The Northwest Times

WASHINGTON. D. C., Jan. 10—
(JACL ADC)—Ending a goodwill and study tour, which took them to Japan, Korea, Okinawa and Hawaii, Mike and Etsu Masaoka returned this week to the nation's capital.

The five-month-long jaunt, two months of which were in the Far East, afforded the former national JACL ADC legislative director an opportunity to study first hand the problems faced by the strandees and the Nisei who lost their American citizenship by voting in the Japanese elections.

Concerned also with strengthening American-Japanese friendship, Masaoka revealed that his talks with high-ranking Japanese provided him with a new understanding of the needs and aspirations of the people of Japan.

Masaoka conferred with American consular officials in Japan regarding the administration of the new Immigration and Nationality Act and related nationality issues affecting the Nisei in Japan.

He was requested to analyze the effect and the implications of the Immigration and Nationality Act by members of the Japanese Diet. Particularly on the problem of dual nationality, Masaoka urged that a more expeditious way be established to deal with this thorny issue.

According to press reports, the Masaokas were honored in an unprecedented fashion.

During their stay in Japan, they were received by key Japanese and American government officials and industrialists. Included among the distinguished personalities who arranged private receptions for the Masaokas were the American Ambassador to Japan, the Honorable Robert Murphy, Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, Chief Justice Tanaka of the Japanese Supreme Court, Foreign Minister Okazaki, and the United Nations Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Mark Clark.

Masaokas' visit to Japan was given press coverage accorded to few private citizens. At the time of their departure from Japan, the Nippon Times in an editorial headed "World Citizen" remarked in part: "Mike Masaoka, national legislative director of the Japanese American Citizens League, is leaving Japan today after a two-month visit to this land of his ancestors that has further cemented American-Japanese relations.

Mr. Masaoka has proved himself truly a citizen of the world as he works to deepen the ties of understanding and friendship among the various peoples of the world and to further the cause of world peace. He has achieved great results for the citizens of the United States who are of Japanese ancestry and for the non-citizens who will soon be eligible for American citizenship."

For the Hawaiian portion of their trip, the Masaokas were guests of the five principal Japanese organizations on the islands and savored the internationally known hospitality extended by these groups.

The Masaokas were also entertained by Gov. Oren Long of Hawaii and the former Senator Elbert Thomas, now governor of the Trust Territories in the Pacific. Gov. Thomas, incidentally, was one of Masaoka's earliest champions.

While in Hawaii, the former JACL ADC official thanked the people there for their past support of the JACL program.

Masaoka stated that without their interest in and generous contributions to JACL activities, the legislative objectives of the JACL ADC could not have been successfully accomplished.

Upon his return to Washington, D. C., Masaoka indicated that he will go into private practice as legislative, government and public relations counsel.

Under the reorganization plan recently announced by George Inagaki, the national president of the JACL, Masaoka will be retained by the JACL ADC to work on general legislation set forth by the National JACL Council and to make representations before the administrative agencies of the government, declared the Washington office of the JACL ADC.