Public proclamation No. 21, December 17, 1944

to return. They should be accorded the same treatment and allowed to enjoy the

same privileges accorded other law abiding American citizens or residents.

11. This Proclamation shall not operate to affect any offense heretofore com-

mitted, nor any conviction or penalty incurred because of violations of the provisions

of Public Proclamations, Civilian Exclusion Orders, Civilian Restrictive Orders, or

Individual Exclusion Orders heretofore issued.

12. All Public Proclamations, Civilian Restrictive Orders, and Individual Ex-

clusion Orders insofar as they are in conflict with this Proclamation are amended

accordingly.

13. All Public Proclamations, Civilian Exclusion Orders, Civilian Restrictive

Orders, and Individual Exclusion Orders herein referred to are those issued by the

Commanding General, Western Defense Command.

14. This Proclamation shall become effective at midnight, 2400 PWT 2 January

1945.

M.A. PRAT YS

Major General, U. S. Army

Commanding

HEADQUARTERS

WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND

Office of the Commanding General

Presidio of San Francisco, California

Public Proclamation

No. 21

17 December 1944

HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND

OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL

PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

PUBLIC PROCLAMATION NO. 21

17 DECEMBER 1944

TO: The people within the States of Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,

Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and the Public generally:

Whereas, There has been substantial improvement in the military situation since

the period when the imposition of certain restrictions on and the exclusion and

evacuation of all persons of Japanese ancestry from designated areas of the Western

Defense Command was warranted; and

Whereas, There is still reasonable possibility of hostile acts against the West

Coast Area of the United States and this possibility of enemy action requires adequate

measures to prevent aid and comfort to the enemy and to prevent the commission of

acts of sabotage or espionage separately or in connection therewith; and

Whereas, The present military situation makes possible modification and relaxa-

tion of restrictions and the termination of the system of mass exclusion of persons

of Japanese ancestry as hereinafter provided, and permits the substitution for mass

exclusion of a system of individual determination and exclusion of those individuals

whose presence within sensitive areas of the Western Defense Command is deemed

a source of potential danger to the military security thereof; and

Whereas, Available information permits the determination of potential danger

on an individual basis; and

_ Whereas, The Secretary of War has designated the undersigned as the Military

Commander to carry out the duties and responsibilities imposed by Executive Order

No. 9066, dated 19 February 1942, for that portion of the United States embraced in

the Western Defense Command, and authorized the undersigned to modify or cancel

any orders issued under the said Executive Order by former Commanding Generals

of the Western Defense Command.

Now, Therefore, I, H. C. Pratt, Major General, U. S. Army, by virtue of the

authority vested in me by the President of the United States and by the Secretary of

War and my powers and prerogatives as Commanding General, Western Defense

Command, do hereby declare and proclaim that, effective 2 January 1945:

1. Paragraph 5, Public Proclamation No. 1, dated 2 March 1942, as amended,

is rescinded.

2. Paragraph 5, Public Proclamation No. 2, dated 16 March 1942, as amended,

is rescinded.

3. The following numbered Public Proclamations issued by the Commanding

General, Western Defense Command, are rescinded:

No. 3, dated 24 March 1942;

No. 4, dated 27 March 1942;

No. 5, dated 30 March 1942;

No. 6, dated 2 June 1942;

No. 7, dated 8 June 1942;

No. 11, dated 18 August 1942.

4, Civilian Exclusion Orders Nos. 1 to 108 inclusive and Civilian Restrictive

Order No. 1 are rescinded.

5. Those persons concerning whom specific Individual Exclusion Orders have

been issued prior to the effective date of this Proclamation shall continue to be

excluded by virtue of such individual Exclusion Orders.

6. Those persons who are to remain excluded will be designated by the Com-

manding General, Western Defense Command. All persons of Japanese ancestry not

designated by name for exclusion or other control by the Commanding General,

Western Defense Command or whose movement is not the subject of an order issued

by any War Department or other government agency acting within the scope of its

authority are exempted on 2 January 1945, the effective date hereof, from the

provisions of all Public Proclamations, Civilian Exclusion Orders and Civilian

Restrictive Orders pertaining exclusively to persons of Japanese ancestry heretofore

issued by the Commanding General, Western Defense Command, except as provided

by paragraph 8 hereof.

7. Those persons of Japanese ancestry who desire to know if they are on the

list of those persons who will be permitted to return to the Exclusion Areas of the

Western Defense Command should send their inquiries to the Commanding General,

Western Defense Command, Presidio of San Francisco, California, attention: Civil

Affairs Division.

8. In order that the departure from War Relocation Project.Areas may proceed

in an orderly and peaceful manner Public Proclamation No. 8, dated 27 June 1942,

and Civilian Restrictive Orders Nos. 18, 19, 20, 23, 24 and 40 shall remain in force and

effect until midnight, 20 January 1945, at which time they shall be of no further

force or effect except as to those persons who have been designated individually for

exclusion or other control, or may be so designated at a future date.

9. Persons of Japanese ancestry against whom no specific individual exclusion

orders have been issued may obtain, if they so desire, identification cards issued by

the Western Defense Command indicating that they may travel and reside within the

areas of the Western Defense Command heretofore prohibited to persons of Japanese

ancestry.

10. The effect of the rescission of Public Proclamations and Civilian Exclusion

Orders in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 preceding, and the purpose of this Public

Proclamation is to restore to all persons of Japanese ancestry who were excluded

under orders of the Commanding General, Western Defense Command and who

have not been designated individually for exclusion, or other control, their full rights

to enter and remain in the military areas of the Western Defense Command. The

people of the states situated within the Western Defense Command are assured that

the records of all persons of Japanese ancestry have been carefully examined and

only those persons who have been cleared by military authority have been permitted