the Spanish Ambassador in Washington listing the names of the evacuees at Jerome who wished to be repatriated or expatriated to Japan. Distribution:/s/ W.S. Hogg NDs 9,11,12,13,14; Zone 5; B-2; DID-8SC; DIO(MIS)NO; G2-SDC For Information -- Table of Contents --
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