WAKE UP, AMERICA

Two congressmen who were members of a committee investigating the status of evacuated Japanese are the principals in this week's newspaper debate sponsored by the American Economic Foundation. They are Congressman Karl Mundt of South Dakota and Congressman Herman P. Eberharter of Pennsylvania. Their subject is:

Has the Japanese-American Problem Been Bungled by the W.R.A.

CONGRESSMAN MUNDT OPENS: Judged by the criterion of whether the War Relocation Authority has fully measured up to its opportunity to utilize Japanese relocation centers to produce the best possibly results, both from the standpoint of the Japanese and of America as a whole, I believe the War Relocation Authority has bungled the Japanese problem.

It bungled in the first place by its failure to provide for the segregation of disloyal Japanese from loyal Japanese in the in the relocation centers until the investigation of the Dies Committee forces the adoption of such a policy.

It bungled in the second place by its failure to set up appropriate means of screening Japanese evacuees to be sure that those released had first been adequately checked as to their loyalty and their affiliations with pro-Japanese organizations.

It bungled most of all by using the money of American taxpayers to teach Judo, Goh, the Japanese language, and to encourage other manifestations of Japanese culture in the relocation centers.

Confronted with the best opportunity in American history to give Japanese citizens a laboratory demonstration of the virtues of the American system and the American standards of living, the W.R.A. has failed to make the maximum use of this opportunity. To the extent that it has failed, it has bungled.

* * *

CONGRESSMAN EBERHARTER CHALLENGES: My opponent's statement is a skillful blend of red herrings and factual inaccuracies.

W.R.A. did not fail on segregation. It began planning segregation in April--nearly two months before the Dies Committee investigation.

Testimony given before Congressman Mundt and myself clearly showed it has not failed on screening. I can only conclude that Mr. Mundt's idea of "screening" would really mean internment of thousands of citizens, without substantial evidences, in direct violation of constitutional guarantees.

* * *

CONGRESSMAN MUNDT REPLIES: It is not a "red herring" to point out that "planning segregation in April" is no substitute for failure to practice it in September!

Nor is it more unconstitutional to insist upon adequate pre-release loyalty checks for Japanese evacuees than it is to crowd loyal and disloyal together into relocation centers without suitable safeguards protecting the loyal against the depredations by the disloyal.

We need from W.R.A. not more alibis for perpetuating Japanism, but more activities promoting Americanism!

CONGRESSMAN EBERHARTER OPENS: The essential task of the War Location [Relocation] Authority is to resettle throughout the country the people of Japanese ancestry evacuated last year from the Pacific Coast. While resettlement is proceeding, W.R.A. is maintaining the evacuees in government centers. I believe the agency has done a good job on both counts.

In resettling evacuees, W.R.A. has bent over backwards to safeguard the national security. It has collected extensive information from intelligence files and other sources on every adult now in relocation centers.

No evacuee is released if there is evidence he might be dangerous. With 21,000 people so far resettled, not one disloyal act has been reported.

In operating relocation centers, W.R.A. has handled a complicated problem with efficiency and fairness. Within the framework of rationing and other wartime limitations, it has provided adequate food, medical care, and education. To hold down operating costs, it has made the fullest use of evacuee labor in food production and other work.

* * *

CONGRESSMAN MUNDT CHALLENGES: Mr. Eberharter artfully seeks to avoid the issue by pleading efficiency for W.R.A., because it neither starved, pampered nor mistreated Japanese in relocation centers. Its deficiencies are more basic than that!

"Efficiency" is not demonstrated through failure to utilize centers as Americanization units or by simply planning segregation and not practicing segregation and not practicing it until prodded by Congress.

"Fairness" is not manifest either to loyal Japanese or to Americans by releasing evacuees without systematic, adequate pre-release loyalty checks.

Espionage in wartime is more serious than sabotage; saying that "no disloyal act has been reported" does not prove that no spies have been released. Dead Japanese are not only good ones--but to rate them "good" we must be deadsure they are loyal!

* * *

CONGRESSMAN EBERHARTER REPLIES: I cannot understand why, my colleague persistently quibbles about W.R.A.'s prerelease investigation. Every precaution is being taken to safeguard the national security.

To detain citizens beyond the requirements of security would make a mockery of the principles for which we are fighting.

Most of the evacuees are thoroughly American today. W.R.A.'s Americanization program is vigorous, well rounded.

To deepen the evacuees' loyalty to America requires their return to normal life. Americanism does not flourish behind barbed wire.