THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

June 12, 1944.

MEMORANDUM FOR

THE ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

The more I think of this problem of suddenly ending the orders excluding Japanese Americans from the West Coast the more I think it would be a mistake to do anything drastic or sudden.

As I said at Cabinet, I think the whole problem, for the sake of internal quiet, should be handled gradually, i.e., I am thinking of two methods:

(a) Seeing, with great discretion, how many Japanese families would be acceptable to public opinion in definite localities on the West Coast.

(b) Seeking to extend greatly the distribution of other families in many parts of the United States. I have been talking to a number of people from the Coast and they are all in agreement that the Coast

would be willing to receive back a portion of the Japanese who were formerly there -- nothing sudden and not in too great quantities at any one time.

Also, in talking to people from the Middle West, the East and the South, I am sure that there would be no bitterness if they were distributed -- one or two families to each county as a start. Dissemination and distribution constitute a great method of avoiding public outcry.

Why not proceed seriously along the above line -- for a while at least?

F.D.R.

No papers accompanied the original of this memorandum to the Acting Secretary of State; copy of this memorandum sent to the Secretary of the Interior.