Show The Story 0 of Japanese In America PART III Ill Where Do o Our Japs a Go o From Here ere It is important to know that the evacuation assembly centers centers cen cen- tens described in the preceding section of this series are tem tem- They were set up and are operated as the House Honse Migratory Labor Labor Committee pointed out the other day with due regard for the tUe basic rights or ot orthe the evacuees including livable I quarters standard food rations recreational facilities and other I conveniences But in tho the final analysis the Japanese occupying these centers are merely at stopover points en route to permanent relocation cen cen- On March President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt established the machinery for tor this final phase of ot tho evacuation program At that time he created the War Relocation Authority a civilian agency with Mr Milton Eisenhower as Its national tor Under this agency permanent perma nent cent Relocation Centers are ore being prepared for the Japanese to live and work in until the end of the war The only part the Army will play directly In this operation will willbe willbe willbe be the handling of the tho transfer of ot evacuees from Assembly Centers to Relocation Centers and to furnish fur tur nish the military guards who will willbe willbe willbe be on duty outside the Centers The Centers themselves will be bo operated by the War Relocation Authority I The work of finding and preparing prepare ing tag suitable sites for these Relocation Relocation Reloca tion Centers Is proceed proceeding ins rapidly Promising sites are subjected to specific tests as described in a circular addressed by the Relocation Relocation Reloca Reloca- tion Authority to the Japanese This Is h Home fur for Duration 1 The area must provide work opportunities throughout most of ot the year for tor the population to be relocated there Such opportunities ties may consist of or the following classes or of ot classes of ot work Public Works Works Such Such as the development of ot land or irrigation irrigation tion conservation of or soil resources resources re re- re sources flood control operations range improvement operation of experimental projects for production pro of rubber and silk sUk Agricultural Production Production First First for the production of ot foodstuffs for tor the relocated community and second to aid in the Food for tor Freedom program Manufacturing The manufacture manufacture manu manu- facture of ot goods requiring a great deal of or hand labor IncludIng including including ing products needed In Relocation Reloca tion Areas Aroas 2 Each Relocation Area must have adequate transportation and power facilities to meet the needs of the relocated community It must have a n sufficient acreage of good quality soil soU and an adequate supply of water for Irrigation to provide the community with a good agricultural base The climate climate cli cli- mate must be satisfactory The domestic and Industrial water supply supply supply sup sup- ply for tor the area must be suitable In quality and quantity 3 Each area must be able to support a minimum population of or persons Efficient administration administration adminis adminis- of ot the program provision of protective services by the tha Army and the effective development of ot community s services e r v Ice s such as schools hospitals fire-control fire facilities fa fa- and recreational opportunities opportunities all require that communities ties be bo at least this large 4 Each area must be on public land owned or leased by tho the Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral Government so that Improvements improvements improve Improve- ments meats made Dade at public expense will become public not private assets Any land purchased for Relocation Areas will remain in public owner ownerS ship 5 6 Each area must meet certain contain specifications of the War Depart Depart- menti ment ment- i f f Two Areas Area Now Operating Two of or these areas are already Let In partial operation The one at Manzanar in California's Owens River Valley has a capacity of people The Tho one at Parker Arizona will have hav a capacity of b w en n and Th tatter ratter site located on the Colorado consists of ot 1 acne of public land Other relocation centers th tar decided upon are A acre acro site with the possibility potti- potti of DC additional acres later on the tho PI PIma ma Indira Reservation Reservation Reserva Reserva- tion doll 40 miles milet southeast 1 X 1 Phoenix Phoe Phoe- nix This Center will accommodate A acre 1600 site with add additional addi- addi acres probably to come Inthe inthe In Inthe the Tulelake Reclamation Project in northern California Capacity A acre tract near the town of or Eden In Jeromo Jerome County Idaho Capacity Thus provision is already under unde underway underway way for tor l to some of ot whom are already ahome at a home Policy Regarding Work Many people have expressed an interest in the extent to which the Japanese will wUl be available to contribute contribute con con- tribute to the nations nation's production of ot agricultural and other products This matter lies solely within tho the Jurisdiction and responsibility of ot the War Relocation Authority which Is fa charged with the permanent permanent perma perma- nent handling of or the whole probe lem War Relocation Authority has created a War Relocation Work Corps in which all Japanese more than 16 years ears of ot age may voluntarily volun tartly enlist Tho The Work Corps provides a means for organizing and opportunities for tor work and income on the relocation projects It enables individuals to do the tho work for tor which they are best fitted fitted fit fit- ted by training and experience It will provide additional training to adapt old skills to new Jobs and to develop new skills It will wil recruit personnel for tor community and administrative services I It will give the tho evacuees an opportunIty opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty loyally loy loy- alty ally and willingness to serve the country The following is quoted from War Relocation Authority's booklet on the subject Enlistees Enlistees' Obligations Enlistment in the work corps is entirely voluntary and all evacuees evacuees evac evac- over sixteen years of age who are employable both men anc and women may apply Among the obligations which the enlistee assumes assumes as as- are these l 1 He e agrees to serve as a member mem memo ber her of ot the Corps until two weeks after atter the end of ot the war 2 He e swears loyalty to the United States and agrees to perform perform per per- form faithfully all tasks assigned assignee to him by the Corps authority 3 He may be granted furloughs furloughs fur fur- for work In agricultural industrial or other private employment employment em em- under the following conditions conditions con con- diLlons a eoa Since the Army cannot provide provide pro pro- vide protective services for tor groups or communities of less than each State and local community where enlistees are areto areto areto to work must give lve assurance that they are In In- In Ina a position to maintain law and order b Transportation to the place of ot private employment and return return return re re- turn must be arranged without cost to the Federal Government c Employers must of course pay prevailing wages to enlistees without displacing other labor and must provide suitable living accommodations d For the time enlistees are privately employed they will pay par the Government for expenses ex Incurred In behalf of their dependents who may remain remain re reo re- re main at Relocation Centers No Employment in Area No 1 I Upon application from War Relocation Relocation Re Re- location Authority and statement that the conditions Just quoted have been met to the satisfaction of ot War Relocation Authority the Wartime Civil Control Administration tion will permit Japanese to leave Assembly Centers or Relocation Centers for private employment provided the location of ot such Japanese is outside the be boundaries boundaries bound bound- aries arles of ot Military Area No 1 Wartime Wartime War War- time Civil Control Administration will grant no permits for tor work within Military Area No Xu 1 under any circumstance eJi Thin ThU is al along ng tho the CO and the southern part lart of Arizona fur rr IT r a D. depth cc c cC from to 50 mf milts miles s. s Prospective employers seeking to arrange for tor the private employment employment employ employ- ment of Japanese under the conditions conditions condi condl outlined will need to consult consulta E. E R a R. R Fryer Regional Director of War Relocation Authority Whit Walt comb Fotel San I Sites tor for the tho Relocation Centers are being selected with a new view to I their capacity for tor development o of public works and becoming a a. u nearly sustaining self as possible 4 Naturally too the sites must meet if ri with Army approval from the standpoint stand stand- I point o of ot t military considerations Ono One of ot the principal occupations of or the evacuees In the Center Centers will be bo the growing of ot their own food tood As a starter Japanese at Manzanar have already planted twenty seven varieties of or vegetables vegetables bles on a acre plot vlot which formerly formerly for for- merly grew sagebrush This same principle will be carried on until maximum j It attains a reasonable Surplus foods produced will bo be sold where they are needed They will thus Join loin the over all stockpile of foods required by the government in Increasing measure both for domestic consumption and for tor shipment abroad Manufacturing 1 Too Another major undertaking at each Center will be the manufacture ture Lure of ot many kinds of ot articles needed by tho the community and by bythe bythe the nation Simple factories using a large amount of or hand labor and readily available materials will be bee e established on the Relocation ProJects Projects Projects wherever feasible for operation operation opera opera- tion by enlistees In tho the production of ot such articles as clothing wood products ceramics netting woven and knitted materials building materials These suggested opportunities cover only a few of ot the broader fields of ot activity in which enlistees enlistees enlistees en en- may bo be engaged Actually their work will run the gamut o of or employment In a normal There will be much clerical and stenographic work machinists machinists' machin fists fists' work reporting and editing for tor tho the Center newspaper nursing cooking radio repairing and work for doctors and lawyers The Incomes earned on Relocation Relocation Relocation Reloca Reloca- tion Areas by enlistees will depend depend de de- pend on the success that relocated communities have in organizing and managing their various arlous productive productive productive pro pro- enterprises The philosophy back of or all this was concurred in by the House Migratory Labor Committee headed headed head head- ed by Representative Tolan of or California as reported a few days ago An article written by Kyle Palmer Washington representative of or the tho Los Angeles Times and published in the Times of ot May contains this paragraph On the whole the Committee Commit Commit- J tee believes private employment employment employ employ- ment of ot the Japanese outside the military zone will not prove feasible and the Committee Com Com- recommends that the War R Relocation e J 0 cat Ion Authority chart its work plan in terms of public projects to provide for a maximum contribution to the war e effort and aud of as great greata a sustaining self nature as possible Thus the picture takes shape As As' As may be clear by now the civilian management of or the Relocation Centers Centers Cen Cen- will have many human buman equations equa to deal with but what the American people can count upon upon upon-s and what the evacuees themselves can count upon upon upon-Is Is an intelligent democratic effort to handle these problems fairly and efficiently Community Stays Together As was observed earlier the tho construction of housing and the tha assignment of ot quarters took Into consideration the natural desIrabIlIty desirability desirability desira desIra- of or keeping families together But this is by no means alL What applies to a family applies in larger measure to a community The Japanese colonies In the western west ern states stales were well balanced Integrated integrated In in- wholes They had their physicians and dentists their ministers min min- ministers and teachers their cooks and launderers their farmers and gardeners and manual w borers laborers The Tho Army and Its Wartime Civil Control Administration have seen to o it in the Assembly Centers that these communities are kept as nearly intact as possible The War Relocation Authority Is doing the he same thing in the Relocation Centers As a result social and economic units are held together along the same lines as existed in peace times The Japanese will form Corm their own community life Ute elect officers provide a police force torce fire control facilities help o 0 operate p per e r a ate t e their schools and nurseries have their own doctors In general genera they will have lave n a great deal to do in the orderly orderly or or- derly planning of ot their own exi once ence Which illustration ca c- c with many others e goes to show how that even under the s esses and strains of or an out all war uncle Sam has bas his feet teet on the ground and continues to be what ho he has always been known to b be a very very human fellow |