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United States Department of Justice

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University of San Diego

University of San Diego Digital USD Petitions and Briefs Hirabayashi v. United States 9-30-1944 Memorandum for Mr. Herbert Wechsler Re; Korematsu v. United States United States Department of Justice Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/hirabayashi_petitions Digital USD Citation United States Department of Justice, "Memorandum for Mr. Herbert Wechsler Re; Korematsu v. United States" (1944). Petitions and Briefs. 20. https://digital.sandiego.edu/hirabayashi_petitions/20 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Hirabayashi v. United States at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Petitions and Briefs by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact digital@sandiego.edu. Reproduced at the National Archives at Seattle~ \R&:J J • 1:.N N 1::1 \._ If ft«,= TO". IUI ·-: ..... EXHIBIT B ~epartment of 3T ustice alien Cncmp 4Contn>t &nit Wasbington September 30~ 1944 JmliORANDtni FOR MR. HERBERT TIECHSLER Re: Koremat~u v. United StDtes I ,mcierstand that the "Jar Department is currently discussing with the Solicitor General the possibility of changing t~e footnote L~ the Korematsu bl·iei in rrhich it. io sta.te,i that this ~epa...-tment is b po~sessio:i of information in conflict with the statements me.de b-j C-eneraJ. De17itt relc:.ting to the cc.uses of the evacu:?.tion. ·Ur. Burling s.nd I .feel most st::-ongJ.y that three purpo~es are to be served b:r keeping the footnote in its present form. (1) This Depart~ent has sn ethical obligation to the Court to refrain from -citing it a.s a source of which the Court may proyerly take judicial notice if the Depertment knows that i!llport:mt statements in the source a::?."e untr.1e c.nd if it kn.0,1s as to other statements that there is such contrariet7 of inf orma.-tion· that judicial notice is improper. • (2) Since the ne.r Depe_-,.,tment hi:.s . ...-7Ublished a history of the evacuetion contain-ing important msstate:ients ot· 1 • ·re.ct; including imputations and :inferences that the ine.ction ·end. ti,..,; ru:ty: of • this Depertment me.de the drastic action or· evacuation necessa._7,·t~s Depa..-t~ent has en· obligation, "':'Tithin its omi competence, to set t..i.e record strtight Sc.». that; the· true histor:, mc.y ultimate~ becol!le known. • (3) .Al.though the rsporl deals extensively Tli.th the activities of this Department and 'P.:i:th the relation-ship 6£ the \tar Departme."l.t to this Depertment, the report was pt1blished r.i.thout its being• sho-wn to us.. In addition, vrhen we J.ee...""'!led of its existence.,, '!':'e were on one occe.sion e.dvised that the report-would n~ver be published encl, O!l another occasion ,-;hen v:e asked that rslec.se be l::.eld un so that we could consider•it, r.e were told that· the report h.e.d aJ.xee.dy be~n released o.l.though in fact._the report was not released until two weeks t.1-iereafter.· In view of t~e We.r.Depart~ent•s course of conouct with resp~ct to the report, wee.re not required to deel with the report ver-.r respectfully. • ..---- ..... ·•,·.·· -:;.· . ! ·: . . . As to the propriety ·or teking judicie.J. notice ·or the contents of • the reporl, it will be suf'ficient to point out th&.t (1) the report cakes 'an important misst~tement concerning our published alien ~nei::y procedures; Reproduced at the National Archives at SeattleI . ' . ,.;·· t ( - 2 -(2) the report makes statements concerning re.dio trensmissioa3 directly contradicted by a 1etter from the Federal. Communications Commission, 8!1.d (.3) the report makes assertions concerning radio transmissiom end ship-to-sbore signaling directl.y contradicted by a memorandum from the Federal Bureau. of Investigation. • • n -· The wil.f"ul historical. inaccuracies of the report a.re objectionable f'or two different reasons. (1) The chief e.rg,.llllent in the report as to the necessity for the evacuation is that the Deput:nent of Justice was slovr in enf arcing alien enemy control measures and that it r.ould not take the necessa.I7 steps to prevent signaling r.hether by radio or by lights. It asserts that·radio transI:li.tters were located within general. areas but this Department would not permit mass searches to find them. It asserts thet signaling was observed in mixed occupancy dwellings which this Department·-.. v,oul.d not permit to be entered •. Thus; because this Department would not .. ' allo~ the reasonable and less drastic measures which General DeTTitt rl~hed,· he was farced to evacuate the entire population. The argument is lllltrue both with respect to what this Depa.rtm.ent did and with respect to the radio transmissions and signaling, none of which existed, as General DeWitt at the time well.knew. (2) The report asserts tha_:t; the Japanese-Americans were engaged in extensive radio signaling and in shore-to-ship si~aling. The general tenor or the report•is not only to the effect thet there was a reason to be apprehensive, but also to the effect that overt acts of treason were being committed. Since this is not so it is hiehly UD.l.-air ~o this racieJ. minority.that these lies, put out in an official publication, go ,mcor:-ected. This is the· only opportunity which this Department has· to .cz,rrect them.·· ... ---· ... -· Reproduced at the National Archives at Seattle\ .. • . •, •' • l _) ~. -1 ( -:3-III. As to.the relations of this Department to the report, the ·.r1rst that we kne·r. of its existence was in April, 1942, n"hen we re~uested Judge Advocate General Cramer to supply any published material in the • War Department's possession on the military situation on the West Coast • • at the time or the eva.cua.tion to be used in the Hirabayashi brief' in t.11.e Supreme Court. Colonel Watson, General DeWitt' s Judge Advocate, stated that General DeWitt' s report, was being rushed of£ the press &nd \';ould be available for consideration. I was then advised., hO'.':ever, that the printed report was conf identi3l and I could not see it. but I was given 40 par;es torn out or the report on the understanding that I ret-.:.rn the!D. which, unfortunately, I have done.·· Because these excerpts misstatr::d the facts as I !mew them and misstated the rel2.tions betwee."1 the Department of Justice and the War Department, I suggested to the Solicitor General. thc.t he r.rl.eht ·l"d.sh to discuss with the Attorney General the matter of the Attorney General taking up with the Secretary of War the question. ot showi .. "'lg us this· report be.fore it was. relea~ed. Colonel i,•;atson then advised me that i.ir~ l!cCloy was treating the report as a draft a."!d ey persontl re-collection is that lfr. 'McCloy stated in 11:r. 'Biddle I s presence that it was not intended to print this report. We did not hear 2bout this report again until over six months later when I learned accidentally from llr. Myer of WRA that he had a copy of the report which the .Viar Depart .. "'ie!lt was going· to; publish. • I borrov1ed his copy and then Mr. Burling called Captain Hall., .. • .llr. ~cCloy' s .Assistant Executive Officer., and pointed out to hi.:1 that the report undertook to discuss relations between the Vi'ar e.nci. Justice Depart-ments Yd.thout giving us a chance to examine it and it was my understanding that Mr. McCloy did not intend to have the report released. Captain Hall.. e.dnitted that Mr. McCloy had stated· that the report ,ras ·not to be issued but stated that he was sorry but the report had already been releaeed and there was nothing that could be done. We accepted his statement as true and did not .check on it until two weeks had passed without any publicity .and then ·;;nen. the report vras discussed in the -newspapers we checked with _the public relations office or the War Department and they advised that the report· had just been released end had not been release~ at the time Captain Hall said it had. _It is also to be noted "that parts of the report "ldlich, in April 1942 could not be shown to the Depa.rt.-nent of Justic:e .in .connection with the liirabayashi case in the Supre.ne_Court, were printed in the brief a:nici curiae of the states of CaJ.ifornia., Oregon and Washingtcn.. In fact the Vlestem Defense Co::wend evaded the statutor:,r requirement that this Depart-ment represent the Government in this litigation by preparing the erroneous and inte~perate brief which the States filed. . . It is entirely clear that the War Department entered into an arrange~ent with the Western Defense Command to rewrite de~onstrably erroneous items in the report by reducing to i.~plication and :inference wh~t Reproduced at the National Archives at Seattle\ . ' . t -4-had been expressed less expertly by the l':estern Defense Cornmaid and then contrived to publish this report without the knowledge of this Department by the use of falsehood and evasion. • . For your information I annex- copies of (a) rny memorandum of April 20, 1943 to the Solicitor .General, (b) my memorandu1t1 of January 21, 1944 to the Solicitor General., (c) my memorandum. of February 26, 194.4 to • the Attorney General, and (d) a transcript of r.tr. Burling1 s conversation of January 7, 1944 vd.th Captain 1-.all vfr1ich clearly brings out the evasio11 and falsehood used in connection ,·d.th the publicstion of the report. I a.lso annex copies of memoranda from the FBI and of an exchange of correspondence between the Attom.ey General cl1d the Cha.iman of the Federal Co!1lll1Ul1ications Commission which establish clearly that the facts are not as C~ners.1 DeWitt states them :ill his report and cl.so that General DeWitt kne\'l' them. to be contrary to his' report. RECO.!&·~"'IDATION: In vieYr of the .Attorney General's personal participation in, and fintl responsibility for, this•Department's part in -the.broad acministrative problem of treatment of the Japanese :J:i.L~ority, ' I urge that, he be consulted personally on this problem. :.fuch more is involved than the wording of the footnote. T'ae fa.:il.ure to deal adequately now with ·this Report cited to the Supreme Court either by the Government. or other parties, will hopelessly undermine our administrative position in re]_..ation to this Japanese proble!ll. We have proved unable to cope with • the .military authorities on their Oi'iil grou.."1d in these matters.· If we . · :fail to act r orthrightly on our ovlll ground in the courts, the t.hole historical. record of this matter will be as the milita.cy choose to state it. The Attorney General should not be a.eprived of the present~ end perhaps only, chance to set the record. straight. - - •• -t . , . I I Reproduced at the National Archives at Seattle...... -~ ..U.'!:lt Atto~ ey· Ge1.:: r:r.::, ~ We.r Di~ton. ·- ..... 'i· ~ --.. I 11 Tho Sollci tcr Gene:::-e.i has g:,<J.e over tha revi.sed pe.ge ~:.~oor 0 -,r ths ·brief tl!ld ha!l tlr.d !.? c e:-t~_.n nddi ticncJ. changes. I deE;i.re to i!lvi to your c.tte!lti·:m. ps::-tic~.r...:-ly to th~ .foo-t.note which s.ppe!U"s on. pnge ll of. 'tho rovi::cc. p~~ ::,::::.of. .As sat out in the f'i:r::tt p2.ge p:-o?.f i:.t p~ize . 26, :the i'C)';)t:lota l."£~~ .... : .. : .. ~-•:·:•·.j• . • ... ·•' .• • . ••• - "Th.a Final Report c! GAnernJ. DaWitt (which is dr.~d ··-- J'uno .5, 1943, bu~ ~hich. 1rao not m.c:..d~ public i.m~a 1-Tt-.nuary ;. •• • •• 19/+4) is rcllod O'.':l. in th.if; brief £c;;r statistics end other. dsta:Ui . . • • • • conco~.::1g 'tl::.e actua.1. evacuc.tion and the events t~at too'!c ., . . .. . . • pl.e.!?a ~seqtle;it tbJ?reto. The recit~'ll 0£ t~:-:: CU-C'\.:.11:.st.nncas ~, •• 0 • , • • just.if7i?!g t~c ~~acu::.ticn es a matter 0£ IJilitsrf ~0~3~.si t,r, _ :·· ho-:ravei-, is io. se~eral. 're!>pac-ta, particule.::-ly v,ith rc.t"e!"ence . .. to the u~a c-f i1..1et;u1 :rad.lo tre:i:;.;nitters e.:id ta sho'l~e-to- • ... ship signn. 1 1 ~ng by persons ·of Japan.eso ll!lC~Si:.!'Y; in con.O.ic·;. rlt~ in.for~atio~ b th6 posses~ion of the Dop.."l..r"'-...:.ieut or .ru.st.ic~.. In V-.i.7~ of the contrnriet;r of t~e re:rx>zts c,;:i this J!latl,£Jr we do n.~t a.sk ·tho Co·l!rt to t~8 judicial ~otic'9 o! t~'l 1·scital. of' those fact!l contained in -tl:.e Repc-rt." :f'_~-o/ b.a.~ :r-evi.sed it., it relld.e:: ... ,;,. ~-...-t;:· .. . - . . 1 :Ta~ l'i.tHu.· Rcr.10r,..c;··or Gnnr--1~ru. ·De~fitt (i:i:u.ch is c:s.t:,.,.l J"u.n0 5., 19.l.31 • bll:I; ~-:-h..-\.ch ~~~ not :it-·~.iic.l pt..tblit.: l't:1til Jl:.:lu.a::.7 l9/~) he:::e:L"'l~t,er c"l.tec. as Fir.al Re?~rt, is rolied o.:i in t!iia. 1-.!0P fr,•.- r:-t<>.:...:c;l-~C3 .. .,..d r.-'-\.e.,. de•<>iln ccnc:e·--~•1.r1 t ... " :. W!."'~ • .L '--'" ... • .._ ..... _, ...... :.._ ~ "-:u_ • - ~. ~ •--•- 0 ---. uctu.:.J. -£vac-..if;.i;ion E.!:ld the Ern_·.ata the.t took plact) snbe:eC?_i.:.E:z:.t. thm·eto' .. • The i-ecit..~1. in the Final P..ep:,rt of ci_~J;J.St.ar-.c:H1 ju!rt:tf;;ri.T.:g t~a _c7e.cw;.tioi: as a. mattet" of J.!-ll.-tt~.:=7 neccs:.;i-r.y, ~__,,,..,..,.,.,,.,... i"' i" s~-.::.--, 1··•",.,"'....J." p ... ...+-'l'cuJ...,.,.]•-r -·'""h r ..... ~e-•-,r:.: • ..... ...,,,~.,~._..,, t.: -• <--•-r-.:.~ -~...-..;.i;\..L•\.11 ... ,. u- ....._, •J •,.-......,. i...·J. • =:-.. ~••~ to -th:., ui,;:, c,f :tlJ.E-gal radio tr:::.:isi;u.ttsr~ nn.d ~hort""'"'"to-sh~.p 1:d.t;o~.uJ.·tn.:r b;r p\:':-~s o:t ,T apa.nese a.31cest:ry,. in ccn.:f'J.ic-t ~:-1th the vit:,;1s cf th:.J.s Dr>:pru.·t=,:;.u-i;. We, t.;:..orefo::?.'c, e.o nut a:;k -:he Ccurt tr. t::..k~ judicial not.ice cf tr.e recitu of tl:.oso ~ .. • ~acts cc~taiu~1 ih tho Report.n / EXHI RI'l' AA ~•;-;:-_' r~~ {:~-~::::; ,J,,,;,,_.. --·-. • -·.!"-:--- -- -- - - ------- -,-------·· -··----·· ·-····---·----... : J. . .... ' Reproduced at the National Archives at Seattle- , • . . _ :ui 'T.LEM • ,:)-r t.'la !'act'· t!le.4:. Gon~re.1. D~~n t/.;. i..~ his offic5.al. rsporl Je eva.ctetirn ll.As· c-0ug:.t.-fu -j~.st:il'y 1-'~ b.r n9..'clng ~po=-tr ... ~t ci::.stutsrJcnts ~ct,• I :tb:tu"; ~:~..=:'!:7-~-,j:,te;it,· t.li.:1.~ t.his Dcp:a.:..-t:::ent ~or.1:ect tl~~ rec6.:-d rc-.r ::-.s fhs%)ibl.~ a..~d cortairJ,J' we should not e.~;x the Com~ to U?.k.:} ~i.!!1 notice o:r ·t.hc,He !~eta-.··· The TI&r :Oe-:;~r-rie~t. hs"s no "0-:"0'0er co~o.1eint BS to· o,1r diz~7~~·ml. .he raci t..,1 of th:;- iac·t~. ·W'at:ll ,,.:,-<ne~9 prop~•;_;ng the Ilirn.uia::b.i brii:d' 1eard that the ~;.1p:>rt hc.d b.~en ~-e c.n.d. aakad for a i!OP7 of it fo:t" uso. We wa:-e tcJ.d that it· '.'las Zl'ZIC"L"st ~t-tll:it tho A::.-::11 ~~ocld tet'lpo~•2...:";.ly-i us cert:--1T" pagas tr.Im out o~ th•3 report. !fe did e::m!l!.i?is -:.l:.aso pages ley- J.9.'.J Em.d then r.ct~-ned the.m. to t.b~ War Dep.;..rt??1ent. (Some or thes9 es then t~ed up i::: a btl-::f .f:D.cd in. tb~ IB.2""c:..bm-ashi case, ·nithou:t 01..i.r ~1ed.go, ;-i:r ·thD s;;~to?s of C.:iJ_-i.fornis.~ Oregc.u a.:1d Washin&t,cil as o:iic::.i ise) lir. ·r.tc:Cl.(,7 ttiivi:rnd Mr. ~:l at. this tbs t'h,,t Dd7:t.-~t' s r.:tnal ort lfow~d . not bo ~~e pub1i o • . lfo na:::t.· _J:.s~i-d of t.lu, :::-eo:·:-t i.11 .. T .? .. m:u~ .... -:; 19/t,I.,. !.t l!r_. ~~ t ~ecti~., :C ciu.:t-=,,:t. C..~pt::-5.n F.:D.i, ;.ho ~s • CiJ.pt.1:.:l:: F ishar' a pi--cC:ccose<•:~ i a.~~:cd. t.~~.1.t tb::>. 1~1:i:.~J.icati.o:.i. of' thil report. ·b21 1?'i-!;'bhe1d u:itil .this ~-f,>:lOtlt i:-.i;µt, C~-~~-ln.i tl;.:J f'n-: b~. reporc. U"'.!Q. :;:-:.nz~. C!)i!l.i:i,mt,;3. C~"':lf;C-~'°' ::,.z • ? report's clis~m::;'!..o'tl of tho ~!..e played cy t}d:3 :pap~tnC?rh. · Capt.ilil. • • il st,atcc:. ·u-.at tll·!!. rc~::rl bi:vi e:!.J:-erL,..:ty bec:t p-.:..blished ·and it ~as too 1at.o do eny-tb-1~~ al"-.out i·l:. The r~po::-t;~ ho-;,>;;3·;.cr., -;,:ae n:lt publi~-;,h~d. rnt_il t,-10 e:~s J.ater ·,th~ j_t ·,"'a:? rnlE?..-$1-:-<l to t.h:l press. ! -r~ri.iied this through .t.~e -::::, 1 3 Po.'blicatic~~ u.t.1.d Pu.bl:lc Iielat.i~,~s office::.•3 c:::id there ";'!'S.~ no q-.::i.~r-:ti-:i'n . . t tuat C .. ~t..."\in ?-:-.J~' s ;.;ta·t~::ie!lt on tr,..is ::."'..l.bj oc-t ;=:a!:J un.t:::-uc ~~d t.~.~-t t::i~1:.."'c: ,ul.d b.:;;;-e be~ -~bo t.'.l p~r:ti.:c ti½i~ D~p-:3..!'t.:.:tcnt to m:J.ke r~p,:<:!se:11:ttd;::..o::"13 .th ~:Jsp:a:ct ~ tb.c p·.ihll~!.1.t.,i.Dn oi s. report pl?..cluz t..'1e :i-'!':.?:?:>~sib"', it.y c.,n i in pQ.,.--t for t~s neceasi t;- c,.r the e·-rn.c-u.o.tio:c.., b~ tho i'ia.-.=-D~per+...:i~nt ~.'.;~ Lt t,o p-::::.."'nit t.~,i~ D?.p~~en~ to ::l:.--..:::p&ct th~ repo~-t prior to p-.1bllc~:~icn. r In -v-le?.' o'! ~ll the:;9 c:.t:c-c-.1i.l ~~anct?s 1 :1. t S€1'!l:lS tc ~c ".;h4t the r,~e$en:i:. oiro.1o:-iz.:.t::tcn of the foctno+,e i.; unt' orl.~ato. Th~r~ is i:.~ fact n oiltrtZiety of i.""lfo'I"': .. ::!."l:-.ion nd 'ife ouf:h"t to s::.-.y co. The stat.~~cnt.s n£-d<'.: Y Gene:-z..l. De'fii-tt. are :cot. ccl-.r cm::.i.trri.~ to o·cr vl.sws but they z.:-o cc~txu-..r .o d.':lt:-..;lo!.l. i:lio~!!t.ic:i :in ou:-· r-os::-:~soian ru1•:1/~1[h·~ to r,ay ~o. I pre:,:1 th2 J?-'?:l'l'lt. not cn.17 b~c-1.uss I ?.ouJ.d like to Sei: • the. :i":>•:)'t-• IDt,a :.:-c:~7-':'lrad to it~ ea.-:-lic·r f:o-::ro., U' p:,s~i~u.fl, bllt, bocc.u~o ~.t is -c.cnr :ontet.;,?lc.tr~d. tha·~ 'th-:t re·r.1..s ~d 'b ... i ~r b3 zubi..,i.-t,t:;!c, r.gr.i::t to t.ts :fr.:.:-DGpertnc.,-::1.t. r • a.ssu.! .. ' VJ t-b.:1t the Yfo.::r Dcpart~~t irll1 obj l:)C-i,; to th:, i'cotno ':.tl c.r..d I ·chir-.k ~;c sho-cl.d :-e:s.l:st ::.::tj" f,.rth~1· -t~p::::-:-iug w.t th 1-'w ·w.t ~.1 u.ll cu:: r~~i;:3. 'lHE PARrIES MAY StBSTITUI'E A BEITER OOPY OF 'IHE APPENDIX IF ONE IS AVAILN:3LE. .. . i., .. . • ·•.•-:. ··: ..... I .... ~-~~ : ,_ .. ,:- ·. ~ .. 

Memorandum for Mr. Herbert Wechsler Re; Korematsu v. United States

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Memorandum for Mr. Herbert Wechsler Re; Korematsu v. United States

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