To all those concerned with securing private employment for the Japanese

TQ ALL THOSE CONCERNED WITH SECURING PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE JAPANESE:

In meetings of the administrative officers of the War Relocation Authority

from Washington, San Francisco and the Projects, held last week in San Francisco,

the announcement was made that the War Relocation Authority is committed to a

policy of releasing Japanese~American citizens from the Relocation Centers for

the purpose of accepting private employment outside of the Western Defense Command.

I am attaching herewith Administrative Instruction No. 22 which outlines the

conditions under which the Japanese-American citizens will be released.

ance,

The essential features of this plan are as follows:

1. It applies only to Japanese-American citizens who are in WRA centers.

e. In order to secure a release, a Japanese-American citizen must have an

offer of a job outside of the Western Defense Command. This job must be one

which will provide a living for the man and his family so that they will not

become a public charge. While employment is not prohibited in the Eastern

Defense Command, it will be more difficult to secure travel permits for the

Atlantic seacoast area. (The Western Defense Command includes the states of

Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.)

Employment releases are obtainable for single as well as married persons. |

3. A Japanese-American citizen who has a job offer, or who wants to secure

employment, should register with the project manager for private employment.

The WRA will then start an investigation to determine:

a. The fitness of the applicant for the proposed job.

b. The loyalty of the applicant.

c. The willingness of the community to accept Japanese. -

This investigation will be made by the WRA personnel on the project, in

the regional office, and finally in the Washington headquarters. If the find-

ings are favorable, a release and travel permit will be issued by the local

project director. This procedure should assure the loyalty of the Japanese

who are granted releases. It is estimated that this investigation will re-

quire about three weeks, , | `

There are two points at which the friends of the Japanese can be of assist-

and supplement the activities of the government:

1. Help the Japanese locate jobs.

" Help prepare the communitics in which jobs have been obtained to receive

the Japanese. The WRA will not require that the law enforcement officer of

the community guarantee security. The WRA assumes that an American citizen

has the right to enter a community without a special passport. Due, however,

ea a ies

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Japanese Employment -- 2

to the enti-Japanese feeling and war hysteria, it is only prudent that people

of good will in the communities make Special effort to prepare the way for

the proper acceptance of Japanese by responsiole people in the community.

Someon(R) in the community will need to egree to act as "counsellor" o-

"sponsor" of the Japanese This entails the Willingness:

a. To meet the Japanese at the station when they arrive in the city.

b. To arrange for proper living facilities if this has not been done

by the employer.

c. To counsel with the Japanese in case any community opposition

Should develop.

d. To interpret the Japanese problem to the community.

This program does not require any elaborate machinery. When a Japanese applies

for a release from a WRA center in order to accept employment in a pariisular

commun sy, he will need to give the name of a "counsellor" in the community with

whom the WRA will cowmunicate to obtein evidence that the community will be will-

ing to accept the Japanese. The eectring of these "counsellors" is an ilinpor*ant

Service which you can render for the Japanese,

A Religious Council on War Relocation. representing the denominatioas inter-

ested in the Japanese problem, is being organized to help facilitate the place-

ment of Japanese. Steps need to be taken at once, however, to find jobs for Jap-

anese ana to secure people in the community who are willing to act as "aounsellors".

While the present regulations limit the granting of releases to Japanese-

American citizens in WRA centers, asSurances have been given that if the policy

ic successful, the regulations will be relaxed and other groups will be included.

Also, the W.C.C.A. (Wartime Civil Control Administration) has announced that

avacuese will be released from assemoly centers if they have jobs outside of the

Wastarn Defense Jommand, and if a letter is filed with the W.C.C.A. stating that

the law enforcement agency of the community wherein the cvacuee proposes to reside

hos no objection to the establiskment of residence in the community.

This policy of granting releases for private employment represents the most

constructive orogram that has been announced by the government since the order for

avactation.

To be effective, the efforts of the RA must be sup ,lemented by individuals

sud peivate agencies in securing job openings and community acceptance. This is a

Diase where you can start to work at once to help. Japanese get back into the ncr-

al stream of economic life. A great many difficulties will be encountered in this.

but dus to the present labor Snortage this transition from Camps to vorivate employ-

news will be easier now than after the close of the war. Every effort chould be

made to have the resettlement centers depopulated of able-bodicd people by ths end

of the war. If this can be achieved, it will do more to soften the blow thet has

befallen our Japanese frierds than anything else could dc. This liberal Pauecy of

the WRA deserves the Support of all friends of the Japanese. Jt offers a place

where we can begin at once in order to demonstrate our continued friendship.

Japanese Employment -- 3

Ecna Morris and I, after Spending more than three months on the Pacific Coast.

Start homeward on August 31st. On our way we propose to visit a number of Japan-

ese who settled in Utah, Colorado and other western states before the freezing

order went into effect. We wart to learn how they are making the adjustments to

new communities, how they are being accepted, and also what the prospects are for

the settlement of other Japanese in these same communities. We shall stop also

ay a number of Colleges which have accepted Japanese students. These localities

may offer opportunities for employment as well as placement for students. We shall

also visit some communities where there are Friends in order to see if job open-

ings can be secured. By the time we arrive home, about October 6th, we hope to

know about the possibilities of job openings, the attitudes which communities

have toward accepting Japanese, and to have additional suggestions to make in re-

gard to procedure,

We are grateful for the privilege which has been ours of working with friends

(with both a big and a little "f") on the problems created by the evacuation orders.

Most of all we appreciate the rare privilege which has been outs of becoming ac~

quainted with some of the Japanese people, They have taught us much of how to

meet catastrophe with faith dnd coutage.

Yours sincerely,

HLM! fw

HOMER L. MORRIS

American Friends Service Committee

544 East Orange Grove Avenue

Pasadena, California

August 24, 1942

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