INTELLIGENCE REPORTS, excerpt 1 of 2
Personal memorandum, " Japanese Question, Report On," from Lieutenant Commander K. D. Ringle, USN, Branch Intelligence Office, Eleventh Naval District, to The Chief of Naval Operations, January 26, 1942."The primary present and future problem is that of dealing with these American-born United States citizens of Japanese ancestry, of whom it is considered that [at] least seventy-five per cent are loyal to the United States.
"That of the Japanese-born alien residents, the large majority are at least passively loyal to the United States. That is, they would knowingly do nothing whatever to the injury of the United States, but at the same time would not do anything to the injury of Japan. Also, most of the remainder would not engage in active sabotage or insurrection, but might well do surreptitious observation work for Japanese interests if given a convenient opportunity.
"...there are among the Japanese both alien and United States citizens, certain individuals, either deliberately placed by the Japanese government or actuated by a fanatical loyalty to that country, who would act as saboteurs or agents. This number is estimated to be less than three per cent of the total, or about 3500 in the entire United States.
"...the most potentially dangerous element of all are those American citizens of Japanese ancestry who have spent the formative years of their lives, from 10 to 20, in Japan and have returned to the United States to claim their legal American citizenship within the last few years. These people are essentially and inherently Japanese and may have been deliberately sent back to the United States by the Japanese government to act as agents. In spite of their legal citizenship and the protection afforded them by the Bill of Rights, they should be looked upon as enemy aliens and many of them placed in custodial detention. This group numbers between 600 and 700 in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and at least that many in other parts of Southern California."
Intelligence reports |
