Dear Editor.

In your article on Mr. Karl Ichiro Akiya, you state: "he [Karl Ichiro Akiya] became a voluntary prisoner of an incarceration camp for the solidarity of the Japanese-American community's rights after the Pearl Harbor attack even though he was only one of five people exempted by the U.S. Government in recognition of his clear statements about Japanese Imperial aggression in the Pacific."

In Sandra C. Taylor's book (Jewel of the Desert: Japanese American Internment at Topaz), she further states (at page 239):

"He [Akiya] was soon offered a chance to aid the American cause: naval intelligence asked for his cooperation in finding subversives among the Issei. The navy asked him and his friend James Oki to remain on the West Coast during the war, but he refused."

Who were the other 4 individuals who were "exempted", and how would their staying behind on the West Coast help them find alleged Issei subversives when the Issei were in DOJ or WRA detention centers? Also, do we have any documentary evidence, i.e., correspondence from ONI, DOJ, Western Defense Command, etc. in support of these "exemptions" or "offers of exemptions" by the ONI? While it is true that the DOJ issued some "temporary exemptions" for some Japanese, mostly prior to "internment," DeWitt canceled the DOJ's exemptions with regard to curfew. Further, DeWitt, per Western Defense Command (WDC) procedures, would have issued exemption i.d./cards for any Japanese remaining outside of a detention center on the West Coast. While these claims are advanced in good faith, I would appreciate any documentary support or further clarification of such (ONI, DOJ, WDC, FBI, NARA correspondence).

Respectfully

Kinji Inomata