UNWISE

We have long felt that the one thing that will make the position most unfortunate for Japanese-American citizens of this nation is unfavorable publicity. Those of us who know of and believe in the American loyalty of, at least, our own Bainbridge Island evacuees also appreciate that a great mass of this nation's population cannot, especially in these times, stop to think that all persons of Japanese descent are not enemies.

Only by publicity tending to show the loyalty of Japanese-American citizens can this country be educated to deal fairly with these evacuated nisei after the war. That is why The Review has been to some expense and much time to present each week, a news story from Manzanar telling of the lives of our removed neighbors.

That is why we didn't like to see two recent items in the daily press: (1) the court attempt of that Portland Japanese to evade the Army's curfew regulation of aliens, and (2) the "sit-down" strike of Japanese in that Arizona camp. While it is worth noting that the Portland judge cast some doubt on the legality of the Army's order, the case did not do much to quiet feeling against the nisei or their alien elders. The Arizona incident was worse. Regardless of the provocation, Japanese leaders acted only stupidly in permitting a situation which is sure to result in more opposition to full citizenship rights for Japanese-Americans.

How different is the attitude of this Bainbridge Island nisei who, while on temporary furlough from Manzanar for farm work in Idaho, wrote us: "It sure felt good to roam into a city, shop, see a movie, eat at a café, and to feel free again. Going around town, seeing the decorations for the coming Christmas sometimes made my tears run, with the world as it is..."

We still don't think those are the words of an enemy of this nation. But we do know that the press services will pick up anything that indicates disloyalty on the part of evacuated Japanese-Americans. The nisei should watch their every act, so that the nation will get a true picture of their attitude.