Over the Coals

Seattle, Wash….
The movement here to ship aliens to an inland internment camp has surged into a wave that threatens to include American citizens of Japanese ancestry as well.
Proponents of the plan to move Japanese-Americans inland are apparently steadfast believers and rejuvenators of the theory of heredity.
“Once a Jap, always a Jap,” they shout.
We have always been taught that man is a product of his environment. And that as the Japanese Americans have been brought up in the same world, gone to the same schools as we have, they could not be much different persons from what we are.
But then we listen to the brilliant remarks of our wised leaders and we find we are quite wrong. (word illegible) the classic statement of Major Millikin’s: “That’s their (word illegible) hard luck.”
Bad luck? To have been with yellow skin and freedom-loving (word illegible) Or to have leaders like him. Which is our hard luck as (word illegible)
These people you condemn gentlemen are human beings — individual citizens who work and dream as you and I. They are not cattle. And they are not to be herded as cattle. They are humans. Citizens. They speak our tongue. They worship our way of life. They are us. Hurt them and you destroy us. If segregation of our citizenry by racial groups persists, democracy is doomed. How can an utopian democracy thrive tomorrow when inter-racial hate is fostered today? That hate will not be erased. Caucasian and Mongolian and Negroid in battle with one another. The result will be complete self-annihilation.
Our business groups consider their business will improve when Japanese alien and American competition is removed. Anything for money, eh gentlemen?
And the American Legion (word illegible) its strong arm pressure (word illegible) with gusto. Anything to be able to wave a flag. Right? But gentlemen remember human values. Remember what you are doing to our conception of civilization.
Trod on the black citizen, trod on the yellow citizen. Make your money, wave your flag. But remember what you are doing. You will repent one day.

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