Key people
1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The president of the United States at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and WWII (Fremon, 1996).
Photo from: http://www.presidentprofiles.com/images/prh_01_img0065.jpg
Photo from: http://www.presidentprofiles.com/images/prh_01_img0065.jpg
2. John L. DeWitt: an army officer who was nearing the end of an undistinguished career. He was described as bigoted and indecisive. His statements indicated fear and hatred of all Japanese and he claimed that the Japanese was the “enemy race” (Fremon, 1996).
Photo from: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jldewitt-usarmy-photo-01.jpg
Photo from: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jldewitt-usarmy-photo-01.jpg
3. John McCloy (War Department): Assistant Secretary of War. He recommended removing everyone suspicious and establishing restricted areas for Japanese-Americans. He suggested returning those who did not seem dangerous, back to their homes (Fremon, 1996).
Photo from: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/96unclass/fig114.gif/image.gif
Photo from: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/96unclass/fig114.gif/image.gif
4. General Francis Biddle (Justice Department): Found no reason to remove people who were not proven to be disloyal to the US. He wanted nothing to do with the mass evacuations of the Japanese-Americans (Fremon, 1996).
Photo from: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BVYbe1N1cXQ/UQI8gv1IfkI/AAAAAAAAH90/_b4h2_jhaSU/s320/Francis_Biddle.jpg
Photo from: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BVYbe1N1cXQ/UQI8gv1IfkI/AAAAAAAAH90/_b4h2_jhaSU/s320/Francis_Biddle.jpg
5. Henry Stimson: Secretary of War. He had been wavering in his decision about relocating the Japanese, but decided in favor of evacuating the Japanese to internment camps. He recommended this to the President, who was also reluctant to go through with it. However, on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which called for mass evacuations of Japanese people. This would be one of the greatest violations of civil rights in American History (Fremon 1996).
Photo from: http://mason.gmu.edu/~tfisher/Images/stimson%20small.jpg
Photo from: http://mason.gmu.edu/~tfisher/Images/stimson%20small.jpg
6. Milton Eisenhower (brother of Dwight Eisenhower): War Relocation Authority director. He concluded that evacuation camps should be built (Fremon, 1996).
Photo from: http://www.lib.k-state.edu/depts/spec/images/people/eisenhower-milton-stover-1943.gif
Photo from: http://www.lib.k-state.edu/depts/spec/images/people/eisenhower-milton-stover-1943.gif
7. Ralph L. Carr- Governor of
Colorado: Gov. Carr spoke up as a lone
voice against Japanese internment, and even though he was unable to stop it, he
was very concerned for the well-being of Japanese Americans who were placed in
internment camps in his state. He welcomed
them as citizens, insisting they be given their civil rights and not have their
property stolen while detained, and helped those who had US citizenship to
retain it through the ordeal. Carr also
fought to reverse the racial discrimination and hatred he witnessed by
residents of his state. He was not re-elected because of his unpopular
political stance (The lone politician, 2011).
Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Governor_Ralph_Carr.jpg
Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Governor_Ralph_Carr.jpg