Many Westerners Oppose Return of the Japanese

--THE GALLUP POLL

One of the burning public questions along the Pacific Coast at present is whether the Japanese who were evacuated from the coast area should be permitted to return after the war is over:

It is the kind of question on which the state of public opinion has a most important bearing, because the solution to the problem will depend in large measure on the relative amount of hostility or friendliness which the people of California, Oregon and Washington show toward the Japanese.

In order to determine just what the attitude is today, the Gallup Poll conducted a special intensive survey of public sentiment in the five western states most concerned with the problem of Japanese residents -- California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona.

* * *

It found a fairly even division of opinion on the part of the public in the five states, as follows:

Approximately one-third of the people in the five states say they are opposed to allowing any of the former Japanese residents to return, whether they are citizens or not.

Another group, constituting slightly more than one-fourth, take a more tolerant attitude and would allow all the Japanese to come back.

A third group would allow only Japanese who are American citizens to return to the West Coast after the war and would not permit former Japanese residents who are aliens to return.

* * *

The question put to voters was as follows:

"Do you think the Japanese who were moved from the Pacific Coast should be allowed to return to the Pacific Coast when the war is over?"

Would allow all to return - 29%
Would allow only Japanese who are citizens to return - 24
Would allow none to return - 31
Undecided - 16

* * *

Although the problem is primarily a Pacific Coast problem, the Gallup Poll also tested public sentiment throughout the country on the question of what should be done with the West Coast Japanese.

Results show that the country as a whole is more tolerant than the residents of the western area alone.

The national vote is:
Would allow all to return - 35%
Would allow only Japanese who are citizens to return - 26
Would allow none to return - 17
Undecided - 22

* * *

The 1940 population census showed that the Japanese population in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona consisted of 93,721 who were American citizens, and 55,734 who were aliens. In other words, the citizens outnumbered the aliens by a little less than two to one.

Voters in the five-state western area who are opposed to allowing the Japanese to return were asked:

"What should be done with them?"

The largest proportion -- more than two-thirds -- thought they should be sent back to Japan. The legal basis for such action is not clear; it would probably require an act of Congress.

Most of the remainder thought the Japanese should be left in the inland areas where they are now interned, or in some other inland place.

* * *

In order to determine the general social attitude of West Coast residents toward the Japanese, the Gallup Poll reporters asked respondents whether they would be willing to hire Japanese servants after the war is over, and whether they would be willing to trade at Japanese-owned stores.

The questions and results follow:

"Would you be willing to hire Japanese servants to work in your home after the war is over?"

Yes - 26%
No - 69
Undecided - 5

"Would you be willing to trade at Japanese-owned stores after the war is over?"

Yes - 38%
No - 58
Undecided - 4

* * *

Throughout the western area there is almost unanimous public approval of the Army's action in evacuating the Japanese from the coast and sending them to detention camps.

Of those questioned, 97 per cent said they thought the Army did the right thing, while 2 per cent disapproved and 1 per cent were undecided.