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.W CANADIAN
DECEMBER 12
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In This Way . . . We AFso Serve
396 Powell'Street PAcific 84i I
Vancouver, B. C.
A paper pitblishcc( bu and for second tjencriition Julian?*? in Cana.dj and devoted to their uxltact as^c'tucns of Cant. 'd. ' '
Published weekly at the Tanjo Printing Company Rateir 25� per month $2.50 per year'!* advance
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A Dedication
N the space of a few terrifying hours this modest weekly newspaper, The New Canadian, has been thrust by the power of overwhelming events into a wholly new iple.
'No longer merely the "voice of the second generation,0 it remains now the sole organ, written and published by Canadians of Japanese descent. It assumes now the responsibilities carried ofTfoVthc past four decades of three daify newspapers of great- repute and long standing. And those responsibilities are laid upon the shoulders of a youthful staff at a time of emergency and peril to all of' us, never before experienced in our iii"story.
This, then, we conceive to be, our task. To bear the torch of loyalty and true-Canadianism among all of'us�just/as'we have never ceased,to bear it since this journal was-founde'd three, years ago. To speak forthrightly and courageously to a -hostile Canadian public, in a never^ending crusade, against injustice, j ignorance, and mis-placed hate. To gather and1 disseminate news that is significant and important, and to interpret it in truth and honesty. To rally the second generation to a great work before it! t (.s �' ' -
We do not'know if our 'resources will measure up to this 'great duty. There are powerful forces~of evil abroad,'and there is human error and weakness oi\every hand, But in this historic hour, - we do -solemnly- dedicate-our- every effort, our every moment, our every energy to the fulfillment of our task.
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Let's Watch Our Step
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LL of us, it 'is safe to say, 'realize fully just how "tough a time'' we are facing; no one is more conscious of the "eight ball" than the people behind it. Most, of us too realize 'that - our-own safety demands that in everything we do or say, particularly for the present, we must exercise-the greatest caution. Careless talk, careless actions,-eareless tempers � these are individual Sins that Will int/ifr* siiapisinn qpfl arouse. ' feelings against ouf whole community, no matter how loyal we may be. -There is no need for us to stress how important it is for
established authority^ and to uphold the law even more circumspectly than we have in
about our i/fl'/i/ t^'1 oisi hotist. in onk'i
itc ..T�t cr wlMt happens \V^ li\'v"
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HI .^ Will V JUOVjIl'S \\Oriti IH>�>
'.lift I novr fully rcaSt7ed tvll Sun di/ , . anJ in Ics^ than t\ventv-four ho'trs Vaiuo-ivei ha� bc\onu> ih? fioni 1'r.o of a P.icif c �.oaflict
o >r Powell Sueei'lm gone. The idle carefree shatter, the friendly happy faces, the noi^ of merry tune's, UK suan�e sm&lk and tlie characteristic atmospheic haye not vanished They aie still there, yes, biu\Jo\vn Jo a silence, shocked, a little bewuM-e.ovl � Waiting . . , waiting.
Almost overnight the hori/ons of our little Nisei world-have cha-,ycd . Only yesterday, some of Ui were buying gifts foi loved ones . , . mailing Christinas �.ards, splendidly gay, with wishes for the New Year . � or planning, womanlike, 50 frivolous doo-dad in which ro chase out the old and' greet in the new. Today, (h�u world is fa: awr.y.
Out of our little peaceful private
worlds, we have been thrown, Against
our 'Wsh:s,^ into the Kmclight . . .
23,000 of us . .1. the cynosure of
.all because the la net 'of Our'dnccs-
thc aggressor nation threatening our peace, And -we, despite our loyalties, have their eyes and their cokmdng,
S t r a n-ge things, unexplainable things, demands which will test our endurance of will; our hearts. ,our capacities for tolerance and under-' standing . . .will be ours. And in this�time of waiting . , . of" fear ,\. . heightened by swiff moving changes day by day ... it" is so easy to give way to our ernotions and feelings, To give way""to unnatural actions, because- of ^unnatural times, to forger thai we still have -a "~pa7t~'fQ>^p 1 a"y~" i iT~t Hi sM i nTeT^ i rf~t 1 i? s city, as citixens of the land we call our own.
A Plea for Sincerity and Tolerance!
(.In out1 pt Iron) u s/Wi/? un /'/', } ,'t J t>< r,> s - i
r'..- \'if/\<UH\' in->ti'ult'. \'iW,.omY< /> ( � Ou'oiVr 1' , <nl ; // / . '\/}./ai. c//j</ tvpnntcd tr >m //v /YoiV/vKv I. ! ') i j . s , ^
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There is one aspect of the crisis in the Far I>,.i u-w-,
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affect us here in Vancouver uii-ci I think it is !-:$t irui' w,-. -.v >'.
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lace it frankly, IM any war bctwco^ Japan and Gioat Briia or between Japan and the United States, Canada, alt hough not a principal in the1 quarrel is certain to bo a belligerent 3 there is an rpprcciable number of Canadians dub-t t^ Ol cricans) who are Japanese by'race, though not nation' Japan. The'-e arc also some who have a dual nationality the event of war how will the Canadian Canadian people deal with this situation?
It would be foolish to think of this question as (\ shjple one. The foremost consideration must be national safety� and the importance of this consideration \yill be fully understood by tho men and women concerned. But almost as important is the question of'the permanent situation here, the undcsirability of racial hatreds and animosities, the danger of making any substantial class of citizens feel that it is being unfairly treated. Unhappily, the problem is not purely a rational one. There is certain to be in some quarters a disposition to retaliate,for insults or injuries which British sub-jects in Japan have borne or may have to bear. There ts certain to be profound suspicion Of the bona fides of the Canadian patriotism of young men_and ^wprrien _of Japanese race. Ltf me add that this'is a suspicion which I feel is inevitable though I personally, do not share it. There is detain to be resentment f�lt against suspicion which a man knows to be undeserved.
In short, there is a situation wtiicli demands cool handling, -a great- deal-of- philosophical -tolerance oMhe-man of the-ivorld, great tact and above all, complete sincerity.
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What I mean by sincerity is this:- ^It is tolerably easy to bear severe "restrictions without resentment, to make allowance for the position and outlook of others,- if yo'u believe that that outlook, though you may think it mistaken, is none the less sincere and, in intention, just. It is another matter if you feel that an oppprtunlty is being seized on by those who have always disliked you to injure or repress you.
We may have within our own community one of those -tragedies-which-have occurred when race iri Europe have been ' discriminated against; .or which have occurred when masses
of refugees have been harshly dealt with because the"easiest ~"disguise"for th'e~spy~or fifttrcbluronistis theiclres?~of the refugees
In such circumstances no pne can hope to draw a perfect line ^between prudent precautions on the one hand and panicky
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group_s,_on . the streeJLo>_ an_ public_places,_even _ to_of fe�l each other only sympathy. Those who are prejudiced and suspicious
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war~haTTb'een declared does* suspicions on the other. If we must face (as I am afraid we
must)_this-'most intractible of problems,-let it-be-in,an earnest endeavour to inflict the minimum of harm, on.t]Ve_innocent.,__
irT|he most innocent ^aTf*TFe"mbst~culpable of Crimes". Nor Is it good sense. to use, the Japanese language in^ pjabjic places, thus attracting unnecessary attention.
An excellent place to stay ,a\yay from (perhaps even in times of peace)-is-the beer- parlour^fot^talk is loose and -tem pers easily aroused when alcohol removes the controls of common sense and reason. ,
The many disquieting rumours that have �one the rounds indicate that we ought not to talk about things of which we
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know nothing. Let's not listen to some wild tale that someone go^from his grandmother^ forty-second cousin who heard.- it ^frorn a friend, and then to pass it on in our own inimitable style. -And -let's not be foolishly misled by unreasonable rumours. * * '* -'
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Nor should we Callow ourselves to be exploited by those contemptible racketeers, those blood-suckers^ who.ar*p attempting to exploit the difficult situation in which we are placed, to make money for themselves. They have already gone into action with their smooth salestalk based upon a wholly false appeal to patriotic motives.. . *
Our last suggestion is one that is a little more difficult to take. And that islo hold your temper, even if and when you feel -that you have been grossly subjected to a personal indignity. These 'unjust, malicious attacks, it is certain; will come; and they will arouse, especially among the jyoung men, a wish to strike back. Try hot lor~Tfy^6 keep youVheadsT and a strong rein on your temper, if not for yourself, then for all of those who stand behind you. A soft answer, says the proverb, turneth away wrath. ,
And above all, keep yoUr thumbs upland have failh in Canada. .Have faith in- the ideals for which we fight, have faith in democracy. For we have^need of that faith today."
Thumbs up, and Keep the Faith, Folks!
not mean tha.t \v<^ jnust J,hrow- UP the usual-tenure of out ways for* no reason -a( -alK but -that we-.-arc now in the public eye. \Vc too. in our little Nisei" world, such ~as if is ncfwT in whai 4ittlc we" have left of it. must go about our daily tasks . .-. ^keeping~our~h.ouse~in. order, sanely, with tolerance^ and with hope . , . as far as we arc able.
Fellow citizens are not wholly unaware of the mingled tear^and the strain that hangs over Powell Street. They are doing their best . . . and �we, ,asr-Japanesc Canadian citi?ensf must fit into the scheme of thirigs
In this Way - , . �. k>j quietly go-ing about our laily tasks . /. withour hysteria, with balance . . .
in this way, vfc also serve.
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Only a man harrowing clod$ In a slow silent walk, " -
With an old horse that stumbles and
norfs, . Half asleep as they stalk.
, Self:interest points in the same direction; for'we are en-"gageU in" a ^struggle" which transcends" national and" racial'lines
and we cannot afford to alienate any men of good wiirfrom our -ranks�^or to weaken our own self respect by departing from
the spirit of the ideals'for'\yhich we are fighting. . -
Don't Believe if Unless You Se* It In Print.
Only thin smoke without flame ~ _ -From-the^he*ps of couch-grass-^�-Yet this will go onward the. same Though Dynasties pass.
Yonder a maid and her wight
Come whispering by: \Vqrs annals will cloud into night
Eiv their story die. " -
: � Thornet Hardy
CLIP and MAIL NOW!
THE NEW CANADIAN,
396 Powell Street, Vancouver, 6. C,
Dear Sirs: PUase <n�r �
NAME
ADDRESS
For which you will find enclosed $.�:.----.�-_-:---------�
R*te: 25c p�r m�mtfc. Oi%� Year: $2.50 in advance
