LONGACRES TO HOUSE EVACUEES

Longacres racetrack was chosen as a second Washington evacuation center yesterday by Lieut. Gen. John L. De Witt, commanding general of the Western Defense Command and Fourth Army, to augment the automobile parking lot at the Western Washington Fair Grounds in Puyallup.

It was not known how long the track will be used or if it will interfere with the racing season, scheduled to open June 27.

It was the first official Army announcement that either site had been chosen, although it was known generally that the center was under construction in Puyallup and it was expected that another would be started some place in the valley south of Seattle.

Joseph Gottstein, proprietor and majority stockholder in the track, said he had received no official notification of the track's selection from the Army. He said until newspapers telephoned him he had been continuing plans for the 1942 racing season, which would run through the summer to Labor Day.

'War Comes First'

"It's a lot more important to win the war than run horses," Gottstein said. "I wouldn't want the races to cause injury to a single boy fighting in the Philippines. Compared with the war, horse racing doesn't amount to anything.

"I can't help being disappointed if there is to be no season. I've spent quite a little money improving the grounds and getting ready to open.

"But I don't think that's important. Anything they do is fine as far as I'm concerned."

Gottstein said there is a possibility the Japanese will be removed in time for racing.

"If it is and if the track can be made useable in time, the racing season will go on as scheduled," Gottstein added. "We've set up the whole program, including three charity days -- for the Red Cross July 9, the Navy Relief July 30 and the Army Relief August 20. But if the Army's still using it, we'll abandon our plans."

Neither the racetrack nor fairgrounds will be permanent quarters for evacuated Japanese, but will be used as temporary reception centers where the evacuees can remain until removal to permanent resettlements.

Capacity Estimated

The extent of each site's capacity was not announced, but together they are expected to handle all of Washington's 9,000 Japanese.

Official announcement of the two Washington sites was included in a statement naming four other centers, two in Arizona and one each in Oregon and California, the Associated Press said.

The Oregon site will be on the Pacific International Exposition Grounds near Portland, to accommodate about 3,000 persons. The Salinas Rodeo Grounds, to accommodate a similar number, was chosen in California.

In Arizona, the Army chose two former Civilian Conservation Corps camps, each caring for about 300 persons.