JAP EVACUATION ORDER TO STAND, SAYS WAR OFFICE

No Hasty or Immediate Action Regarding Change of Status Contemplated by Military Authorities

Assurances by the War Department that no hasty or immediate action will be taken in relaxing military orders that might result in the return of the Japanese to evacuated areas of the Pacific Coast have been given a committee representing the Chambers of Commerce of Seattle, Portland, Or., San Francisco and Los Angeles, it was learned yesterday.

The Seattle Chamber announced receipt of a copy of a letter sent to John J. McCloyd, assistant secretary of war, by W.G. Herron, Washington, D.C., representative of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, thanking the assistant secretary for an audience recently given representatives of the four leading chambers of the West Coast.

Letter of Thanks

"Our committee representing Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles Chambers of Commerce, who called upon you Wednesday morning, has asked me to thank you for your courtesy in seeing us so promptly in view of the brief visit to Washington of several of our people," wrote Herron, a former Seattle Chamber staff member.

"We appreciate the assurances from you that no hasty or immediate action will be taken by the War Department in relaxing present military orders, which might result in the return of any Japanese, alien or American-born, to the Pacific Coast area, from which all Japanese other than those in the military service, are excluded.

"These assurances will enable our several hundred Pacific Coast Chambers of Commerce to determine and report upon the acceptability of Japanese in their various territories, pending final disposition of those now held in relocation centers.

20,000 Persons Concerned

"Our concern is that, prior to such disposition, relaxing of present military orders might open this territory to the return of the approximately 20,000 Japanese who were estimated to live outside the evacuated area or who left beforehand and about whom we are told there is very little information available. We therefore request that our organizations be advised in advance if it should be contemplated definitely to change the present status."