WAR DEPARTMENT -- OFFICIAL BUSINESS

OUTGOING CLASSIFIED MESSAGE

Office of origin: Office of the Assistant Secretary of War, Mr. McCloy
Date: 2 February 1944
Telephone: 4078
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Precedence: ROUTINE

To: COMGENCENPAC

AS YOU FEEL THAT THE KIBEIS NUMBERING ABOUT ONE HUNDRED WHOM YOU SUGGEST TRANSFERRING TO THE MAINLAND IF YOUR NUMBER W-9645 ARE DANGEROUS TO SECURITY IN SPITE OF THEIR PROTESTATIONS OF LOYALTY cma THE LOGICAL PLACE FOR THEM ON THE MAINLAND WOULD BE THE TULE LAKE CENTER AT WHICH PERSONS OF JAPANESE DESCENT HAVING TIES WITH JAPAN ARE BEING CONGREGATED pd paren TO RICHARDSONFROM McCLOY paren ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THOSE TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM HAWAII WOULD WITH THEIR FAMILIES NUMBER AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED cma ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR THIS ADDITIONAL ELEMENT DOES NOT PRESENTLY EXIST AT TULE LAKE pd MOREOVER THE WAR RELOCATION AUTHORITY FEELS THAT WHILE THE SITUATION AT TULE LAKE HAS NOW QUIETED DOWN THE INSERTION OF THIS PRESUMABLY MILITANT ELEMENT AT TULE LAKE AT THIS TIME WOULD BE LIKELY TO PROVOKE OR ENCOURAGE A FEW WAVE OF UNREST AMONG THE EVACUEES THERE WHICH THEY FEEL WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE SINCE IT MIGHT EVENTUALLY ALTHOUH ILLOGICALLY

RESULT IN FURTHER CRUEL TREATMENT OF AMERICANS IN JAPANESE HANDS pd THERE IS THE FURTHER FACTOR THAT A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER LEGAL BASIS EXISTS FOR HOLDING THESE PEOPLE IN DETENTION IN HAWAII THAN WOULD EXIST IF THEY WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINLAND pd CONSEQUENTLY I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HOLD OFF ON THE TRANSFER AT LEAST FOR THE PRESENT pd AS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THE RELEASE ON A STRICT PAROLE BASIS OF A FEW OF THOSE WHOM YOU CONSIDER LEAST DANGEROUS AND SEE HOW IT WORKS pd I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL EVER BE FORCED TO RELEASE AMERICAN CITIZENS OF JAPANESE DESCENT AGAINST WHOM SUBSTANTIAL DEROGATORY INFORMATION EXISTS cma ALTHOUGH I CAN FORSE THAT THE QUESTION MIGHT HAVE TO BE LITIGATED THROUGH THE COURTS.

Content and classification authenticated by:
JOHN M. HALL
Captain, F.A.
Assistant Executive