<Begin Segment 34>

AI: Well, and in fact, speaking of that, I think that it was 1938, wasn't it, the Manchurian Incident?

RM: Yeah.

AI: In 1938. And that's where, for people who --

RM: I don't know exactly what date, but anyway, around that time.

AI: Yes.

RM: Before the war.

AI: And that's when the Manchurian Railroad was bombed and the Japanese military then, then occupied.

RM: Yeah, that is the Kwangtung Army, they called. And he told me, well, I didn't know, even he... I know he went to Japan, but that's the end of it. I didn't hear from him or anything.

AI: So at that time --

RM: Until I met him after the war.

AI: Right. So at that time, you didn't know what happened to him.

RM: No, I didn't know.

AI: Well, what about other news? Were you hearing about this Manchurian Incident in the Japanese newspapers, or Japanese radio?

RM: Uh-huh.

AI: What did you hear about it in those, from those things?

RM: Well what's happen, what place, of course in Japanese, but the Chinese name place and the incident and they, some of 'em made up I think, story or made up incident, you know. At least they attacked, but the probably the Japanese did.

AI: What made you think it was made up?

RM: Well, I don't know, well, later on I know it was propaganda because the Japanese themselves told a lot of bullshit, because they call daihonei. You know, that's general headquarters announce this and that. And winning the war in the South Sea, actually they losing the war but they, as if though, you know, and they exaggerated, sunk so many battleship and things like that. And I been hearing on the radio. But then a newspaper pick it up and do that but I don't know, I guess a half truth, I don't know exact, the number but to me it kind of fishy, you see. But then the Issei want to know what I hear, because they didn't even have a shortwave radio. And I was listening, see, I had a set called Midwest, had that all-wave radio so I tune in to... but if I had a antenna, the higher up, you would've pick up clearer. So I did and that somebody neighbor reported, FBI came down there, I was setting up a receiver and said good thing it was not a transmitter, good thing I was not an amateur radio man, then a spy, but I was just listening. Everybody could listen. That's a all-wave radio.

AI: Right, so --

RM: And then FBI came and look at it then they said just a regular set. And American citizen says, yeah.

TI: So a neighbor of yours saw the antenna. So you put an antenna up to get better reception.

RM: Yeah.

TI: You put it up there. A neighbor saw you and reported you to the FBI for spying? This was before the war broke out.

RM: No, no.

TI: This was after the war?

RM: Around that time, I don't know. Yeah, well --

TI: This was before or after Pearl Harbor?

RM: I don't recall the...

TI: Okay, I'm just curious.

AI: Right around that time?

RM: Right around that time. Oh, and anyway things, well, tension was very high, at the time.

TI: But a neighbor saw that and called --

RM: Because the embargo and things like that, and you know. Well, they're mad, too, because we stopped sending metal scrap, wooden, I mean, iron things like that.

AI: The Japanese government?

RM: Yeah, Japanese government. And I didn't keep a record so I didn't know exactly, but that, some of part I hear about it and remember is they embargo they, yeah...

AI: Yes, the United States had embargoed Japan.

RM: But I didn't know gonna be a war, but, anyway, the tight... at the time, could be either way.

AI: So from the news that you heard, you could tell that tension was high for the Japanese and the U.S.?

RM: Yeah, but I didn't know, expect that Pearl Harbor, bombing. There was nobody except, of course, higher up had something, but somebody negligence, they didn't prepare to guard the place and so... eventually they knew they have to... well, that's an afterthought. You know, the story come out.

AI: But, excuse me, so at that time, I wanted to ask you to get back about when you were reported to the FBI and you said that the FBI did come to your apartment--

RM: Oh, yeah.

AI: And they asked you if you were an American citizen?

RM: Yes. And I said, then he said, "Well, nothing wrong." But since the reported after me and this okay to have it so they didn't confiscate it.

AI: So they didn't confiscate the radio.

RM: No.

AI: And they --

RM: No, it's no more than any... I'm just so, at that part, I mean, they didn't even take my name, either, just, just came and check it and see this. But the other guy is a pretty sensitive, you know because I was a spy or...

AI: Thought you were --

RM: Japanese, and spoke Japanese, maybe. Maybe thought there was a wire so maybe transmitter. Could have amateur radio if I did it, then you were sending message, but receiving, anybody could hear that, long as they have that set

AI: That wasn't against the law.

RM: No, not, it wasn't against the law. That's what the advice. "Oh, no, you're citizen, that's okay," see.

<End Segment 34> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.