Jap's Ouster Based on Lies, Mrs. Farquharson Charges

The policy to evacuate the Japanese from this area came about "largely because of propaganda not based on facts," Mrs. Mary Farquharson, former state senator and Seattle representative of the Civil Liberties Union, told the congregation of Plymouth Congregational Church last night at its international forum.

The case of Gordon Hirabayashi, University of Washington student, who refused to be evacuated with other Japanese on the contention that the order was a denial to American citizens of the civil liberties to which they are entitled, was "re-tried" on the forum hour.

Mrs. Farquharson took the defense and Dr. Walter G. Hiltner the case for the government.

Hirabayashi was convicted in October of violation of the exclusion order. He now is in King County jail awaiting the decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear his case January 30 in San Francisco.

"We were congratulating ourselves on the loyalty of the Japanese until six weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack, and then there came a barrage of propaganda in regard to sabotage and espionage in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor," Mrs. Farquharson went on. "All of those stories have been declared false from the official standpoint."

Aid of Japanese Told

Mrs. Farquharson quoted the Hawaii chief of police as saying the Japanese there helped bring in the wounded and stood in line to give transfusions to wounded Americans.

Mrs. Farquharson disagreed with Dr. Hiltner's contention that (1) the Japanese are being well fed in their camps and are contented; (2) the Army should have such unprecedented authority over American citizens; (3) Americans should not question what their government does.

Mrs. Farquharson said the propaganda had been "deliberately put out by special interests groups" and suggested that "all of us can think of fishing interests here that have been, for many years, agitating to get rid of the Japanese."

Dr. Hiltner's contention was that the exclusion order was best for the safety of Japanese here, and that most of them realized what likely would happen to them should the Japanese attack cities and forests in the area. He said they were being well fed and given comfortable beds and most were occupied in their own types of work.

Dr. Hiltner pointed out that the President may, in time of crisis, have the Army carry out regulations. He said reasons "are not for us to say. The Army decided after due consideration."

A woman in the audience brought up the inevitable question: "Mrs. Farquharson stresses the point that the Japanese are unhappily situated. Ask her how happy my son is in the malaria-invested South Pacific."

Mrs. Farquharson said that she couldn't see the logic in making one group of persons suffer because another group is suffering if there is no reason for it.

Frank Seeley, a University friend of Hirabayashi, told the congregation that a committee for Hirabayashi's defense had been organized here.