WE ANSWER A CHALLENGE

One of those brave souls, known only to newspaper editors, writes us a typewritten, unsigned note in which we are "dared" to publish an enclosed news dispatch which shows that 450 United States-born Japanese citizens at the Posten [Poston], Ariz., relocation center have refused to swear allegiance to this nation.

We presume this challenge was sent back to us because we have taken upon ourselves the none-too-popular task of speaking for the citizenship rights of the Bainbridge Island nisei who have been taken from their homes here and plunked down in relocation camps for the duration. Ordinarily, we put unsigned communications where they belong--in the waste basket. We write under our signature at the top of this column. We think folks who disagree with us ought to let us know who is talking, too.

We will not publish the enclosed article, although we already have mentioned its main point, because it doesn't concern Bainbridge Island. Our Islanders have never been at Posten [Poston]. We have never attempted to defend anybody except our own Island Japanese colony, and of these we have only spoken for the American-born citizens. The aliens, we always have felt, must expect removal from homes so near war installations.

We mention our anonymous critic only to point out once again that wholesale dumping together of all Japanese is not and never was the solution of the problem. We still have faith in the American loyalty of all Bainbridge nisei. But we say frankly that we won't know for sure until we can see what the effect on them has been of being thrown in with the admittedly disloyal issei, kibei and nisei groups from California at Manzanar. We think our Islanders will come through all right, but we wouldn't be too surprised if some of them don't.

Prior to evacuation, the F.B.I. was taking firm steps to weed out the disloyal. That process largely ended upon evacuation. Our critic would have little to write about if such a process would be begun again.

Perhaps, while waiting for this sensible treatment, our critic could chew over these garden produce facts we recently came across.� The state shipped 660 carloads lots of lettuce to Eastern markets prior to evacuation. In 1942, shipment fell to 289 carloads. Prior to evacuation, 558 carloads of peas went out of this state to feed hungry American citizens and service men. Last year, only 141 were shipped. It is the same story, only worse, with cauliflower and celery.

If loyalty-tested, Japanese-Americans were back on the farm, maybe America's food problem wouldn't be so acute and maybe those nisei could be doing something useful instead of having to fight off disloyalty in evacuation centers.

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