<Begin Segment 10>

BF: Now, let's back up a little, to how the commission was actually selected. How were members selected?

WM: Well, the commission ended up being nine people. Three of them were selected by the House of Representatives leadership, three selected by the Senate leadership, and three selected by the President of the United States -- Jimmy Carter, at that time.

BF: Was there any groups that gave recommendations? Because I assume a lot of them didn't know...

WM: I really don't know. Within the Nikkei community I'm sure they did. I'm sure there were other candidates other than myself whose names were submitted for consideration. Why they selected me, I don't know. I was asked whether or not I'd be willing to serve at one point. I pondered over that, because... I don't know how well you know the Japanese community, well, obviously you wouldn't know the Japanese community back at that point. But I knew this was a very emotional issue in the Japanese, Japanese American community. I knew, I felt that the people would watch me like a -- anybody who was a Nikkei on that commission would be watched like a hawk. Whatever he said, did, would be subject to scrutiny. And I thought to myself, "Who needs that?" No matter what you do, how sincerely you may act, people are gonna backbite you and shoot you down. Strangely enough, by a twist of that kind of thinking, I thought, "Well, I'm gonna do it." It's a challenge. It's gonna be tough, they'll criticize you. And this is why, among other things, you'll see in the report, on the official report -- and I think it's in the reprint -- there's a footnote on one of the pages that whatever payments or benefits that might be made to the victims, I would not accept any of it. I want to waive it here and now. Even before we talk about money. I don't know whether or not we're gonna talk about money, or if you do, how much money. 'Course, I had heard it was $25,000, that's what the JACL was seeking, because I was part of that, I make no secret about that. But I didn't want it... they may have decided otherwise, the commission may have said, "No, we're gonna raise it to $250,000," but whatever it was -- I cut my ties completely to any material --

BF: And what made you decide to do that? Because you were in camp, you had a right as much as anyone.

WM: Well, I think it's improper for a person to make a decision -- that so-and-so should get $25,000, whatever it is, $20,000, then run around and collect his money at the other end. I did not want to be subjected to that kind of criticism. Some people have said, "Well, you could give your, assign your $20,000 to some charity, like the Salvation Army, some worthy charity." And indeed there are. But I wanted to be in a position that I have nothing to do with collecting any money, either directly or indirectly. I did not benefit.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.